Abstract: A radiation power source having a source of radioactive material disposed in at least one hole extending partially through a substrate. A PN junction extends around a predetermined portion of the hole walls. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a significant gain in power output is obtained by fabricating the hole so that the ratio of its depth to perimeter is as large as possible. In another embodiment of the present invention, the PN junction surrounding the hole has P and N portions that extend outwardly to opposite sides of the substrate wherein they connect to an associated power . cell lead. This arrangement advantageously simplifies the interconnection of multiple power cells formed on the same substrate.

Abstract: An asymmetric response latch providing immunity to single event upset without loss of speed. The latch has cross-coupled inverters having a hardened logic state and a soft state, wherein the logic state of the first inverter can only be changed when the voltage on the coupling node of that inverter is low and the logic state of the second inverter can only be changed when the coupling of that inverter is high. One of more of the asymmetric response latches may be configured into a memory cell having complete immunity, which protects information rather than logic states.

Abstract: A layered semiconductor device with a nonvolatile three dimensional memory comprises a storage channel which stores charge carriers. Charge carriers flow laterally through the storage channel from a source to a drain. Isolation material, either a Schottky barrier or a heterojunction, located in a trench of an upper layer controllably retains the charge within the a storage portion determined by the confining means. The charge is retained for a time determined by the isolation materials' nonvolatile characteristics or until a change of voltage on the isolation material and the source and drain permit a read operation. Flow of charge through an underlying sense channel is affected by the presence of charge within the storage channel, thus the presences of charge in the memory can be easily detected.