Abstract: A means for testing the threshold voltage changes in a programmable and erasable floating gate memory cell by accessing directly and exclusively the cells in the core, and the amplifiers that sense the operation of the cells, so as to measure the relative currents therein as an indication of threshold voltage parameters.

Abstract: An electrically programmable and eraseable memory cell in which charge carriers are tunnelled between a floating gate and a drain region in the substrate through a thin oxide tunnel region, the borders of said tunnel region being confined to a small area well inside the borders of both the drain region and the floating gate. Dual paths are utilized to connect the tunnel region of the gate to the memory cell region of the gate.

Abstract: A circuit for clearing selected bytes in a semiconductor electrically alterable memory in which the ground lines for any one column of bytes is isolatable from the ground lines for other columns, all the outputs for the bytes are urged toward a non-clearing condition, and the outputs for only the selected byte are used to introduce a clearing signal that dominates the non-clearing condition.

Abstract: A beam of radiant energy such as a laser beam is applied to an epitaxial silicon island on a silicon on sapphire device before formation of overlying layers of oxide and metal. The energy beam changes the crystal structure of the epitaxial silicon island to increase the mobility of carriers in the silicon island, improving the speed of transistors formed on the silicon island. The energy beam also causes the material in the silicon island edge to reflow, causing a reduction in the slope of the edge face of the silicon island edge, and a smoothing of the surface of the face, resulting in improved aluminum step coverage and elimination of a V-shaped groove in the first insulation layer at the bottom corner edge of the island, thereby increasing processing yield.

Abstract: Defects in the metal step coverage of a thin film semiconductor device are removed by annealing the metal layer with a pulsed electron beam.

Abstract: In double conductor micro-electronic structures, prior to the low temperature deposition or growth of an insulating layer over a polycrystalline or amorphous surface, the surface is annealed using a beam of radiant energy, which causes it to become very smooth, thereby removing any surface spikes. The insulating layer placed thereover has remarkably improved insulation qualities heretofore unattainable at low temperatures. The beam of radiant energy is preferably applied in bursts of energy lasting for a sufficiently short duration so that implanted impurities in the silicon substrate do not redistribute.