US 3,950,738 A · Semi-conductor non-volatile optical memory device

Abstract

A semiconductor non-volatile optical memory device is constructed by providing light-permeable charge retention means in an insulating layer on a first semiconductor surface into which photo-generated carriers in the surface of the first semiconductor region are injected over the semiconductor-insulator potential barrier by applying reverse bias between the first semiconductor region and a second region forming a rectifying junction with the first semiconductor region. Also disclosed in a non-volatile memory integrated circuit employing one or more of said devices together with light source in the same package. The non-volatile memory integrated circuit operates under low bias voltage and is compatible with a high speed integrated logic circuits.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A semiconductor non-volatile optical memory device for visible and infrared light comprising,

a first semiconductor region,
a second region forming a rectifying junction with the surface of said first semiconductor region,
an insulating layer provided on said two regions,
light-permeable charge retention means provided in said insulating layer on said two regions for retaining carriers generated by light-irradiation on said first semiconductor region and a means for applying reverse bias voltage smaller than breakdown voltage of said rectifying junction to said rectifying junction.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Semi-conductor non-volatile optical memory device

Life of this patent

Semi-conductor non-volatile optical memory device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19