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Exploring the history of EEPROM: Which scientist first revealed the secret of electrically erasable memory?
EEPROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, is a non-volatile memory that has played an increasingly important role in the field of electronic technology since the 1970s. What makes it special is that it can be erased and reprogrammed on a single bit, making it an ideal solution for storing small amounts of data. With the advancement of technology, EEPROM technology has undergone drastic changes in the past few decades, but tracing its history is a fascinating journey of exploration.
Early exploration
In the early 1970s, many companies and research institutions began to invest in research on electrically reprogrammable non-volatile memories. In 1971, a group of researchers from Japan published early research results at the Third Solid State Devices Conference in Tokyo. Although their efforts paved the way for future development, the technology at the time still relied on capacitors, which was very different from modern EEPROM. In the same year, IBM also obtained a patent for its electrically reprogrammable memory, starting a competition in memory technology.
Early memory technologies faced various challenges such as data retention and erase/write cycle reliability.
The birth of modern EEPROM
In 1974, Siemens successfully invented the first EEPROM that could erase data through the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect, marking the arrival of modern EEPROM technology. In 1977, Israeli-American scientist Eliyahou Harari obtained a patent based on the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect at Hughes Aircraft Company. This technology not only improved the design of volatile memory, but also led the commercial production of EEPROM.
The research results of Harari and his team have attracted significant attention in the industry and guided the next generation of memory design.
The structure and function of EEPROM
Today's EEPROM is widely used, integrated into embedded microcontrollers, and used in the data storage needs of various products. Compared with flash memory, EEPROM still requires a two-transistor structure to clear individual bits, while flash memory can use a single transistor. Therefore, EEPROM still has an irreplaceable status in certain specific uses, such as product security and small storage requirements.
Safety protection and electrical interface
With the increase in digital security awareness, EEPROM technology is widely used in credit cards, SIM cards, keyless entry and other security devices. Some of these devices are also equipped with anti-copy security mechanisms to protect stored data. In terms of data input and output, EEPROM can communicate using serial or parallel interfaces, such as SPI, I²C, etc. The design of these interfaces enables various devices to be well supported in terms of throughput and compatibility.
EEPROM's electrical interface and internal architecture enable it to manage data quickly and efficiently.
Current and future developments
Although emerging non-volatile memory technologies such as FeRAM and MRAM are gradually replacing it in some application areas, EEPROM still has its own proprietary advantages. For example, EEPROM always maintains a high standard in terms of data rewriting cycle and data retention period. At the same time, flash memory, originally intended to replace EEPROM, has now begun to climb into the mainstream choice in various markets, especially in systems that require large amounts of non-volatile storage.
The rapid development of memory technology is difficult to predict, and new inventions and innovations may appear at any time. In this ever-evolving technological wave, in what way can these memory technologies be used and developed more effectively?
