Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell formed on a sidewall of MOS transistor and method of operating the same are disclosed. The MOS based non-volatile memory cell is formed in the n-well and compatible with CMOS processes comprising a selecting gate, two ONO spacers, a p+ source/drain, and a p extended source region and an n extended drain. To program the cell, two strategies can be taken: (1) a band to band hot electron injection can be carried out and (2) channel hot hole induced hot electron injection. To read the nonvolatile cell, a reverse read is taken. In the reading process, the biased on the selecting gate has to make sure form a channel beneath selecting gate having its narrower end contacting with a the depletion boundary due to a reverse bias exerted on the source and n-well body so that if the cell stored with electron therein, a hole current flowing from the drain to the source can be read. To erase the datum in the cell, two approaching can be carried out.

Abstract: A twin non-volatile memory cell on unit device and method of operating the same are disclosed. The device is formed in the n-well and compatible with CMOS processes comprising a selecting gate, two ONO spacers, a p+ source/drain, and n extended source/drain. To program the cells, two strategies can be taken. One is by a band to band hot electron injection can be carried out. The other is by channel hot hole induced hot electron injection. To read the right cell of the twin nonvolatile cells, a reverse read is taken so as to shield the left cell. In the reading process, the biased on the selecting gate and the source electrode have to make sure the tapered main channel beneath selecting gate has its narrower end through the depletion boundary to connect the second channel beneath the extended source. To erase the datum in the selected cell, two approaching can be carried out. One is by FN erase, the other is by band to band induced hot hole injection.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell with twin gates formed on an N-well is provided. The non-volatile memory cell includes at least a first gate, a second gate, a pair of NO (Nitride/Oxide) spacer layers, a pair of ONO (Oxide/Nitride/Oxide) spacers, a source, a drain, an extension source and an extension drain. The NO spacer layers are formed at the inner sidewalls of the first gate and the second gate to form a U-shape spacer for storing one bit of data. The ONO spacers are formed at the outer sidewalls of the first gate and the second gate. The source and drain and the extension source and the extension drain have P-type impurity dopants.

Abstract: A photosensitive device is provided. The photosensitive device can be an image sensor or a solar cell. The photosensitive device includes a driving circuit such as photo sensor circuit or solar cell circuit, and a nano-crystal layer. The nano-crystal layer is located above the driving circuit and includes a silicon compound layer and plural nano-crystal particles. The nano-crystal particles are distributed in the silicon compound layer and capable of capturing photon and further converting into photocurrent.

Abstract: A nitride/oxide/semiconductor (NOS) non-volatile memory cell formed in an n-well, having no control gate and capable of storing two bits is provided. The NOS non-volatile memory cell includes at least one NO (nitride layer, oxide layer) storage gate capable of storing one bit of data in the nitride layer adjacent to the source and the drain, respectively. The source and the drain are regions heavily doped with p-type impurities. The NOS non-volatile memory cell is capable of doubling the storage capacity of a flash memory chip having the same size.

Abstract: A single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory cell that is fully compatible with nano-scale semiconductor manufacturing process is provided. The single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory cell includes an N well, a gate formed on the N well, a gate dielectric layer between the gate and the N well, an ONO layer on sidewalls of the gate, a P+ source doping region and a P+ drain doping region. The ONO layer include a first oxide layer deposited on the sidewalls of the gate and extends to the N well, and a silicon nitride layer formed on the first oxide layer. The silicon nitride layer functions as a charge-trapping layer. The metallurgical junction of P-type drain and N-type well locates underneath the ONO sidewall.

Abstract: A single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory cell that is fully compatible with nano-scale semiconductor manufacturing process is provided. The single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory cell includes an N well, a gate formed on the N well, a gate dielectric layer between the gate and the N well, an ONO layer on sidewalls of the gate, a P+ source doping region and a P+ drain doping region. The ONO layer includes a first oxide layer deposited on the sidewalls of the gate and extends to the N well, and a silicon nitride layer formed on the first oxide layer. The silicon nitride layer functions as a charge-trapping layer.

Abstract: A single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory (NVM) cell that is fully compatible with nano-scale semiconductor manufacturing process is provided. The single-poly, P-channel non-volatile memory cell includes an N well, a gate formed on the N well, a gate dielectric layer between the gate and the N well, an ONO layers on sidewalls of the gate, a P+ source doping region and a P+ drain doping region. The ONO layers include a first oxide layer deposited on the sidewalls of the gate and extends to the N well, and a silicon nitride layer formed on the first oxide layer. The silicon nitride layer functions as a charge-trapping layer. The metallurgical junction of P-type drain and N-type well locates underneath the sidewall ONO layers.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a highly dense stacked gate flash memory cell with a structure having multi floating gates that can assume 4 states and, therefore, store 2 bits at the same time. This is accomplished by providing a semiconductor substrate having gate oxide formed thereon, and shallow trench isolation and a p-well formed therein. A layer of nitride is next formed over the substrate and an opening formed therein. Polysilicon floating gate spacers are formed in the opening. A dielectric layer is then formed over the floating gates followed by the forming of a control gate. The adjacent nitride layer is then removed leaving a multi-level structure comprising a control gate therebetween multi floating gates with the intervening dielectric layer.

Abstract: This invention provides a memory array and it support signals and a method for byte access for programming, erasing and reading memory cells. The advantage of this array and method is the ability to access bytes for program, erase, and read operations. This array and method uses an added isolation transistor to isolate the high voltage from the unselected byte. In addition, it utilizes a separate source line for each byte in a row. This source line is also shared by a byte in a different row. The array has very little peripheral circuit overhead requirement and it avoids programming disturbances of unselected memory cells.

