| US 7,477,541 B2 | ||
| Memory elements and methods of using the same | ||
| Wagdi W. Abadeer, Jericho, Vt. (US); Anthony R. Bonaccio, Shelburne, Vt. (US); Jack A. Mandelman, Flat Rock, N.C. (US); William R. Tonti, Essex Junction, Vt. (US); and Sebastian T. Ventrone, South Burlington, Vt. (US) | ||
| Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 14, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/353,493. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0189076 A1, Aug. 16, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. G11C 11/34 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 365—184 [365/182; 365/154] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A method of storing data in a memory element, comprising:
operating a memory element, having:
a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET each including a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of about 3.9 to about
25, a first one of (a) a source, and (b) a drain of said first MOSFET and of said second MOSFET being coupled to a common
reference voltage, and the second one of (a) said source, and (b) said drain of said first MOSFET being coupled to a gate
of said second MOSFET; and
control logic coupled to said MOSFETs, said control logic selectively coupling the second one of (a) said source and (b) said
drain of said second MOSFET to a gate of said first MOSFET;
wherein the control logic is adapted to:
cause the memory element to operate in a first mode to store data, wherein when operating in said first mode said second one
of (a) said source and (b) said drain of said second MOSFET is coupled to said gate of said first MOSFET; and
cause the memory element to operate in a second mode to change a threshold voltage of said first MOSFET from an original threshold
voltage to a changed threshold voltage such that the changed threshold voltage affects data stored by the memory element when
operated in the first mode, wherein when operating in said second mode said second one of (a) said source and (b) said drain
of said second MOSFET is de-coupled from said gate of said first MOSFET; and
storing a first value in the memory element by operating the memory element in the first mode while a threshold voltage of
said first MOSFET is approximately the original threshold voltage.
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