Abstract: The specification describes an integrated device for the input protection of MOS circuits. It consists of an MOS capacitor formed by the thinning of a section of the input gate dielectric, SiO.sub.2, and the thinning of an adjoining section of the gate metal, Al. An incoming pulse of static charge with high amplitude and short duration will break down the thinned dielectric of the capacitor before breaking down the relatively thick portion of the gate dielectric. Since the metal over the thin dielectric is also relatively thin, it evaporates from the vicinity of the fault by the generated Joule heat immediately following the breakdown. Thus, the breakdown is self healed and can be repeated many times without damaging the circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a non-volatile field effect information storage device which can be electrically written and erased. It consists of an insulated gate field effect transistor having a single gate dielectric material formed in two stages. The gate dielectric is made up of two adjacent layers of silicon dioxide, one of which is relatively thin and adjacent to the semiconductor substrate, while the other is relatively thick and implanted with ions at controlled depths and dosages near the interface with the first silicon dioxide layer. With the application of an appropriate control voltage on the gate structure, charges from the adjacent transistor channel region tunnel through the relatively thin layer of silicon dioxide and become stored in the trapping sites introduced by the implanted ions located in the second layer of silicon dioxide and very near the interface between the two silicon dioxide layers. While there, the charges control the conductivity of the channel, and thus the logic state of the transistor.