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:
Aug. 21, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 02, 2010
Jeff a Babcock, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Yuri Mirgorodski, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Natalia Lavrovskaya, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Saurabh Desai, Fremont, CA (US);
Jeff A Babcock, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Yuri Mirgorodski, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Natalia Lavrovskaya, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Saurabh Desai, Fremont, CA (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for enhancing charge storage in an EPROM cell structure that includes a read transistor having spaced apart source an drain diffusion regions formed in a semiconductor substrate to define a substrate channel region therebetween, a conductive charge storage element formed over the substrate channel region and separated therefrom by gate dielectric material, a conductive control gate that is separated from the charge storage element by intervening dielectric material, and a conductive heating element disposed in proximity to the charge storage element. The method comprises performing a programming operation that causes charge to be placed on the charge storage element and, during the programming operation, heating the heating element to a temperature such that heat is provided to the charge storage element.