Charge-storage flip-flops for semiconductor and optical memories

A new integrated circuit bipolar semiconductor memory cell, a "charge-storage flip-flop," requiring an extremely low effective standby power is described. The cell can operate with less than 100 nsec. read-erase-write cycle time and consumes power only during one of these operations. It can store information for a relatively long time (∼ 0.5 sec in preliminary measurements) without drawing current from the power supply. The information is prevented from being lost simply by "reading-out" at least once during this period. Write-in can be accomplished by applying voltage to a flip-flop in the presence of an imbalance introduced by the information signal. After the voltage is removed the transistors are prevented from discharging so that when the voltage is applied again for read-out purposes, the flip-flop assumes its previous state.