Abstract: The invention relates to a differential sense amplifier for sensing data stored in a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array, including a first CMOS inverter having an output connected to a first bit line and an input connected to a second bit line complementary to the first bit line, and a second CMOS inverter having an output connected to the second bit line and an input connected to the first bit line (BL). Each CMOS inverter includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor, with the sense amplifier having a pair of precharge transistors arranged to be respectively coupled to the first and second bit lines, to precharge the first and second bit lines to a precharge voltage. The precharge transistors are constituted by the pull-up transistors or by the pull-down transistors.

Abstract: A differential sense amplifier for sensing data stored in a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array, including a first CMOS inverter having an output connected to a first bit line (BL) and an input connected to a second bit line complementary to the first bit line and a second CMOS inverter having an output connected to the second bit line (/BL) and an input connected to the first bit line. Each CMOS inverter includes pull-up and pull-down transistors, wherein the sources of either of the pull-up transistors or the pull-down transistors are electrically coupled and connected to a pull-up voltage source or a pull-down voltage source without an intermediate transistor between the sources of the transistors and the voltage source.

Abstract: A differential sense amplifier for sensing data stored in a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array, including a first CMOS inverter having an output connected to a first bit line and an input connected to a second bit line complementary to the first bit line, and a second CMOS inverter having an output connected to the second bit line and an input connected to the first bit line. Each CMOS inverter includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor, and the sense amplifier has a pair of pass-gate transistors arranged to connect the first and second bit lines to a first and a second global bit lines. Advantageously, the pass-gate transistors are constituted by the pull-up transistors or the pull-up transistors.

Abstract: A circuit made on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The circuit includes a first transistor having a first channel, a second transistor having a second channel, with the transistors provided in serial association between first and second terminals for applying a power supply potential, each of the transistors comprising a drain region and a source region in the thin layer, a channel extending between the source region and the drain region, and a front control gate located above the channel. Each transistor has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel of the transistor and capable of being biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor. At least one of the transistors is configured for operating in a depletion mode under the action of a back gate signal which will sufficiently modulate its threshold voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory having bit lines and wordlines crossing each other, a memory cell array formed by memory cells arranged in rows and columns on crossover points of the bit lines and wordlines, and sense amplifier banks arranged on opposite sides of the memory cell array. Each sense amplifier bank has staggered sense amplifiers connected to a bit line according to an interleaved arrangement whereby bit lines alternate in the direction of the wordlines between bit lines coupled to different sense amplifiers. This results in interconnect spaces parallel to the bit lines. Also, each sense amplifier bank includes a local column decoder for selecting a sense amplifier and which is staggered with the sense amplifiers and coupled to the sense amplifier by an output line running in an available interconnect space parallel to the bit lines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) stack that includes a substrate layer, a first oxide layer on the substrate layer and a silicon layer on the first oxide layer (BOX layer). The method includes providing at least one first region of the SOI stack wherein the silicon layer is thinned by thermally oxidizing a part of the silicon layer and providing at least one second region of the SOI stack wherein the first oxide layer (BOX layer) is thinned by annealing.

Abstract: A data bus including a plurality of logic blocks coupled in series, each logic block including at least one buffer for buffering at least one data bit transmitted via the data bus and at least one of the logic blocks further including circuitry coupled in parallel with the at least one buffer and arranged to determine a first bit of error correction code associated with the at least one data bit.

Abstract: A circuit made on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The circuit includes a first transistor having a first channel, a second transistor having a second channel, with the transistors provided in serial association between first and second terminals for applying a power supply potential, each of the transistors comprising a drain region and a source region in the thin layer, a channel extending between the source region and the drain region, and a front control gate located above the channel. Each transistor has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel of the transistor and capable of being biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor. At least one of the transistors is configured for operating in a depletion mode under the action of a back gate signal which will sufficiently modulate its threshold voltage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device that has a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) structure, which includes a substrate, an insulating layer such as an oxide layer on the substrate and a semiconductor layer on the insulating layer with a field-effect-transistor (FET) formed in the SeOI structure from the substrate and deposited layers, wherein the FET has a channel region in the substrate, a gate dielectric layer that is made from at least a part of the oxide layer of the SeOI structure; and a gate electrode that is formed at least partially from a part of the semiconductor layer of the SeOI structure. The invention further relates to a method of forming one or more field-effect-transistors or metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors from a semiconductor-on-insulator structure that involves patterning and etching the SeOI structure, forming shallow trench isolations, depositing insulating, metal or semiconductor layers, and removing mask and/or pattern layers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor substrate, in particular a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate by providing a donor substrate and a handle substrate, forming a pattern of one or more doped regions typically inside the handle substrate, and then attaching such as by molecular bonding the donor and the handle substrate to obtain a donor-handle compound.

Abstract: A circuit made on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The circuit includes a first transistor having a first channel, a second transistor having a second channel, with the transistors provided in serial association between first and second terminals for applying a power supply potential, each of the transistors comprising a drain region and a source region in the thin layer, a channel extending between the source region and the drain region, and a front control gate located above the channel. Each transistor has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel of the transistor and capable of being biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor. At least one of the transistors is configured for operating in a depletion mode under the action of a back gate signal which will sufficiently modulate its threshold voltage.

