Floating gate memory device using composite molecular material
AssigneeCoatue Corporation
InventorsAaron Mandell, Andrew Perlman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A floating gate memory device has a floating gate and an insulating layer on the floating gate. A control gate is on the insulating layer. The insulating layer is made up of a molecular matrix with ionic complexes distributed in the molecular matrix. By the application of an electric field, the ionic complexes are dissociable in the molecular matrix to change the resistivity (or conductivity) of the insulating layer. By switching between a high resistivity (low conductivity) state, where charge is retained by the floating gate, to a low resistivity (high conductivity) state, the charge stored on the floating gate can readily drained off to the gate electrode.
Claims31
A floating gate memory device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first insulating layer on the substrate;
- a floating gate on the first insulating layer;
- a second insulating layer on the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate on the second insulating layer;
- wherein at least one of the first and second layers has a controllably variable resistivity.
A memory device comprising:
- a first insulating layer;
- a floating gate on the first insulating layer;
- a second insulating layer on the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate on the second insulating layer;
- wherein at least one of the first and second insulating layers comprises a material switchable between low and high conductivity states in response to an applied electric field.
A memory device comprising:
- a floating gate;
- an insulating layer on the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate on the insulating layer;
- wherein the insulating layer comprises a molecular matrix.
A method of operating a floating gate memory device, comprising:
- maintaining an insulating layer between a floating gate and a control gate in a first conductivity state sufficient to retain a floating gate charge for at least a predetermined period of time;
- and
- applying an electric field to the insulating layer to place the insulating layer in a second conductivity state having at least an order of magnitude greater conductivity than the first conductivity state sufficient to discharge the floating gate charge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.