IP Library Granted Patent US 7,968,935
Granted Patent B2
US 7,968,935 · App. 12/197,961 · Granted Jun 28, 2011

Reconfigurable semiconductor device

Assignee: Seoul National University Research & Development Business Foundation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,968,935
App. No.
12/197,961
Filed
Aug 25, 2008
Granted
Jun 28, 2011
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2895
USPC
257/326
Abstract

A reconfigurable semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first insulating material formed on the substrate, two channels having different polarities, a plurality of terminal electrodes formed on the insulating material and coupled in common with the channels at their opposite ends, a second insulating material formed on the terminal electrodes, and a control gate formed on the second insulating material. The channels have different polarity and a charge storage layer is formed inside the second insulating material. The control gate is applied with a forward bias or a reverse bias and then the bias is cut off. The voltage-current characteristics of the semiconductor device are changed according to an electrical charge created in the charge storage layer.

Claims (49)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an operating gate;

a substrate formed on the operating gate;

a first insulating layer formed on the substrate;

a first channel having a first polarity that is formed at a first planar position of the first insulating layer;

a second channel having a second polarity that is formed at a second planar position of the first insulating layer;

terminal electrodes coupled in common with the first channel and the second channel at their opposite ends;

a second insulating layer formed on the channels and the terminal electrodes;

a charge storage layer floated inside the second insulating layer and chargeable with an electrical charge; and

at least one control gate formed on the second insulating layer.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage layer is formed at a location corresponding with the first planar position and the second planar position.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is a p-type doped semiconductor layer and the second channel is an n-type doped semiconductor layer.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is a p-type doped nanowire and the second channel is an n-type doped nanowire.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a lower insulating sub-layer is formed between the charge storage layer and the channel, and is thin enough for tunneling to be possible.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage layer comprises a plurality of conductive particles.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the conductive particles are nanoparticles.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a forward bias or a reverse bias is applied to the control gate to control the operating characteristics of the semiconductor device.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a negative charge is charged in at least one part of the charge storage layer when a forward bias is applied to the control gate.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a positive charge is charged in at least one part of the charge storage layer when reverse bias is applied to the control gate.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the control gates includes a first control gate corresponding with the first channel and a second control gate corresponding with the second channel.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

an operating gate;

at least a first and second channels formed above the operating gate and insulated from the operating gate, and wherein both the first and second channels have a first end and a second end;

a first terminal electrode adapted to couple together the first end of the first channel and the first end of the second channel,

a second terminal electrode adapted to couple together the second end of the first channel and the second end of the second channel;

a charge storage layer arranged adjacent to the first and second channels but insulated from the first and second channels; and

at least one control gate formed above the charge storage layer and insulated from the charge storage layer,

wherein the first channel comprises a p-type channel and the second channel comprises an n-type channel.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein an absolute electrical potential of the operating gate required for a current to flow above a critical value through the p-type channel is reduced when, after the application of a forward bias to the operating gate, the bias is cut off.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein an absolute electrical potential of the operating gate required for a current to flow above a critical value through the second channel is reduced when, after the application of a reverse bias to the operating gate, the bias is cut off.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the control gate includes a first control gate corresponding with the first channel and a second control gate corresponding with the second channel.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein a forward bias is applied to the first control gate and a reverse bias is applied to the second control gate.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are nanowires.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the charge storage layer comprises a plurality of nanoparticles.

19. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first insulating layer on a substrate;

forming a first channel having a first polarity at a first planar position of the first insulating layer and a second channel having a second polarity at a second planar position of the first insulating layer;

forming a plurality of terminal electrodes coupled in common with the first channel and the second channel at their opposite ends;

forming a second insulating layer on the channel and the terminal electrodes;

forming a charge storage layer on the second insulating layer that is chargeable with an electrical charge and that corresponds with the first planar position and the second planar position;

forming a third insulating layer on the charge storage layer; and

forming an operating gate below the first insulating layer and a control gate on the third insulating layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are nanowires formed in a nanowire solution.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising forming a film that prevents nanowire adsorption on a remaining region except for the first planar position and the second planar position.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the film that prevents nanowire adsorption is an octadecyltrichlorosilane molecular film.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the charge storage layer is formed with a plurality of nanoparticles.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising forming a linker film for the adsorption of nanoparticles on at least one part of the second insulating layer.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the linker film is an aminopropylethoxysilane (APTES) film.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein the terminal electrodes comprise gold or titanium.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, RECORDED ON JULY 31, 2019 AT REEL 049924 FRAME 0794 Recorded Jun 22, 2026
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 075798/0763 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, RECORDED ON JANUARY 29, 2019 AT REEL 048373 FRAME 0217 Recorded Sep 22, 2025
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 072936/0464 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2019
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 049924/0794 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2019
From: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 048373/0217 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2008
From: HONG, SEUNGHUN; MYUNG, SUNG; HEO, KWANG
To: SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 021822/0219 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100044777A1 · Feb 25, 2010