Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile functionality including resistance change material and method of operating
AssigneeZeno Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorYuniarto Widjaja
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Abstract
Semiconductor memory is provided wherein a memory cell includes a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to the cell. The cell further includes a nonvolatile memory comprising a resistance change element configured to store data stored in the floating body under any one of a plurality of predetermined conditions. A method of operating semiconductor memory to function as volatile memory, while having the ability to retain stored data when power is discontinued to the semiconductor memory is described.
Claims20
A method of operating semiconductor memory to function as volatile memory, while having the ability to retain stored data when power is discontinued to the semiconductor memory, said method comprising:
- storing data in a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to said memory;
- and
- storing data in a resistance change element electrically connected to one of said first and second regions by configuring the resistance change element in one of a plurality of resistivity states, wherein each of said resistivity states corresponds to a different data value, respectively;
- wherein said capacitorless transistor and said resistance change element are included in a memory cell, said cell comprising said floating body having a first conductivity type selected from n-type conductivity type and p-type conductivity type;
- first and second regions at first and second locations of said cell, said first and second regions each having a second conductivity type selected from said n-type conductivity type and said p-type conductivity type and being different from said first conductivity type;
- said first and second regions being located such that at least a portion of the floating body is located between said first and second locations;
- and a gate positioned between said first and second regions and adjacent said floating body region.
A method of operating semiconductor memory to function as volatile memory, while having the ability to retain stored data when power is discontinued to the semiconductor memory, said method comprising:
- storing data in a capacitorless transistor of a memory cell having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to said memory;
- and
- transferring data stored in said capacitorless transistor to a resistance change element in response to discontinuance of power to said memory cell, wherein said resistance change element is included in said memory cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.