Here's Rambus:
United States Patent Application | 20130148437 |
Kind Code | A1 |
Bronner; Gary B. ; et al. | June 13, 2013 |
THERMAL ANNEAL USING WORD-LINE HEATING ELEMENT
AbstractIn response to detecting an event during operation of an integrated-circuit memory device containing charge-storing memory cells, an electric current is enabled to flow through a word line coupled to the charge-storing memory cells for a brief interval to heat the charge-storing memory cells to an annealing temperature range.
Inventors: | Bronner; Gary B.; (Mountain View, CA) ; Haukness; Brent S.; (Monte Sereno, CA) ; Horowitz; Mark A.; (Menlo Park, CA) ; Kellam; Mark D.; (Siler City, NC) ; Assaderaghi; Fariborz;(Emerald Hills, CA) |
Applicant: | Name | City | State | Country | Type |
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Rambus Inc.; | Sunnyvale | CA | US | |
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Assignee: | Rambus Inc. Sunnyvale CA
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Family ID: | 45064351 |
Appl. No.: | 13/726042 |
Filed: | December 22, 2012 |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The disclosure herein relates to data storage technology.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Program and erase operations produce cumulative defects in oxide insulators and charge-trapping layers of Flash and other floating-gate memories, limiting the useful life of such products and rendering them largely unsuitable for applications that require frequent, unlimited write operations.
[0004] It has been demonstrated that by heating floating-gate memory cells to temperatures above the normal operating range, but below a tolerable maximum, otherwise permanently-trapped carriers may be dislodged from oxides and charge-trapping layers, in effect, annealing the defects and improving longevity.>>