Abstract: In an embodiment of an integrated circuit structure having buried layer substrate isolation and a method for forming same, a buried layer having conductivity type opposite to that of an overlying well region is used for wells containing transistors prone to noise generation, where the wells are of the same conductivity type as the substrate. The buried layer may in some embodiments include a first portion underlying the transistor and a second portion spaced apart from and laterally surrounding the first portion. In some embodiments, the circuit may include a doped annular region of the same conductivity type as the buried layer, where the annular region contacts a portion of the buried layer and laterally surrounds the transistor. The circuit may further include metallization adapted to connect the well and annular region to opposite polarities of a power supply voltage, or in some embodiments to preclude such connection.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a bipolar transistor is provided. In some cases, the method may include patterning an epitaxial layer to expose one or more regions of a semiconductor topography. The method may further include depositing an intermediate layer above the exposed regions and remaining portions of the epitaxial layer. A conductive emitter structure may then be formed above and within the intermediate layer. In another embodiment, the method may include etching a first dielectric layer in alignment with a patterned base of a bipolar transistor while simultaneously etching a second dielectric layer in alignment with a patterned emitter structure of the bipolar transistor. In yet other embodiments, the method may include depositing an intermediate layer which is substantially etch resistant to a resist stripping process. In addition or alternatively, the intermediate layer may include etch characteristics that are substantially similar to a conductive layer formed above the intermediate layer.

Abstract: An electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) cell including a tunnel dielectric layer formed over a semiconductor substrate. The EEPROM cell may have a floating gate transistor and a select transistor. The floating gate transistor may have a floating gate formed over the tunnel dielectric and a control gate formed over the floating gate. The select transistor may have a first gate formed over the tunnel dielectric and a second gate formed over the first gate. The second gate may be electrically connected to the first gate.

Abstract: The state of a memory cell is stored by selectively imbalancing threshold voltages of storage elements of the memory cell. The threshold voltages may be selectively imbalanced by pulsing the supply voltage for the memory cell from an operating voltage level to a programming voltage level. This may be accomplished by raising the supply voltage from the operating voltage level to the programming voltage level for a period of time sufficient to store the state of the memory cell by monitoring the leakage current from the programming voltage level such that it just falls below a preestablished limit. Alternatively, the supply voltage may be repeatedly toggled between the operating voltage level and the programming voltage level for fixed time intervals until the state of the memory cell is stored. The number of toggling operations may be determined by monitoring the leakage current such that it just falls exceeds a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A counter-bias scheme to reduce or eliminate charge gain in a single-poly or double-poly electrically erasable (E.sup.2) cell having separate program and read transistors which may be configured as a 6-wire cell includes applying a counter-bias voltage to the drain of a program select transistor of the E.sup.2 cell during a read operation. The counter-bias voltage may be approximately equal to a voltage on the floating gate of the cell during the read operation. The present scheme reduces the threshold voltage shifts which may otherwise be experienced in the cell during continuous read operations. In particular, the counter-bias voltage acts to reduce the electric field across the tunnel oxide of the program select transistor, thus reducing the charge gain on the floating gate.