A first impurity layer 101a and a second impurity layer 101b are formed on a substrate Sub at both ends of a Si pillar 100 standing in a vertical direction and having a circular or rectangular horizontal cross-section. Then, a first gate insulating layer 103a and a second gate insulating layer 103b surrounding the Si pillar 100, a first gate conductor layer 104a surrounding the first gate insulating layer 103a, and a second gate conductor layer 104b surrounding the second gate insulating layer 103b are formed. Then, a voltage is applied to the first impurity layer 101a, the second impurity layer 101b, the first gate conductor layer 104a, and the second gate conductor layer 104b to generate an impact ionization phenomenon in a channel region 102 by current flowing between the first impurity layer 101a and the second impurity layer 101b. Of generated electrons and positive holes, the electrons are discharged from the channel region 102 to perform a memory write operation for holding some of the positive holes in the channel region 102, and the positive holes held in the channel region 102 are discharged from one or both of the first impurity layer 101a and the second impurity layer 101b to perform a memory erase operation.

A memory device includes pages, each being composed of a plurality of memory cells arrayed on a substrate in row form, and controls voltages to be applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity layer, and a second impurity layer of each of the memory cells included in the pages to perform a page write operation of holding a hole group generated by an impact ionization phenomenon or a gate induced drain leakage current in a channel semiconductor layer, and controls voltages to be applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the third gate conductor layer, the fourth gate conductor layer, the first impurity layer, and the second impurity layer to perform a page erase operation of removing the hole group out of the channel semiconductor layer. The first impurity layer of the each of the memory cells is connected to a source line, the second impurity layer is connected to a bit line, one of the first gate conductor layer and the second gate conductor layer is connected to one of word lines, and the other is connected to a first driving control line. The first driving control line is provided in common for adjacent ones of the pages, and when in the page erase operation, the memory device applies pulsed voltages to one of the word lines which performs the page erase operation and the first driving control line, and applies a fixed voltage to another one of the word lines which is not selected to perform the page erase operation.

A memory device includes pages, each being composed of a plurality of memory cells arrayed on a substrate in row form. The memory device controls voltages to be applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity region, and a second impurity region of each of the memory cells included in the pages to perform a page write operation of holding a hole group formed by an impact ionization phenomenon or a gate induced drain leakage current in a channel semiconductor layer, and controls voltages to be applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the third gate conductor layer, the fourth gate conductor layer, the first impurity region, and the second impurity region to perform a page erase operation of removing the hole group out of the channel semiconductor layer. The first impurity layer of each of the memory cells is connected to a source line, the second impurity region is connected to a bit line, one of the first gate conductor layer and the second gate conductor layer is connected to a word line, and the other is connected to a first driving control line. The bit line is connected to a sense amplifier circuit via a switching circuit. When in a page read operation, the memory device reads page data in a memory cell group selected by the word line to the bit line, and performs charge sharing between the bit line and a charge sharing node of the switching circuit opposite to the bit line to accelerate a read determination by the sense amplifier circuit.

Provided on a substrate are an N.sup.+ layer connecting to a source line SL and an N.sup.+ layer connecting to a bit line BL that are located at opposite ends of a Si pillar standing in an upright position along the vertical direction, an N layer continuous with the N.sup.+ layer, an N layer continuous with the N.sup.+ layer, a first gate insulating layer surrounding the Si pillar, a first gate conductor layer surrounding the first gate insulating layer and connecting to a plate line PL, and a second gate conductor layer surrounding a second gate insulating layer surrounding the Si pillar and connecting to a word line WL. A voltage applied to each of the source line SL, the plate line PL, the word line WL, and the bit line BL is controlled to perform a data retention operation for retaining holes, which have been generated through an impact ionization phenomenon or using a gate induced drain leakage current, in a channel region of the Si pillar, and a data erase operation for removing the holes from the channel region.

A memory device includes pages arranged in columns and each constituted by a plurality of memory cells on a substrate, voltages applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity layer, and a second impurity layer in each memory cell included in each of the pages are controlled to perform a page write operation of retaining, inside a channel semiconductor layer, a group of positive holes generated by an impact ionization phenomenon or by a gate-induced drain leakage current, and the voltages applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the first impurity layer, and the second impurity layer are controlled to perform a page erase operation of discharging the group of positive holes from inside the channel semiconductor layer. The first impurity layer of the memory cell is connected to a source line, the second impurity layer thereof is connected to a bit line, one of the first gate conductor layer or the second gate conductor layer thereof is connected to a word line, the other of the first gate conductor layer or the second gate conductor layer thereof is connected to a driving control line, and the bit lines are connected to sense amplifier circuits with a switch circuit therebetween. In a page read operation, page data in a group of memory cells selected by the word line is read to the sense amplifier circuits, and in a page sum-of-products read operation, a voltage is applied to the driving control line such that memory cell currents, in the group of memory cells, flowing into the bit lines multiply N-fold (N is a positive integer).

