Low power electrically alterable nonvolatile memory cells and arrays

A memory cell comprising:

• a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type;
• a conductor-filter system including:
• a first conductor having thermal charge carriers;
• and
• a filter contacting the first conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes:
• a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction, and
• a second set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of charge carriers of an opposite polarity through the filter in another direction that is substantially opposite to the one direction;
• a conductor-insulator system including:
• a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter;
• and
• a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface;
• a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between;
• a second insulator adjacent to the first region;
• a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators;
• a word-line of a conductor having:
• a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, and
• a second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body;
• and
• means for transporting the energized charge carriers over the Image-Force potential barrier onto the charge storage region.

A nonvolatile memory array comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells on the substrate, and arranged in a rectangular array of rows and columns, each of the plurality of nonvolatile memory cells comprising:
• a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type;
• a conductor-filter system including:
• a first conductor having thermal charge carriers;
• and
• a filter contacting the conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes:
• a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction, and
• a second set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of charge carriers of an opposite polarity through the filter in another direction that is substantially opposite to the one direction;
• a conductor-insulator system including:
• a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter;
• and
• a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface;
• a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between;
• a second insulator adjacent to the first region;
• a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators;
• and
• a third conductor having:
• a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, and
• a second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body.