Energy-Saving Write/Read Operation of Memory Cell by Using Separated Storage Device and Remote Reading With an MIS Tunnel Diode Sensor

Abstract

An efficient way to reduce the loss of stored charge in a memory cell was proposed in this paper. Conventionally, the storage structure is stressed by applying voltages during the read operation. By structurally separating the read operation from the storage structure, lower disturbance to the stored charge can be expected. The metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunnel diode (TD) sensor was the proposed device for the read operation. The saturation current of the MIS TD can be exponentially affected by the remote stored charge. By comparing the write and read operations of the proposed memory cell with the conventional flash memory cell, it is believed that the proposed cell needs lower voltage to be applied within a read/write cycle, i.e., more energy-saving than the conventional cell.