Method for programming a floating gate
View Patent ↗The invention provides methods for programming a floating gate. A floating gate tunneling device is used with an analog comparing device in a circuit having a floating reference node and an offset-mitigating feedback loop for iteratively programming a floating gate, or multiple floating gates.
1. A method for programming a floating gate circuit comprising the steps of:
using a tunneling device and a floating reference node for programming an output with an offset-mitigating feedback loop.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising further steps for monitoring the output of the circuit, and based on a comparison of the output with a preselected tolerance threshold, selectably reiterating the step of using a tunneling device and a floating reference node for programming the output.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
in a circuit having an analog comparing device operably coupled with a tunneling device, adding charge to a floating gate of the tunneling device and applying a signal to a first analog comparing device input such that a first analog comparing device input signal becomes equal with a second analog comparing device input reference signal; and
operating the analog comparing device in a unity gain mode such that the output of the circuit is substantially equal to the reference signal.
4. The method of claim 1 adapted to the use of voltage signals.
5. The method of claim 1 adapted to the use of current signals.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adding charge to the floating gate by inducing Fowler-Nordheim tunneling.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adding charge to the floating gate by inducing Channel-Hot-Carrier tunneling.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of erasing the floating gate by raising the voltage at the tunneling device to a level at which charge escapes from the floating gate.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
using the output of the analog comparing device for programming a plurality of floating gates.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the output in an electronic system.