Abstract: A method for making improved MOSFET structures is achieved. A Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and a SiO.sub.2 layer are deposited and patterned to have openings for gate electrodes over device areas on a substrate. A second Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layer is deposited and etched back to form arc-shaped sidewall spacers in the openings. An anti-punchthrough implant and a gate oxide are formed in the openings between the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 sidewall spacers. A polysilicon layer is deposited and polished back to form gate electrodes. The SiO.sub.2 and the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layers, including the sidewall spacers, are removed to form free-standing gate electrodes that increase in width with height, and having arc-shaped sidewalls. An implant through the edges of the arc-shaped gate electrodes results in lightly doped source/drains that are graded both in junction depth and dopant concentration to reduce hot electron effects. A second SiO.sub.

Abstract: A flash memory with a split gate. The flash memory is formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising a channel region, a tunnel oxide layer, a floating gate, a control gate, a dielectric layer and two source/drain regions. The channel region is located on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and partly covered by the floating gate. The floating gate is funnelform, that is, having a gradually diffusing cross sectional profile from a bottom surface to a top surface, and has a tunnel oxide layer to isolate with the semiconductor substrate, and there is an annulus tip on the rim of the top surface. The dielectric layer is located on a part of the top surface and a sidewall of the floating gate and a part of the channel region uncovered by the floating gate. The control gate is formed on the dielectric layer, and the source/drain regions are formed in the semiconductor at both sides of the channel region.

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical transistor memory device comprises the following process steps. Before forming the trenches, FOX regions are formed between the rows. Then form a set of trenches with sidewalls and a bottom in a semiconductor substrate with threshold implant regions the sidewalls. Form doped drain regions near the surface of the substrate and doped source regions in the base of the device below the trenches with oppositely doped channel regions therebetween. Form a tunnel oxide layer over the substrate including the trenches. Form a blanket thin floating gate layer of doped polysilicon over the tunnel oxide layer extending above the trenches. Etch the floating gate layer leaving upright floating gate strips of the floating gate layer along the sidewalls of the trenches. Form an interelectrode dielectric layer composed of ONO over the floating gate layer and over the tunnel oxide layer. Form a blanket thin control gate layer of doped polysilicon over the interelectrode dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical transistor memory device includes the following steps. Before forming the trenches, FOX regions are formed between the rows. Form a set of trenches with sidewalls and a bottom in a semiconductor substrate with threshold implant regions the sidewalls. Form doped drain regions near the surface of the substrate and doped source regions in the base of the device below the trenches with oppositely doped channel regions therebetween. Form a tunnel oxide layer over the substrate including the trenches. Form a blanket thick floating gate layer of doped polysilicon over the tunnel oxide layer filling the trenches and extending above the trenches. Etch the floating gate layer down below the top of the trenches. Form an interelectrode dielectric layer composed of ONO over the floating gate layer and over the tunnel oxide layer. Form a blanket thick control gate layer of doped polysilicon over the interelectrode dielectric layer. Pattern the control gate layer into control gate electrodes.

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical memory split gate flash memory device on a silicon semiconductor substrate is provided by the following steps. Form a floating gate trench hole in the silicon semiconductor substrate, the trench hole having trench surfaces. Form a tunnel oxide layer on the trench surfaces, the tunnel oxide layer having outer surfaces. Form a floating gate electrode layer filling the trench hole on the outer surfaces of the tunnel oxide layer. Form source/drain regions in the substrate self-aligned with the floating gate electrode layer. Pattern the floating gate electrode layer by removing the gate electrode layer from the drain region side of the trench hole Form a control gate hole therein. Form an interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode, and over the tunnel oxide layer.

Abstract: A combined method of fabricating embedded flash memory cells having salicide and self-aligned contact (SAC) structures is disclosed. The SAC structure of the cell region and the salicide contacts of the peripheral region of the semiconductor device are formed using a single mask. This is accomplished by a judicious sequence of formation and removal of the various layers including the doped first and second polysilicon layers in the memory cell and of the intrinsic polysilicon layer used in the peripheral circuits. Thus, the etching of the self-aligned contact hole of the memory cell is accomplished at the same time the salicided contact hole of the peripheral region is formed.

Abstract: A vertical memory device on a silicon semiconductor substrate comprises a floating gate trench in the substrate. in the array, the trench. The walls of the floating gate trench were doped with a threshold implant through the trench surfaces. There is a tunnel oxide layer on the trench surfaces, the tunnel oxide layer having outer surfaces. There is a floating gate electrode in the trench on the outer surfaces of the tunnel oxide layer. There are source/drain regions in the substrate self-aligned with the floating gate electrode. The source line and a drain line form above the source region and the drain region respectively. An interelectrode dielectric layer overlies the top surface of the floating gate electrode, and the source line and the drain line, and there is a control gate electrode over the interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode.

