Load-less four-transistor memory cell
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorShingo Hashimoto
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Abstract
A memory cell has a pair of n-ch drive MOS transistors, a pair of p-ch access MOS transistors. The access MOS transistor supply electric charge to storage nodes of the drive MOS transistors without using a resistive load. The gate insulation films of the drive MOS transistors have a thickness lower than the thickness of the gate insulation films of the access MOS transistors for achieving stable and high-speed operation of the memory cell.
Claims9
A memory cell in a semiconductor memory device, comprising a pair of drive MIS transistors having a first conductivity type, said drive MIS transistors forming a data latch for storing data on a pair of storage nodes, and a pair of access MIS transistors having a second conductivity type, said access MIS transistors responding to an access signal to transfer data between said data storage nodes and a pair of signal lines, each of said drive MIS transistors including a first gate insulation film having a thickness smaller than a thickness of a second gate insulation film of each of said access MIS transistors.
A memory cell in a semiconductor memory device, comprising a pair of drive MIS transistors having a first conductivity type, said drive MIS transistors forming a data latch for storing data on a pair of storage nodes, and a pair of access MIS transistors having a second conductivity type, said MIS transistors responding to an access signal to transfer data between said data storage nodes and a pair of signal lines, each of said drive MIS transistors including first gate electrodes applied with a first source voltage which is lower than a second source voltage applied to second gate electrodes of said access MIS transistors.
A method for forming a memory cell having a pair of drive MIS transistors having a first conductivity type and a pair of access MIS transistors having a second conductivity type, said method comprising the steps of:
- separating a region of a semiconductor substrate into a plurality of device areas, forming a first gate insulation film on said device areas, selectively removing said first gate insulation film from some of said device areas, forming a second insulation film on said gate first insulation film and on said some of said device areas, and forming the drive MIS transistors each having a gate on said second gate insulation film and the access MIS transistors each having a gate on a combination of said first and second gate insulation films.
A method for forming a memory cell having a pair of drive MIS transistors having a first conductivity type and a pair of access MIS transistors having a second conductivity type, said method comprising the consecutive steps of:
- separating a region of a semiconductor substrate into a plurality of device areas, implanting elements having a property for suppressing a growth of gate insulation film into some of said device areas, forming a gate insulation film on said device areas, and forming the drive MIS transistors having said gate insulation film in said some of device areas and the access MIS transistors having said gate insulation film in other device areas other than said some of said device areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.