Abstract: A method of making the selection gate in a split-gate flash EEPROM cell forms a selection gate on a trench sidewall of a semiconductor substrate to minimize the sidewise dimension of the selection gate and to maintain the channel length. The disclosed method includes the steps of: forming a trench on a semiconductor substrate on one side of a suspending gate structure; forming an inter polysilicon dielectric layer on the sidewall of the suspending gate structure and the trench; and forming a polysilicon spacer on the inter polysilicon dielectric layer as the selection gate. Such a split-gate flash EEPROM cell can produce ballistic hot electrons, improving the data writing efficiency and lowering the writing voltage.

Abstract: A method for forming a floating gate electrode within a split gate field effect transistor device provides for isotropically processing a blanket isotropically processable material layer having a patterned mask layer formed thereover to form a patterned isotropically processed material layer which encroaches beneath the patterned mask layer. The patterned isotropically processed material layer may then be employed as a mask for forming a floating gate electrode from a blanket floating gate electrode material layer. The method provides for forming adjacent floating gate electrodes with less than minimally photolithographically resolvable separation.

Abstract: A method of making the selection gate in a split-gate flash EEPROM cell forms a selection gate on a trench sidewall of a semiconductor substrate to minimize the sidewise dimension of the selection gate and to maintain the channel length. The disclosed method includes the steps of: forming a trench on a semiconductor substrate on one side of a suspending gate structure; forming an inter polysilicon dielectric layer on the sidewall of the suspending gate structure and the trench; and forming a polysilicon spacer on the inter polysilicon dielectric layer as the selection gate. Such a split-gate flash EEPROM cell can produce ballistic hot electrons, improving the data writing efficiency and lowering the writing voltage.

Abstract: A method of making the selection gate in a split-gate flash EEPROM cell forms a selection gate on a trench sidewall of a semiconductor substrate to minimize the sidewise dimension of the selection gate and to maintain the channel length. The disclosed method includes the steps of: forming a trench on a semiconductor substrate on one side of a suspending gate structure; forming an inter polysilicon dielectric layer on the sidewall of the suspending gate structure and the trench; and forming a polysilicon spacer on the inter polysilicon dielectric layer as the selection gate. Such a split-gate flash EEPROM cell can produce ballistic hot electrons, improving the data writing efficiency and lowering the writing voltage.

Abstract: A method of making the selection gate in a split-gate flash EEPROM cell forms a selection gate on a trench sidewall of a semiconductor substrate to minimize the sidewise dimension of the selection gate and to maintain the channel length. The disclosed method includes the steps of: forming a trench on a semiconductor substrate on one side of a suspending gate structure; forming an inter polysilicon dielectric layer on the sidewall of the suspending gate structure and the trench; and forming a polysilicon spacer on the inter polysilicon dielectric layer as the selection gate. Such a split-gate flash EEPROM cell can produce ballistic hot electrons, improving the data writing efficiency and lowering the writing voltage.

Abstract: This invention provides a memory array and it support signals and a method for byte access for programming, erasing and reading memory cells. The advantage of this array and method is the ability to access bytes for program, erase, and read operations. This array and method uses an added isolation transistor to isolate the high voltage from the unselected byte. In addition, it utilizes a separate source line for each byte in a row. This source line is also shared by a byte in a different row. The array has very little peripheral circuit overhead requirement and it avoids programming disturbances of unselected memory cells.

Abstract: A stacked-gate flash memory cell is provided having step-shaped poly-gates with increased overlap area between them in order to increase the coupling ratio and hence the program speed of the cell. The floating gate is first formed with a step and the intergate dielectric is conformally shaped thereon followed by the forming of the control gate thereon. The increase in the-overlap area can be achieved by forming gates with multiply connected surfaces of different shapes.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a highly dense stacked gate flash memory cell with a structure having multi floating gates that can assume 4 states and, therefore, store 2 bits at the same time. This is accomplished by providing a semiconductor substrate having gate oxide formed thereon, and shallow trench isolation and a p-well formed therein. A layer of nitride is next formed over the substrate and an opening formed therein. Polysilicon floating gate spacers are formed in the opening. A dielectric layer is then formed over the floating gates followed by the forming of a control gate. The adjacent nitride layer is then removed leaving a multi-level structure comprising a control gate therebetween multi floating gates with the intervening dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of making the selection gate in a split-gate flash EEPROM cell forms a selection gate on a trench sidewall of a semiconductor substrate to minimize the sidewise dimension of the selection gate and to maintain the channel length. The disclosed method includes the steps of: forming a trench on a semiconductor substrate on one side of a suspending gate structure; forming an inter polysilicon dielectric layer on the sidewall of the suspending gate structure and the trench; and forming a polysilicon spacer on the inter polysilicon dielectric layer as the selection gate. Such a split-gate flash EEPROM cell can produce ballistic hot electrons, improving the data writing efficiency and lowering the writing voltage.

Abstract: A method for forming a floating gate electrode within a split gate field effect transistor device provides for isotropically processing a blanket isotropically processable material layer having a patterned mask layer formed thereover to form a patterned isotropically processed material layer which encroaches beneath the patterned mask layer. The patterned isotropically processed material layer may then be employed as a mask for forming a floating gate electrode from a blanket floating gate electrode material layer. The method provides for forming adjacent floating gate electrodes with less than minimally photolithographically resolvable separation.