Abstract: A new method of forming a trenched floating gate in the fabrication of a EEPROM memory cell is described. A trench is etched into a semiconductor substrate. Ions are implanted into the surface of the semiconductor substrate and into the semiconductor substrate surrounding the trench to form N+ regions. A gate oxide layer is grown over the surface of the semiconductor substrate and within the trench. The gate oxide within a tunneling window overlying one of the N+ regions is removed and a tunnel oxide is grown in the tunneling window. A polysilicon layer is deposited over the surface of the semiconductor substrate and within the trench and patterned to form a floating gate within the trench and on the surface of the substrate wherein the floating gate contacts the N+ region through the tunneling window.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a flash memory cell, featuring self-aligned contact structures, overlying and contacting, self-aligned source, and self-aligned drain regions, located between stack gate structures, has been developed. The stack gate structures, located on an underlying silicon dioxide, tunnel oxide layer, are comprised of: a capping insulator shape; a polysilicon control gate shape; an inter-polysilicon dielectric shape; and a polysilicon floating gate shape. The use of self-aligned contact structures, and self-aligned source regions, allows increased cell densities to be achieved.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of self-aligned floating gate, flash memory device on a semiconductor substrate includes the following steps. Form a blanket silicon oxide layer over the substrate. Form a blanket floating gate conductor layer over the silicon oxide layer. Pattern the blanket silicon oxide layer, the floating gate conductor layer and the substrate in a patterning process with a single floating gate electrode mask forming floating gate electrodes from the floating gate conductor layer and the silicon oxide layer; and simultaneously form trenches in the substrate adjacent to the floating gate electrode and aligned with the floating gate electrodes thereby patterning the active region in the substrate. Form a blanket dielectric layer on the device filling the trenches and planarized with the top surface of the floating gate electrodes. Form an interconductor dielectric layer over the device including the floating gate electrodes. Form a control gate conductor over the interconductor dielectric layer.

Abstract: A vertical memory device on a silicon semiconductor substrate comprises a floating gate trench in the substrate, in the array, the trench. The walls of the floating gate trench were doped with a threshold implant through the trench surfaces. There is a tunnel oxide layer on the trench surfaces, the tunnel oxide layer having outer surfaces. There is a floating gate electrode in the trench on the outer surfaces of the tunnel oxide layer. There are source/drain regions in the substrate self-aligned with the floating gate electrode. The source line and a drain line form above the source region and the drain region respectively. An interelectrode dielectric layer overlies the top surface of the floating gate electrode, and the source line and the drain line, and there is a control gate electrode over the interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode.

Abstract: When FLASH cells are made in association with STI (as opposed to LOCOS) it is often the case that stringers of silicon nitride are left behind after the spacers have been formed. This problem has been eliminated by requiring that the oxide in the STI trenches remain in place at the time that the silicon nitride spacers are formed. After that, the oxide is removed in the usual manner, following which a SALICIDE process is used to form a self aligned source line. When this sequence is followed no stringers are left behind on the walls of the trench, guaranteeing the absence of any open circuits or high resistance regions in the source line.

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical memory split gate flash memory device on a silicon semiconductor substrate is provided by the following steps. Form a floating gate trench hole in the silicon semiconductor substrate, the trench hole having trench surfaces. Form a tunnel oxide layer on the trench surfaces, the tunnel oxide layer having outer surfaces. Form a floating gate electrode layer filling the trench hole on the outer surfaces of the tunnel oxide layer. Form source/drain regions in the substrate self-aligned with the floating gate electrode layer. Pattern the floating gate electrode layer by removing the gate electrode layer from the drain region side of the trench hole. Form a control gate hole therein. Form an interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode, and over the tunnel oxide layer.

Abstract: A vertical memory device on a silicon semiconductor substrate is formed by the following steps. Form an array of isolation silicon oxide structures on the surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate. Form a floating gate trench in the silicon semiconductor substrate between the silicon oxide structures in the array, the trench having trench sidewall surfaces. Dope the sidewalls of the floating gate trench with a threshold implant through the trench sidewall surfaces. Form a tunnel oxide layer on the trench sidewall surfaces, the tunnel oxide layer having an outer surface. Form a floating gate electrode in the trench on the outer surface of the tunnel oxide layer. Form source/drain regions in the substrate self-aligned with the floating gate electrode. Form an interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode. Form a control gate electrode over the interelectrode dielectric layer over the top surface of the floating gate electrode.

Abstract: A method and structure for the evaluation of the density of charge induced to a semiconductor substrate during exposure to radiation as a result of integrated circuits processing procedures such as ion implantation and plasma etching is disclosed. A plurality of stacked gate field effect transistors, wherein each stacked has a charge collection capacitor attached to the gate, is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. Each charge collection capacitor has an area that is different from every other charge collection capacitor. The to substrate is exposed to a radiation source. The threshold voltage for each of the stacked gate field effect transistors is measured. The difference in threshold voltage for the stacked gate transistors is proportional to the amount of charge induced during the exposure to the radiation and the density of the charge induced by the exposure to the radiation can be calculated from the comparison of the threshold voltage and the area of the charge collection capacitors.