Abstract: A method of forming a charge storing layer is disclosed. According to an embodiment, a method may include the steps of forming a first portion of a charge storing layer with a first gas flow rate ratio (step 102), forming at least a second portion of the charge storing layer by changing to a second gas flow rate ratio that is different than the first gas flow rate ratio (step 104), and forming at least a third portion of the charge storing layer by changing to a third gas flow rate ratio that is different than the second gas flow rate ratio (step 106).

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed in which a SONOS-type dielectric may include a charge storing dielectric (206) that includes at least one charge trapping dielectric layer (212) formed within. A charge trapping dielectric layer (212) may be a silicon-rich silicon nitride layer that may trap charge that could otherwise tunnel through a charge storing dielectric (206). A method may include forming a tunneling dielectric (302), forming a first portion of a charge storing layer (304-0), forming a charge trapping layer (306), forming a second portion of a charge storing layer (304-1), and forming a top dielectric (308).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile storage circuit (100) can include a volatile portion (102) that includes p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors (106-0 and 106-1) and n-channel MOS (NMOS) transistors (108-0 and 108-1) arranged in a complementary MOS (CMOS) latch configuration. Also included are nonvolatile devices (116-0 and 116-1) disposed between PMOS transistor 106-0 and NMOS transistor 108-0, and between PMOS transistor 106-1 and NMOS transistor 108-1. Nonvolatile devices (116-0 and 116-1) can include silicon-oxide-nitride-semiconductor (SONOS) transistors that can be programmed to opposite states to recall a logic value when power is applied to the nonvolatile storage circuit (100). In a read mode, a bias voltage VBIAS can be applied to nonvolatile devices (116-0 and 116-1) that tends to retain charge in both nonvolatile devices (116-0 and 116-1).