[sci.electronics] programming EPROMSset seen

whitten@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (05/28/91)

> You erase EPROMs by exposing them to intense
> short-wave ultraviolet because it kicks up enough ionization in the
> insulator to let the electrons leak out.  Of course, to program the thing,
> -- 
> "We're thinking about upgrading from    | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
> SunOS 4.1.1 to SunOS 3.5."              |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry


Humm, I learned that when you exposed the gate to ultraviolet, you
were exciting the electrons trapped in the gate, and in that excited
state, they were able to "tunnel" through the insulator, and thus
disperse themseleves back into the substrate or whereever they go.
Some of that dreaded schrodinger equation stuff involved no doubt.

I think the method I learned on how they are programmed also invloved
the avalanching effect too, which may account for the higher voltages
required?

Regards,
Chris




==============================================================================
 WHITTEN@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU              Chris Whittenburg, Univ. of Kansas
 WHITTEN@UKANVAX.bitnet                        Electrical Engineering
==============================================================================

henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (05/28/91)

In article <1991May27.180552.31088@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> whitten@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>Humm, I learned that when you exposed the gate to ultraviolet, you
>were exciting the electrons trapped in the gate, and in that excited
>state, they were able to "tunnel" through the insulator...

Quite possible.  I just use the things, I leave the gory details of how the
electrons move to the semiconductor people...
-- 
"We're thinking about upgrading from    | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
SunOS 4.1.1 to SunOS 3.5."              |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry