Abstract: In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a flash memory device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a portion of a dual gate oxide in a periphery area of the memory device and then simultaneously providing a dual gate oxide in a core area of the memory device and completing the dual gate oxide in the periphery area. Finally, a nitridation process is provided in both the core and periphery areas subsequent to the previous steps. In a second aspect of the present invention, a flash memory device is disclosed. The flash memory device comprises core area having a plurality of memory transistors comprising an oxide layer, a first poly layer, an interpoly dielectric layer, and a second poly layer. The flash memory device further comprises a periphery area having a plurality of transistors comprising an oxide layer, a portion of the first poly layer, and the second poly layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of forming a NAND type flash memory device capable of more than about 1×105 program/erase cycles without significant read disturb problems involving the steps of growing a first oxide layer over at least a portion of a substrate, the substrate including a flash memory cell area and a select gate area; removing a portion of the first oxide layer in the flash memory cell area of the substrate; growing a second oxide layer over at least a portion of the substrate in the flash memory cell area and over at least a portion of the a first oxide layer in the select gate area; annealing the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer under an inert gas and at least one of N2O and NO for a period of time from about 1 minute to about 15 minutes; depositing a first in situ doped amorphous silicon layer over at least a portion of the second oxide layer; depositing a dielectric layer over at least a portion of the first in situ doped amorphous silicon laye

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of forming a NAND type flash memory device involving the steps of growing a first oxide layer over at least a portion of a substrate, the substrate including a flash memory cell area and a select gate area; removing a portion of the first oxide layer in the flash memory cell area of the substrate; growing a second oxide layer over at least a portion of the substrate in the flash memory cell area and over at least a portion of the a first oxide layer in the select gate area; annealing the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer under an inert gas and at least one of N2O and NO for a period of time from about 1 minute to about 15 minutes; depositing a first in situ doped amorphous silicon layer over at least a portion of the second oxide layer, the first in situ doped amorphous silicon layer having a thickness from about 400 Å to about 1,000 Å; depositing a dielectric layer over at least a portion of the first in situ doped amorphous

Abstract: An improved method for fabricating a NAND-type memory cell structure. The present invention forgoes providing a contact mask implantation process prior to deposition of a metal barrier layer, which is a typical order of processing the NAND-type memory cell. Instead, in the present invention, the metal barrier layer is deposited on a core area of the NAND-type memory cell prior to contact mask implantation. Thereafter, the contact mask implantation process is performed on the structure in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A method of forming floating gate to improve tunnel oxide reliability for flash memory devices. A substrate having a source, drain, and channel regions is provided. A tunnel oxide layer is formed over the substrate. A floating gate is formed over the tunnel oxide and the channel region, the floating gate being multi-layered and having a second layer sandwiched between a first layer and a third layer. The first layer of the floating gate overlying the tunnel oxide layer includes an undoped or lightly doped material. The second layer is highly-doped. The third layer is in direct contact with a dielectric layer, e.g., an oxide-nitride-oxide stack, and is made of an undoped or lightly doped material. A dielectric material is formed over the floating gate and a control gate is formed over the dielectric material.