Patent ID: 7550800

Claim:
A memory cell comprising: a conductor-filter system including: a first conductor for supplying thermal charge carriers; and a filter contacting the first conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes: a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction, and a second set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of charge carriers of an opposite polarity through the filter in another direction that is substantially opposite to the one direction; a conductor-insulator system including: a second conductor contacting the filter and including energized charge carriers from the filter; and an insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and including an Image-Force potential barrier adjacent to the interface, wherein the Image-Force potential barrier is electrically alterable to permit the energized charge carriers transporting there over; a body of a semi-conductor material having a first conductivity type; first and second spaced-apart regions formed in the body and having a second conductivity type, with a channel of the body defined there between; a channel dielectric adjacent to the channel; and a charge storage region disposed in between the insulator and the channel dielectric.