Abstract: An SRAM-type memory cell that includes a semiconductor on insulator substrate having a thin film of semiconductor material separated from a base substrate by an insulating layer; and six transistors such as two access transistors, two conduction transistors and two charge transistors arranged so as to form with the conduction transistors two back-coupled inverters. Each of the transistors has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel and able to be biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor, with a first back gate line connecting the back control gates of the access transistors to a first potential and a second back gate line connecting the back control gates of the conduction transistors and charge transistors to a second potential. The first and second potentials can be modulated according to the type of cell control operation.

Abstract: A sense amplifier for a series of cells of a memory, including a writing stage comprising a CMOS inverter, the input of which is directly or indirectly connected to an input terminal of the sense amplifier, and the output of which is connected to an output terminal of the sense amplifier intended to be connected to a local bitline addressing the cells of the series, and a reading stage that includes a sense transistor, the gate of which is connected to the output of the inverter and the drain of which is connected to the input of the inverter.

Abstract: The invention provides a data-path cell specifically adapted to its environment for use in an integrated circuit produced on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate. The data-path cell includes an array of field-effect transistors, each transistor having a source region, a drain region and a channel region formed in the thin semiconductor layer of the SeOI substrate, and further having a front gate control region formed above the channel region. In particular, one or more transistors of the data-path cell further includes a back gate control region formed in the bulk substrate beneath the channel region and configured so as to modify the performance characteristics of the transistor in dependence on its state of bias. Also, an integrated circuit including one or more of the data-path cells and methods for designing or driving these data-path cells.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a substrate and at least one active region. A transistor produced in the active region separated from the substrate. This transistor includes a source or drain first region and a drain or source second region which are connected by a channel. A gate structure is position on top of said channel and operates to control the channel. The gate structure is formed in a trench whose sidewalls have a shape which converges (narrows) in the width dimension towards the substrate. A capacitor is also formed having a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric layer between the electrodes. This capacitor is also formed in a trench. An electrode line is connected to the first electrode of the capacitor. The second electrode of the capacitor is formed in a layer shared in common with at least part of the drain or source second region of the transistor. A bit line is located beneath the gate structure. The integrated circuit may, for example, be a DRAM memory cell.

Abstract: The invention provides various embodiments of a memory cell formed on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate and comprising one or more FET transistors. Each FET transistor has a source region and a drain region at least portions of which are arranged in the thin layer of the SeOI substrate, a channel region in which a trench is made, and a gate region formed in the trench. Specifically, the source, drain and channel regions also have portions which are arranged also beneath the insulating layer of the SeOI substrate; the portion of channel region beneath the insulating layer extends between the portions of the source and drain regions also beneath the insulating layer; and the trench in the channel region extends into the depth of the base substrate beyond the insulating layer. Also, methods for fabricating such memory cells and memory arrays including a plurality of such memory cells.

Abstract: The invention provides a content-addressable memory cell formed by two transistors that are configured so that one of the transistors is for storing a data bit and the other for is storing the complement of the data bit. Each transistor has a back control gate that can be controlled to block the associated transistor. The device also includes a comparison circuit that is configured to operate the first and second transistors in read mode while controlling the back control gate of each of the transistors so as to block the passing transistor if a proposed bit and the stored bit correspond. Then, the presence or absence of current on a source line linked to the source of each of the transistors indicates whether the proposed bit and the stored bit are identical or not. The invention also provides methods for operating the content-addressable memory cells of this invention, as well as content-addressable memories having a plurality of the content-addressable memory cells of this invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a memory cell having an FET transistor with a source, a drain and a floating body between the source and the drain, and an injector that can be controlled to inject a charge into the floating body of the FET transistor. The injector includes a bipolar transistor having an emitter, a base and a collector formed by the body of the FET transistor. Specifically, in the memory cell, the emitter of the bipolar transistor is arranged so that the source of the FET transistor serves as the base for the bipolar transistor. The invention also includes a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells according to the first aspect of the invention, and to methods of controlling such memory cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor device produced on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate that includes a thin layer of semiconductor material separated from a base substrate by a buried insulating layer, the device including a first conducting region in the thin layer, a second conducting region in the base substrate and a contact connecting the first region to the second region through the insulating layer. The invention also relates to a process for fabricating such semiconductor devices.

Abstract: This invention provides a semiconductor device structure formed on a conventional semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate and including an array of patterns, each pattern being formed by at least one field-effect transistor, each FET transistor having, in the thin film, a source region, a drain region, a channel region, and a front control gate region formed above the channel region. The provided device further includes at least one FET transistor having a pattern including a back control gate region formed in the base substrate beneath the channel region, the back gate region being capable of being biased in order to shift the threshold voltage of the transistor to simulate a modification in the channel width of the transistor or to force the transistor to remain off or on whatever the voltage applied on its front control gate. This invention also provides methods of operating such semiconductor device structures.