Abstract: A semiconductor device having a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (“ONO”) structure is formed by providing a first silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer over a substrate having a memory region and a logic device region; patterning the first silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer to define bottom oxide and silicon nitride portions of partially completed ONO stacks and to expose the substrate in the logic device regions; performing a rapid thermal annealing process in the presence of a radical oxidizing agent to form concurrently a second silicon oxide layer on the exposed surface of the silicon nitride layer and a gate oxide layer over the substrate; and depositing a conductive layer over the completed ONO stacks and the gate oxide. The invention is employed in manufacture of, for example, memory devices having and peripheral logic devices and memory cells including ONO structures.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an array of trapped charge memory cells is described that eliminates bird's beak issues. Implants at a tilt angle form pockets in a substrate that reduce problems resulting from a short channel effect.

Abstract: A method for forming a memory device includes providing a substrate, providing a plurality of features on the substrate, and forming a silicon-rich dielectric layer over the features. An inter-layer dielectric (ILD) or inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer may be formed by a spin-on-glass (SOG) process on the silicon-rich dielectric layer, the silicon-rich dielectric layer preventing diffusion of a solvent used in the SOG process.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (“ONO”) structure is formed by providing a first silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer over a substrate having a memory region and a logic device region; patterning the first silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer to define bottom oxide and silicon nitride portions of partially completed ONO stacks and to expose the substrate in the logic device regions; performing a rapid thermal annealing process in the presence of a radical oxidizing agent to form concurrently a second silicon oxide layer on the exposed surface of the silicon nitride layer and a gate oxide layer over the substrate; and depositing a conductive layer over the completed ONO stacks and the gate oxide. The invention is employed in manufacture of, for example, memory devices having and peripheral logic devices and memory cells including ONO structures.

Abstract: A method of modulating a threshold voltage of a mask read-only memory, including providing a substrate, providing a source region in the substrate, providing a drain region in the substrate, defining a channel region between the source and drain regions, providing a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, the source region, the drain region and the channel region, providing a gate over the gate dielectric layer, and providing a parasitic capacitor between the gate and the substrate to modulate the threshold voltage of the mask read-only memory, wherein the threshold voltage is inversely proportional to a value of the parasitic capacitor.

Abstract: A method of modulating a threshold voltage of a mask read-only memory, including providing a substrate, providing a source region in the substrate, providing a drain region in the substrate, defining a channel region between the source and drain regions, providing a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, the source region, the drain region and the channel region, providing a gate over the gate dielectric layer, and providing a parasitic capacitor between the gate and the substrate to modulate the threshold voltage of the mask read-only memory, wherein the threshold voltage is inversely proportional to a value of the parasitic capacitor.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an embedded device, including providing a substrate including a first region and a second region, forming a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, forming a gate layer over the gate dielectric layer, implanting a first type of impurity ions into the gate layer over the first region and the gate layer over the second region, and forming at least one read-only memory cell with the gate layer implanted with the first type of impurity in the first region and at least one non-memory cell with the gate layer implanted with the first type of impurity in the second region.

Abstract: The invention provides a memory device including a memory substrate, an insulating layer, a shielding metal layer, a second dielectric layer and a second metal layer. The memory substrate includes a substrate, a memory cell area, a peripheral circuit area, a first dielectric layer and a first metal layer. The first dielectric layer is formed on the memory area and the peripheral circuit area, which are formed on the substrate. The first metal layer is formed on the first dielectric layer while the insulating layer is formed on the first dielectric layer not covered with the first metal layer. The shielding metal layer is formed on the insulating layer over the memory cell area. The second dielectric layer is formed on the shielding metal layer, the insulating layer not covered with the shielding metal layer and the first metal layer not covered with both the shielding layer and the insulating layer. The second metal layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: A multi-layer semiconductor integrated circuits enabling stabilizing photolithography process parameters, the photomask being used, and the manufacturing method thereof is provided, which is to provide a formal pattern layout first, and to layout in coordination with a dummy pattern of the regulations, next combine the dummy pattern layout with the formal pattern layout by utilizing the logic operation so that the dummy pattern layout is added within the informal pattern spacing of the formal pattern layout, next to manufacture the photomask by utilizing the fused pattern layout so that it is applicable to various density change of the pattern structure layer of the multi-layer semiconductor integrated circuits with various logic process and further decrease the density variation between multi-layer pattern structures to simply the control of the photolithography process by utilizing the way of adding the dummy pattern layout as well as stabilizing the process.

