IP Library Granted Patent US 7,839,681
Granted Patent B2
US 7,839,681 · App. 12/334,059 · Granted Nov 23, 2010

Push-pull FPGA cell

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,839,681
App. No.
12/334,059
Granted
Nov 23, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flash memory cell includes a p-channel flash transistor having a source, a drain, a floating gate, and a control gate, an n-channel flash transistor having a source, a drain coupled to the drain of the p-channel flash transistor, a floating gate, and a control gate, a switch transistor having a gate coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source, and a drain, and an n-channel assist transistor having a drain coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source coupled to a fixed potential, and a gate.

Claims (30)

1. A flash memory cell including:

a p-channel flash transistor having a source, a drain, a floating gate, and a control gate;

an n-channel flash transistor having a source, a drain coupled to the drain of the p-channel flash transistor, a floating gate, and a control gate;

a switch transistor having a gate coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source, and a drain; and

an n-channel assist transistor having a drain coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source coupled to a fixed potential, and a gate.

2. The flash memory cell of claim 1 further including:

a p-channel flash control line coupled to the source of the p-channel flash transistor;

an n-channel flash control line coupled to the source of the n-channel flash transistor;

a p-channel control gate line coupled to the control gate of the p-channel flash transistor;

an n-channel control gate line coupled to the control gate of the n-channel flash transistor; and

a assist gate line coupled to the gate of the n-channel assist transistor.

3. The flash memory cell of claim 1 wherein the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor share a common floating gate.

4. The flash memory cell of claim 2 , further including:

a p-channel flash control line coupled to the source of the p-channel flash transistor;

an n-channel flash control line coupled to the source of the n-channel flash transistor;

a flash control gate line coupled to the control gates of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor; and

a assist gate line coupled to the gate of the n-channel assist transistor.

5. A flash memory array arranged in rows and columns of memory cells and including:

a p-channel column line for each column in the array;

an n-channel column line for each column in the array;

a p-channel row line for each row in the array;

an n-channel row line for each row in the array;

an assist row line for each row in the array;

a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell associated with a row and a column in the array and including a p-channel flash transistor having a source coupled to the p-channel column line of the column containing the memory cell, a drain, a floating gate, and a control gate coupled to the p-channel row line of the row containing the memory cell, an n-channel flash transistor having a source coupled to the n-channel column line of the column containing the memory cell, a drain connected to the drain of the p-channel flash transistor, a floating gate, and a control gate coupled to the n-channel row line of the row containing the memory cell, a switch transistor having a gate coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source, and a drain, and an n-channel assist transistor having a drain coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source coupled to a fixed potential, and a gate coupled to the assist row line of the row containing the memory cell.

6. A flash memory array arranged in rows and columns of memory cells and including:

a p-channel column line for each column in the array;

an n-channel column line for each column in the array;

a flash row line for each row in the array;

an assist row line for each row in the array;

a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell associated with a row and a column in the array and including a p-channel flash transistor having a source coupled to the p-channel column line of the column containing the memory cell, a drain, a floating gate, and a control gate coupled to the flash row line of the row containing the memory cell, an n-channel flash transistor having a source coupled to the n-channel column line of the column containing the memory cell, a drain connected to the drain of the p-channel flash transistor, a floating gate common with the floating gate of the p-channel flash transistor, and a control gate coupled to the flash row line of the row containing the memory cell, a switch transistor having a gate coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source, and a drain, and an n-channel assist transistor having a drain coupled to the drains of the p-channel flash transistor and the n-channel flash transistor, a source coupled to a fixed potential, and a gate coupled to the assist row line of the row containing the memory cell.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2018
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.), INC.; MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORPORATION; MICROSEMI COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; MICROSEMI SOC CORP.; MICROSEMI CORP. - POWER PRODUCTS GROUP; MICROSEMI CORP. - RF INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
Reel/Frame 046251/0391 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2016
From: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.) INC. (F/K/A LEGERITY, INC., ZARLINK SEMICONDUCTOR (V.N.) INC., CENTELLAX, INC., AND ZARLINK SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.) INC.); MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORPORATION (F/K/A SYMMETRICON, INC.); MICROSEMI COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (F/K/A VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION); MICROSEMI SOC CORP. (F/K/A ACTEL CORPORATION); MICROSEMI CORP. - POWER PRODUCTS GROUP (F/K/A ADVANCED POWER TECHNOLOGY INC.); MICROSEMI CORP. - RF INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS (F/K/A AML COMMUNICATIONS, INC.)
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 037691/0697 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORP.-ANALOG MIXED SIGNAL GROUP, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SOC CORP., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.) INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; MICROSEMI COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (F/K/A VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION), A DELAWARE CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORP.-MEMORY AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS (F/K/A WHITE ELECTRONIC DESIGNS CORPORATION), AN INDIANA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037558/0711 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 28, 2015
From: ACTEL CORPORATION
To: MICROSEMI SOC CORP.
Reel/Frame 037393/0572 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY Recorded Apr 9, 2015
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA (AS SUCCESSOR TO MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC)
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 035657/0223 →
SUPPLEMENTAL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 11, 2011
From: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORP. - ANALOG MIXED SIGNAL GROUP; MICROSEMI CORP. - MASSACHUSETTS; ACTEL CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
Reel/Frame 027213/0611 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2011
From: WHITE ELECTRONIC DESIGNS CORP.; ACTEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 025783/0613 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2009
From: WANG, ZHIGANG; DHAOUI, FETHI; SADD, MICHAEL; MCCOLLUM, JOHN; HAWLEY, FRANK
To: ACTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022496/0561 →