Abstract: A method and system include providing a pinned layer, a free layer, and a spacer layer between the pinned and free layers. The spacer layer is nonmagnetic. The magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element. In one aspect, the method and system include providing a spin engineered layer adjacent to the free layer. The spin engineered layer is configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons. In another aspect, at least one of the pinned, free, and spacer layers is a spin engineered layer having an internal spin engineered layer configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons. In this aspect, the magnetic element may include another pinned layer and a barrier layer between the free and pinned layers.

Abstract: A cost efficient nonvolatile memory cell may include an inverter, an access gate coupled to the inverter for controlling access to the memory cell, and a control gate. The inverter may include a floating gate at an input of the inverter, the floating gate formed in a first polysilicon layer, and a tunnel window formed in a tunnel oxide area, wherein the tunnel oxide area is covered by at least a portion of the floating gate. The control gate may control charge on the floating gate, and may be formed in a second polysilicon layer, wherein the second polysilicon layer is above the first polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a well of the first conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate, a transistor formed in the well, a diffusion region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate so as to cover a lateral side and a bottom edge of the well, a terminal formed on the semiconductor substrate at an outside part of the diffusion region, and a conductive region contacting with the well, the well being in ohmic contact with the terminal via the conductive region and the semiconductor substrate, the conductive region having an impurity concentration level exceeding an impurity concentration level of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An LDMOS device comprises a substrate having a first conductivity type and a lightly doped epitaxial layer thereon having an upper surface. Source and drain regions of the first conductivity type are formed in the epitaxial layer along with a channel region of a second conductivity type formed therebetween. A conductive gate is formed over a gate dielectric layer. A drain contact electrically connects the drain region to the substrate, comprising a first trench formed from the upper surface of the epitaxial layer to the substrate and having a side wall along the epitaxial layer, a highly doped region of the first conductivity type formed along the side wall of the first trench, and a drain plug in the first trench adjacent the highly doped region. A source contact is provided and an insulating layer is formed between the conductive gate and the source contact.

Abstract: A lateral FET cell is formed in a body of semiconductor material. The lateral FET cell includes a super junction structure formed in a drift region between a drain contact and a body region. The super junction structure includes a plurality of spaced apart filled trenches bounding in part a multiplicity of striped doped regions having opposite or alternating conductivity types.

Abstract: A chalcogenide-based programmable conductor memory device and method of forming the device, wherein a chalcogenide glass region is provided with a plurality of alternating tin chalcogenide and metal layers proximate thereto. The method of forming the device comprises sputtering the alternating tin chalcogenide and metal layers.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory device capable of improving a read characteristic includes memory blocks, each memory block having a plurality of word lines. A common source line is arranged to be shared by the memory blocks. A first transistor is connected to the common source line, and a voltage higher than a power supply voltage is applied to a gate of the first transistor during a read operation. A second transistor connects the first transistor to a reference voltage during the read operation.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device having semiconductor memory chips, each semiconductor memory chip includes a plurality of memory banks capable of independently to be accessed, each memory bank having a plurality of memory blocks, wherein at least two memory blocks, which are neighbored each other in the same memory bank, have the different number of unit memory blocks, so that each bank has a non-rectangular shape.

Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell having a read margin that exceeds the MR ratio of the memory cell's MR element. The memory cell includes a MR element, a reference transistor, and an amplifying transistor. In some embodiments, the MR element can include a magnetic tunneling junction sandwiched between electrode layers. One of the electrode layers can be connected to an input node, which is also connected to the drain or source node of the reference transistor and the gate node of the amplifying transistor. The drain node of the amplifying transistor is connected to a sense amplifier via a conductive program line. The memory cell uses the current through the MR element to control the gate-source voltage of the amplifying transistor, and senses the state of the memory cell based on the voltage drop (or current loss) across the amplifying transistor.

Abstract: A mask ROM includes bit lines, word lines intersecting with the bit lines and bit cells provided along the word lines, each of the bit lines being formed of a cell transistor having a gate connected to an associated one of the word lines. In the mask ROM, further provided is a source node commonly connected to respective sources of ones of the cell transistors having a gate connected to one of adjacent two word lines. A current flows from a selected bit line to a non-selected bit line via a cell transistor selected in reading out data and the source node.

Abstract: In a data erasing method of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, cells are subjected to the processings of executing programming by applying a voltage to the cells to set their threshold values at a given level or more, erasing the cells to set their threshold values at a lower level or less, executing weak programming once on a cell whose threshold value is lower than a further lower level, by applying a lower voltage to the cell, repeating the weak programming on the cell when its threshold value is still lower than the further lower level, until the value reaches the further lower level or more, verifying whether a cell is present whose threshold value is higher than the lower level, and returning the processing to the processing of setting the threshold values of the cells at the lower level or less, when verifying that the above cell is present.