METHOD OF ERASING INFORMATION AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING SAME

摘要

Methods and apparatuses for erasing information that is stored on an electronic semiconductor chip in a multiplicity of nonvolatile memory elements are described. Irradiating the semiconductor chip with erasing radiation until a target dose has been absorbed by the semiconductor chip, with the erasing radiation penetrating the semiconductor chip, results in an ionisation effect that influences the concentration of the charge carriers stored on the memory elements such that a random distribution of the threshold voltages of the memory elements forms a coherent region.