Title:
半導体回路の紫外線への露出を検出する方法及び装置
Document Type and Number:
Japanese Patent JP2006520052
Kind Code:
A
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for detecting if a semiconductor circuit has been exposed to ultra-violet light. An ultra-violet light detection circuit detects exposure to ultra-violet light and will automatically activate a security violation signal. The security violation signal may optionally initiate a routine to clear sensitive data from memory or prevent the semiconductor circuit from further operation. The ultra-violet light detection circuit detects whether a semiconductor circuit has been exposed to ultra-violet light, for example, by employing a dedicated mini-array of non-volatile memory cells. At least two active bit lines, blprg and bler, are employed corresponding to program and erase, respectively. One of the bit lines is only programmable and the other bit line is only eraseable. Generally, all of the bits in the dedicated non-volatile memory array are initially in approximately the same state, which could be erased, programmed or somewhere in between. An offset current is added to one bit line and a change in the resulting current difference is used to detect an exposure to ultra-violet light.
Inventors:
Holmer Sean Sea
Application Number:
JP2006508952A
Publication Date:
August 31, 2006
Filing Date:
March 01, 2004
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Advanced Technology Materials Incorporated
International Classes:
G06F21/75; G06F21/86; G11C16/18; G11C16/22; H01L21/822; H01L27/04
Domestic Patent References:
| JP2003532967A | 2003-11-05 | |||
| JPS6491022A | 1989-04-10 | |||
| JP2002150252A | 2002-05-24 | |||
| JPS63316439A | 1988-12-23 | |||
| JPH10303399A | 1998-11-13 | |||
| JPH10142341A | 1998-05-29 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Sadao Kumakura
Fumiaki Otsuka
Takaki Nishijima
Hiroyuki Suda
Fumiaki Otsuka
Takaki Nishijima
Hiroyuki Suda