Memory cell

A memory cell comprising at least one binary memory area for storing bit information, wherein

• the memory area can optionally store holes or electrons and allows a recombination of holes and electrons,
• the charge carrier type of the charge carriers stored in the memory area defines the bit information of the memory area, and
• a charge carrier injection device is present, by means of which optionally holes or electrons can be injected into the memory area and the bit information can thus be changed;
• wherein the memory area has a direct band transition which enables a radiative recombination of electrons and holes during the overwriting of the bit information.

A memory cell comprising at least one binary memory area for storing bit information, wherein

• the memory area can optionally store holes or electrons and allows a recombination of holes and electrons,
• the charge carrier type of the charge carriers stored in the memory area defines the bit information of the memory area, and
• a charge carrier injection device is present, by means of which optionally holes or electrons can be injected into the memory area and the bit information can thus be changed;
• wherein
• the memory area comprises undoped semiconductor material, on one side of the memory area there is adjacent an n-doped semiconductor material followed by a p-doped semiconductor material, and on the other side of the memory area there is adjacent a read-out layer in the form of a two-dimensional hole gas layer, or
• the memory area comprises undoped semiconductor material, on one side of the memory area there is adjacent a p-doped semiconductor material followed by an n-doped semiconductor material, and on the other side of the memory area there is adjacent a read-out layer in the form of a two-dimensional electron gas layer.

A method for storing bit information in a binary memory area, wherein

• holes or electrons are stored in the memory area depending on the bit information to be stored, wherein the charge carrier type of the charge carriers stored in the memory area defines the bit information of the memory cell, and
• in order to change the bit information respectively stored, the charge carriers stored in the memory area are removed by virtue of the fact that complementary charge carriers are injected, which recombine with the stored charge carriers, and
• the new bit information is brought about by further complementary charge carriers being stored in the memory area;
• wherein
• the stored bit information is changed by virtue of the fact that
• in the case where holes are stored in the memory area, electrons are injected by virtue of the fact that between a source contact and a drain contact of the memory cell, on the one hand, and the base contact of the memory cell, on the other hand, for writing purposes a write voltage in the forward direction of at least the magnitude of a diffusion voltage is applied, which leads to the reduction of a band bending and thus of the trapping barrier for the electrons, such that the electrons relax directly from the band edge into the memory area and recombine there with the stored holes and the bit information is overwritten with excess electrons, and
• in the case where electrons are stored in the memory area, between the base contact and the rear contact an erase voltage in the forward direction of at least the magnitude of the diffusion voltage is applied, which leads to the reduction of the p-n space charge zone and holes are thus injected, which diffuse and/or drift from a hole reservoir of the charge carrier injection device into an n-doped region of the charge carrier injection device and further into the memory area in order to recombine there with the stored electrons, and the bit information is changed with excess holes, or
• the stored bit information is changed by virtue of the fact that
• in the case where holes are stored in the memory area, between the base contact and the rear contact an erase voltage in the forward direction of at least the magnitude of the diffusion voltage is applied, which leads to the reduction of the p-n space charge zone and electrons are thus injected, which diffuse and/or drift from an electron reservoir of the charge carrier injection device into a p-doped region of the charge carrier injection device and further into the memory area in order to recombine there with the stored holes, and the bit information is changed with excess electrons, and
• in the case where electrons are stored in the memory area, holes are injected by virtue of the fact that between a source contact and a drain contact of the memory cell, on the one hand, and the base contact of the memory cell, on the other hand, for writing purposes a write voltage in the forward direction of at least the magnitude of a diffusion voltage is applied, which leads to the reduction of a band bending and thus of the trapping barrier for the holes, such that the holes relax directly from the band edge into the memory area and recombine there with the stored electrons and the bit information is overwritten with excess holes.