Apparatus for sensing patterns of electrical field variations across a surface
Abstract
An array of nonvolatile field effect transistors used to sense electric potential variations. The transistors owe their nonvolatility to the movement of protons within the oxide layer that occurs only in response to an externally applied electric potential between the gate on one side of the oxide and the source/drain on the other side. The position of the protons within the oxide layer either creates or destroys a conducting channel in the adjacent source/channel/drain layer below it, the current in the channel being measured as the state of the nonvolatile memory. The protons can also be moved by potentials created by other instrumentalities, such as charges on fingerprints or styluses above the gates, pressure on a piezoelectric layer above the gates, light shining upon a photoconductive layer above the gates. The invention allows sensing of fingerprints, handwriting, and optical images, which are converted into digitized images thereof in a nonvolatile format.
- Inventors:
-
- Arlington, VA
- Paris, FR
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 874063
- Patent Number(s):
- 6304666
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01R - MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
G - PHYSICS G06 - COMPUTING G06F - ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- apparatus; sensing; patterns; electrical; field; variations; surface; array; nonvolatile; effect; transistors; sense; electric; potential; nonvolatility; movement; protons; oxide; layer; occurs; response; externally; applied; gate; sourcedrain; position; creates; destroys; conducting; channel; adjacent; sourcechanneldrain; below; current; measured; memory; moved; potentials; created; instrumentalities; charges; fingerprints; styluses; gates; pressure; piezoelectric; light; shining; photoconductive; allows; handwriting; optical; images; converted; digitized; format; oxide layer; effect transistor; /382/
Citation Formats
Warren, William L, and Devine, Roderick A. B. Apparatus for sensing patterns of electrical field variations across a surface. United States: N. p., 2001.
Web.
Warren, William L, & Devine, Roderick A. B. Apparatus for sensing patterns of electrical field variations across a surface. United States.
Warren, William L, and Devine, Roderick A. B. Mon .
"Apparatus for sensing patterns of electrical field variations across a surface". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874063.
@article{osti_874063,
title = {Apparatus for sensing patterns of electrical field variations across a surface},
author = {Warren, William L and Devine, Roderick A. B.},
abstractNote = {An array of nonvolatile field effect transistors used to sense electric potential variations. The transistors owe their nonvolatility to the movement of protons within the oxide layer that occurs only in response to an externally applied electric potential between the gate on one side of the oxide and the source/drain on the other side. The position of the protons within the oxide layer either creates or destroys a conducting channel in the adjacent source/channel/drain layer below it, the current in the channel being measured as the state of the nonvolatile memory. The protons can also be moved by potentials created by other instrumentalities, such as charges on fingerprints or styluses above the gates, pressure on a piezoelectric layer above the gates, light shining upon a photoconductive layer above the gates. The invention allows sensing of fingerprints, handwriting, and optical images, which are converted into digitized images thereof in a nonvolatile format.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}