Abstract: The invention provides a memory device including a memory substrate, an insulating layer, a shielding metal layer, a second dielectric layer and a second metal layer. The memory substrate includes a substrate, a memory cell area, a peripheral circuit area, a first dielectric layer and a first metal layer. The first dielectric layer is formed on the memory area and the peripheral circuit area, which are formed on the substrate. The first metal layer is formed on the first dielectric layer while the insulating layer is formed on the first dielectric layer not covered with the first metal layer. The shielding metal layer is formed on the insulating layer over the memory cell area. The second dielectric layer is formed on the shielding metal layer, the insulating layer not covered with the shielding metal layer and the first metal layer not covered with both the shielding layer and the insulating layer. The second metal layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a memory device including a memory substrate, an insulating layer, a shielding metal layer, a second dielectric layer and a second metal layer. The memory substrate includes a substrate, a memory cell area, a peripheral circuit area, a first dielectric layer and a first metal layer. The first dielectric layer is formed on the memory area and the peripheral circuit area, which are formed on the substrate. The first metal layer is formed on the first dielectric layer while the insulating layer is formed on the first dielectric layer not covered with the first metal layer. The shielding metal layer is formed on the insulating layer over the memory cell area. The second dielectric layer is formed on the shielding metal layer, the insulating layer not covered with the shielding metal layer and the first metal layer not covered with both the shielding layer and the insulating layer. The second metal layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: A sensitive test structure for quantitatively detecting antenna effects includes a substrate, an ONO dielectric layer formed over the substrate, an electrode formed over the ONO dielectric layer, and an antenna charge collection electrode (CCE) electrically coupled to the electrode, which is used to collect plasma-induced charge.

Abstract: The invention provides a memory device including a memory substrate, an insulating layer, a shielding metal layer, a second dielectric layer and a second metal layer. The memory substrate includes a substrate, a memory cell area, a peripheral circuit area, a first dielectric layer and a first metal layer. The first dielectric layer is formed on the memory area and the peripheral circuit area, which are formed on the substrate. The first metal layer is formed on the first dielectric layer while the insulating layer is formed on the first dielectric layer not covered with the first metal layer. The shielding metal layer is formed on the insulating layer over the memory cell area. The second dielectric layer is formed on the shielding metal layer, the insulating layer not covered with the shielding metal layer and the first metal layer not covered with both the shielding layer and the insulating layer. The second metal layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: A salicide integrate solution for embedded virtual-ground memory of the present invention provides a controlled distance between poly gates. In this way, the spacers formed on the sidewalls of the poly gates become self fill-upon spacers, and the surface of the substrate is not exposed. Thus, the salicides will not be formed on the surface of the substrate causing the connection of the buried diffusion regions. Moreover, the present invention provides two dummy poly gates located on the outside of the poly gates, so that the buried diffusion regions on the surface of the embedded virtual-ground memory are covered by the poly gates and self fill-up spacer. Utilizing the present invention, the process of forming salicides on the memory cell region and the peripheral logic region can be integrated together.

Abstract: A salicide integrate solution for embedded virtual-ground memory of the present invention provides a controlled distance between poly gates. In this way, the spacers formed on the sidewalls of the poly gates become self fill-upon spacers, and the surface of the substrate is not exposed. Thus, the salicides will not be formed on the surface of the substrate causing the connection of the buried diffusion regions. Moreover, the present invention provides two dummy poly gates located on the outside of the poly gates, so that the buried diffusion regions on the surface of the embedded virtual-ground memory are covered by the poly gates and self fill-up spacer. Utilizing the present invention, the process of forming salicides on the memory cell region and the peripheral logic region can be integrated together.

Abstract: The present invention is the first one to disclose using of a polysilicon layer in lieu of a silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer, and forming a spacer as a buffering layer by oxidation of polysilicon in oxidation of shallow trenches to protect insulation corners of the shallow trenches (STI corners). This not only omits the process to form and to remove a polymer spacer, but also protects insulation comers of the shallow trenches by forming the polysilicon spacer by oxidation, thereby avoids exposing of the STI comers which results abnormal electricity conductivity.

Abstract: A memory array region and a periphery circuit region are defined on a silicon substrate of a semiconductor wafer. A plurality of gates is formed on the silicon substrate in both the memory array region and the periphery circuit region. A barrier layer and a dielectric layer are formed, respectively, on the semiconductor wafer. Therein, the barrier layer covers the gates and the barrier layer fills a space between two gates. Following that, the dielectric layer atop each gate is removed and the dielectric layer remaining in the space between two gates is aligned to the surface of the gates. A photoresist layer is formed to cover the memory array region followed by an etching process to remove the dielectric layer and the barrier layer down to the surface of the silicon substrate. The photoresist layer and the barrier layer atop the gate in the memory array region are removed. Finally, a salicide process is performed.