Storage array and sense/refresh circuit for single-transistor memory cells

Abstract

For the cell layout in silicon-gate technology a storage capacitor is proposed that uses a field-induced nonequilibrium inversion layer as an electrode. As a sensitive refresh amplifier a gated flip-flop that can be used for one digit line at each of its two input nodes is presented. Different cells and refresh circuits have been realized in silicon-gate technologies. Cells with an area of 1600 /spl mu/m/SUP 2/(2.6 mil/SUP 2/) have been successfully operated with a READ/WRITE cycle time of 350 ns (storage capacitance 0.134 pF, digit line capacitance 0.32 pF for 64 cells per line or 128 cells per amplifier).