In a memory device, pages are arrayed in a column direction on a substrate, each page constituted by memory cells arrayed in row direction on a substrate. Each memory cell includes a zonal P layer. N.sup.+ layers continuous with a source line and a bit line respectively are on both sides of the P layer. Gate insulating layers surround part of the P layer continuous with the N.sup.+ layer and part of the P layer continuous with the N.sup.+ layer, respectively. One side surface of the gate insulating layer is covered with a gate conductor layer continuous with a first plate line, and the other side surface is covered with a gate conductor layer continuous with a second plate line. A gate conductor layer continuous with a word line surrounds the gate insulating layer.

Provided on a substrate 1 are an N.sup.+ layer connecting to a source line SL, a first Si pillar as a P.sup.+ layer standing in an upright position along the vertical direction, and a second Si pillar as a P layer. An N.sup.+ layer connecting to a bit line BL is provided on the second Si pillar. A first gate insulating layer is provided so as to surround the first Si pillar, and a second gate insulating layer is provided so as to surround the second Si pillar. A first gate conductor layer connecting to a plate line PL is provided so as to surround the first insulating layer, and a second gate conductor layer connecting to a word line WL is provided so as to surround the second insulating layer. A voltage applied to each of the source line SL, the plate line PL, the word line WL, and the bit line BL is controlled to perform a data write operation for retaining holes, which have been generated through an impact ionization phenomenon or using a gate induced drain leakage current, in a channel region, and a data erase operation for removing the holes from the channel region.

On a substrate, an N.sup.+ layer connecting to a source line SL, a first Si pillar standing in a perpendicular direction, and a second Si pillar on the first Si pillar are disposed. In a central portion of the first Si pillar, a P.sup.+ layer is disposed, and a P layer is disposed so as to surround the P.sup.+ layer. In a central portion of the second Si pillar, a P.sup.+ layer is disposed, and a P layer is disposed so as to surround the P.sup.+ layer. On the second Si pillar, an N.sup.+ layer is disposed so as to connect to a bit line BL. A first gate insulating layer is disposed so as to surround the first Si pillar, and a second gate insulating layer is disposed so as to surround the second Si pillar. A first gate conductor layer is disposed so as to surround the first insulating layer and to connect to a plate line PL, and a second gate conductor layer is disposed so as to surround the second insulating layer and to connect to a word line WL. Voltages applied to the source line SL, the plate line PL, the word line WL, and the bit line BL are controlled, to perform a data retention operation of retaining a hole group generated within a channel region due to an impact ionization phenomenon or a gate induced drain leakage current and a data erase operation of discharging the hole group from within the channel region.

A memory apparatus includes pages each including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a column on a substrate. A voltage applied to each of a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity layer, and a second impurity layer in each memory cell included in each page is controlled to perform a page write operation for retaining holes, which have been formed through an impact ionization phenomenon or using a gate induced drain leakage current, in a channel semiconductor layer, or a voltage applied to each of the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, a third gate conductor layer, a fourth gate conductor layer, the first impurity layer, and the second impurity layer is controlled to perform a page erase operation for removing the holes from the channel semiconductor layer. The first impurity layer in the memory cell connects to a source line. The second impurity layer connects to a bit line. One of the first gate conductor layer and the second gate conductor layer connects to a word line, and the other connects to a first drive control line. The bit line connects to a sense amplifier circuit via a switch circuit. During a page read operation, page data in a group of memory cells selected by the word line is read by the sense amplifier circuit. During each of the page write operation, the page erase operation, and the page read operation, an identical fixed voltage is applied to the first drive control line.

A memory device according to the present invention includes memory cells, each of the memory cells includes a semiconductor base material that is formed on a substrate and that stands on the substrate in a vertical direction, voltages applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity layer, and a second impurity layer in each of the memory cells are controlled to perform a write operation of retaining, inside a channel semiconductor layer, a group of positive holes generated by an impact ionization phenomenon or by a gate-induced drain leakage current, and the voltages applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the first impurity layer, and the second impurity layer are controlled to perform an erase operation of discharging the group of positive holes from inside the channel semiconductor layer. The first gate conductor layer partially surrounds a side surface of the semiconductor base material, and the second gate conductor layer entirely surrounds the side surface of the semiconductor base material.