Erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) is a specially designed PROM that can be reprogrammed after being entirely erased by an ultraviolet (UV) light source. Complete erasure of the contents of the chip requires that the window of the chip (see Figure 5-3) be exposed to a UV light source for approximately twenty minutes. EPROM can be considered a semipermanent storage device, because it permanently stores a program until it is ready to be altered.