INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICES

The specification describes devices based on the recognition that minority charge carriers within a semiconductor can be used to represent information. Storage sites are provided by potential wells formed along the semiconductor surface. The preferred structure is an array of metal electrodes on an insulating layer, each electrode comprising an MIS device. A quantum of charge carriers, representing an information bit, is generated within the semiconductor. This quantum can be translated along the semiconductor by successively biasing a row of electrodes. The potential well effectively "moves" through the semiconductor sweeping the minority carriers with it. The quantum can be detected by a simple capacitive couple, e.g., a floating gate FET.