IP Library Granted Patent US 7,061,806
Granted Patent B2
US 7,061,806 · App. 10/954,931 · Granted Jun 13, 2006

Floating-body memory cell write

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,061,806
App. No.
10/954,931
Granted
Jun 13, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system to write to a plurality of memory cells coupled to a word line, each of the plurality of memory cells comprising a transistor having a source, a drain, a body and a gate coupled to the word line. Some embodiments provide biasing of one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation to inject charge carriers into the body of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells, and biasing of each of the plurality of memory cells in accumulation to tunnel charge carriers from the body of each of the plurality of memory cells to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells.

Claims (31)

1. A method to write to a plurality of memory cells coupled to a word line, each of the plurality of memory cells comprising a transistor having a source, a drain, a body and a gate coupled to the word line, the method comprising:

biasing each of the plurality of memory cells in accumulation to tunnel charge carriers from the body of each of the plurality of memory cells to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

biasing one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation to inject charge carriers into the body of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein biasing the one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation comprises:

applying a gate voltage to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells to create an inversion layer between the source and the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

applying a drain voltage to the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein each drain of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells is coupled to a respective bit line, and wherein applying the drain voltage comprises:

applying the drain voltage to each of the respective bit lines.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an instruction to write a “1” to each of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells.

5. A medium storing executable code, the code executable to write to a plurality of memory cells coupled to a word line, each of the plurality of memory cells comprising a transistor having a source, a drain, a body and a gate coupled to the word line, the code comprising:

code to bias each of the plurality of memory cells in accumulation to tunnel charge carriers from the body of each of the plurality of memory cells to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

code to bias one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation to inject charge carriers into the body of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells.

6. A medium according to claim 5 , wherein the code to bias the one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation comprises:

code to apply a gate voltage to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells to create an inversion layer between the source and the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

code to apply a drain voltage to the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells.

7. A medium according to claim 6 , wherein each drain of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells is coupled to a respective bit line, and wherein the code to apply the drain voltage comprises:

code to apply the drain voltage to each of the respective bit lines.

8. A medium according to claim 5 , the code further comprising:

code to receive an instruction to write a “1” to each of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells.

9. A system comprising:

a microprocessor comprising a plurality of memory cells coupled to a word line, each of the plurality of memory cells comprising:

a transistor having a source, a drain, a body and a gate coupled to the word line; and

a double data rate memory coupled to the microprocessor,

wherein the microprocessor is operable to bias one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation to inject charge carriers into the body of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells, and bias each of the plurality of memory cells in accumulation to tunnel charge carriers from the body of each of the plurality of memory cells to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells.

10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein biasing the one or more of the plurality of memory cells in saturation comprises:

applying a gate voltage to the gate of each of the plurality of memory cells to create an inversion layer between the source and the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

applying a drain voltage to the drain of each of the plurality of memory cells.

11. A system according to claim 10 , wherein each drain of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells is coupled to a respective bit line, and wherein applying the drain voltage comprises:

applying the drain voltage to each of the respective bit lines.

12. A system according to claim 9 , wherein the microprocessor is further operable to receive an instruction to write a “1” to each of the one or more of the plurality of memory cells.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2022
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: TAHOE RESEARCH, LTD.
Reel/Frame 061175/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2004
From: TANG, STEPHEN H.; KESHAVARZI, ALI; SOMASEKHAR, DINESH; PAILLET, FABRICE; KHELLAH, MUHAMMAD M.; YE, YIBIN; LU, SHIH-LIEN L.; DE, VIVEK K.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015373/0603 →