Patent ID: 9653149
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G11C,H01L

Claim:
1. A method of operating a memory cell, the memory cell comprising: a first set of lateral bipolar transistors fabricated on a semiconductor substrate, the first set of lateral bipolar transistors forming a first inverter device, and a second set of lateral bipolar transistors fabricated on the semiconductor substrate, the second set of lateral bipolar transistors forming a second inverter device, the first inverter device and second inverter device in a cross-coupled configuration to store a logic state; a first bipolar transistor of each said first set and second set being an PNP type bipolar transistor having a base terminal, an emitter terminal and a collector terminal, and a second bipolar transistor of each said first set and second set being a NPN type bipolar transistor having a base terminal, a first emitter terminal, a second emitter terminal, and a collector terminal, a first conductor electrically coupling an emitter terminal of said PNP type transistor of said first inverter device and said emitter terminal of said PNP type transistor of said second inverter device, said first conductor adapted to receive a first applied voltage; and a second conductor electrically coupling the first emitter terminal of said NPN transistor of said first inverter device and the first emitter terminal of said NPN transistor of said second inverter device, said second conductor adapted to receive a second applied voltage, wherein said second emitter terminal of said NPN bipolar transistor of said first inverter device is electrically coupled to a bit line true conductor (BLT) for controlling electrical impedance from the first inverter to said BLT conductor, and said second emitter terminal of said NPN bipolar transistor of said second inverter device is electrically coupled to a bit line complement conductor (BLC) for controlling electrical impedance from the second inverter device to said BLC conductor, each said BLT and BLC conductors used to access said stored logic state, wherein said method comprises: