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AssigneeStanford University
InventorsLevy Gerzberg, Arnon Gat, Roger Melen, James F. Gibbons
Estimating the term…
A programmable read only memory (PROM) includes a first plurality of conductive lines, a second plurality of conductive lines and polycrystalline silicon material therebetween. At the crossing points of the first and second plurality of lines doped regions are provided in the polycrystalline silicon in contact with a second line and which extend at least partially through the material. To provide a diode interconnect at any crossing point, the associated region is irradiated by a laser beam to either cause diffusion of dopant atoms to the underlaying conductive line or activate implanted ions, thereby electrically interconnecting the first and second lines through a diode. The PROM is readily fabricated as part of a monolithic integrated circuit or electrical array and can be programmed after completion of the fabrication process.
A read only memory comprising support means, a first plurality of spaced parallel conductive lines on a surface of said support means, said first plurality of conductive lines including dopants of a first conductivity type, a layer of polycrystalline semiconductor material overlaying said first plurality of conductor lines, said layer of polycrystalline semiconductor material including regions of doped material extending at least partially through said layer, said doped regions including dopants of opposite conductivity type, each of said regions being positioned above one line of said first plurality of conductive lines, and a second plurality of spaced parallel conductive lines on the surface of said layer of polycrystalline semiconductor material, said second plurality of conductive lines being skewed with respect to said first plurality of conductive lines with said regions of doped material provided at crossing points of said first plurality of lines and said second plurality of lines.
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a single crystalline silicon substrate, at least one active electrical component defined in said substrate by selective doping, an electrically insulating material provided on a major surface of said substrate, and a read only memory formed on said electrically insulative material, said read only memory including a first plurality of spaced parallel conductive lines on said insulative material, said first plurality of conductive lines including dopants of a first conductive type, a layer of polycrystalline silicon material overlying said first plurality of conductive lines, said layer of polycrystalline silicon including doped regions extending at least partially through said layer, said doped regions including dopants of opposite conductivity type, each of said regions being positioned above one line of said first plurality of conductive lines, and a second plurality of spaced parallel conductive lines on the surface of said layer of polycrystalline silicon, said second plurality of conductive lines being skewed with respect to said first plurality of conductive lines with said doped regions provided at crossing points of said first plurality of lines and second plurality of lines.
In a programmable read only memory having a first plurality of conductive lines and a second plurality of conductive lines overlaying said first plurality of conductive lines and a layer of polycrystalline semiconductive material therebetween, said layer of polycrystalline semiconductive material including doped regions extending at least partially through said layer, each of said regions being positioned between crossing points of said first plurality of lines and said second plurality of lines, the method of selectively interconnecting through diodes said first plurality of lines and said second plurality of lines including irradiating selected ones of said regions thereby diffusing dopant ions and providing unidirectional current paths between said first plurality of lines and said second plurality of lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.