The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 20, 2002
Giovanni Guaitini, Trecella, IT;
Marco Pasotti, San Martino Siccomario, IT;
Guido De Sandre, Brugherio, IT;
David Iezzi, Osnago, IT;
Marco Poles, Ghedi, IT;
Pier Luigi Rolandi, Monleale, IT;
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Abstract
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device including an output connected to a row line and two supply terminals. Each elementary stage has an upper branch with a p-channel MOS transistor and a lower branch with an n-channel MOS transistor. In order to permit the memory to be erased line by line without having to use components capable of withstanding high voltages, each elementary stage has two supplementary MOS transistors, namely an n-channel transistor in the upper branch and a p-channel transistor in the lower branch. In this way it becomes possible to bias the elementary stages in such a manner the in the reading and programming phases the upper branch will function as pull-up and the lower branch as pull-down, while in the erasure phase the upper branch functions as pull-down and the lower branch as pull-up.