Patents by Inventor Harvey J. Steigler

Harvey J. Steigler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5287536
    Abstract: A circuit for driving a wordline or group of wordlines in a floating-gate type EEPROM cell array includes a read-driver subcircuit for switching positive read voltages, a program-driver subcircuit for switching positive programming voltages and, optionally, a subcircuit for switching negative erasing voltages. The read-driver subcircuit may be constructed using relatively short-channel transistors for relatively high speed operation when connected to high-capacitance wordlines. On the other hand, the program-driver subcircuit may be constructed using relatively long-channel transistors and those long-channel transistors may be located on the memory chip remotely from the memory cells and from the read-driver circuit. P channel isolating transistors are used to isolate unused circuitry during operation. A voltage translator in the program-driver subcircuit has a transistor configuration that lessens the probability that the breakdown voltages of those transistors will be exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: John F. Schreck, Phat C. Truong, Benjamin H. Ashmore, Jr., Harvey J. Steigler