Abstract: A memory cell system is provided forming a first insulator layer over a semiconductor substrate, forming a charge trap layer over the first insulator layer, forming an intermediate layer over the charge trap layer, and forming a second insulator layer with the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A memory device and a method of making the memory device are provided. A first dielectric layer is formed on a substrate, a floating gate is formed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer is formed on the floating gate, a control gate is formed on the second dielectric layer, and at least one film, including a conformal film, is formed over a surface of the memory device.

Abstract: A memory device includes a number of memory cells and a dielectric layer formed over the memory cells. The memory device also includes contacts formed in the dielectric layer and spacers formed adjacent the side surfaces of the contacts. The spacers may inhibit leakage currents from the contacts.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a memory device includes forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a charge storage element over the first dielectric layer and forming an inter-gate dielectric over the charge storage element. The method also includes depositing a silicon control gate layer over the inter-gate dielectric using a reactant that contains chlorine.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a memory device with a self-aligned trap layer and rounded active region corners is disclosed. In the present invention, an STI process is performed before any of the charge-trapping and top-level layers are formed. Immediately after the STI process, the sharp corners of the active regions are exposed. Because these sharp corners are exposed at this time, they are available to be rounded through any number of known rounding techniques. Rounding the corners improves the performance characteristics of the memory device. Subsequent to the rounding process, the charge-trapping structure and other layers can be formed by a self-aligned process.

Abstract: A method for forming a memory device is provided. A nitride layer is formed over a substrate. The nitride layer and the substrate are etched to form a trench. The nitride layer is trimmed on opposite sides of the trench to widen the trench within the nitride layer. The trench is filled with an oxide material. The nitride layer is stripped from the memory device, forming a mesa above the trench.

Abstract: A memory cell system is provided forming a first insulator layer over a semiconductor substrate, forming a charge trap layer over the first insulator layer, forming an intermediate layer over the charge trap layer, and forming a second insulator layer with the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A memory device includes a number of memory cells and a dielectric layer formed over the memory cells. The memory device also includes contacts formed in the dielectric layer and spacers formed adjacent the side surfaces of the contacts. The spacers may inhibit leakage currents from the contacts.

Abstract: Methods of replacing/reforming a top oxide around a charge storage element of a memory cell and methods of improving quality of a top oxide around a charge storage element of a memory cell are provided. The method can involve removing a first poly over a first top oxide from the memory cell; removing the first top oxide from the memory cell; and forming a second top oxide around the charge storage element. The second top oxide can be formed by oxidizing a portion of the charge storage element or by forming a sacrificial layer over the charge storage element and oxidizing the sacrificial layer to a second top oxide.

Abstract: A memory device and a method of making the memory device are provided. A first dielectric layer is formed on a substrate, a floating gate is formed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer is formed on the floating gate, a control gate is formed on the second dielectric layer, and at least one film, including a conformal film, is formed over a surface of the memory device.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of forming a memory cell. The method includes etching a trench in a substrate and filling the trench with an oxide to form a shallow trench isolation (STI) region. A portion of an active region of the substrate that comes in contact with the STI region forms a bitline-STI edge. The method further includes forming a gate structure over the active region of the substrate and over the STI region. The gate structure has a first width substantially over the center of the active region of the substrate and a second width substantially over the bitline-STI edge, and the second width is greater than the first width.

Abstract: Methods of forming a top oxide around a charge storage material layer of a memory cell and methods of improving quality of a top oxide around a charge storage material layer of a memory cell are provided. The method can involve providing a charge storage layer on a semiconductor substrate, a nitride layer on the charge storage layer, and a first poly layer on the nitride layer, and converting at least a portion of the nitride layer to a top oxide. By converting at least a portion of a nitride layer to a top oxide layer, the quality of the resultant top oxide layer can be improved.

Abstract: A memory device and a method of making the memory device are provided. A first dielectric layer is formed on a substrate, a floating gate is formed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer is formed on the floating gate, a control gate is formed on the second dielectric layer, and at least one film, including a conformal film, is formed over a surface of the memory device.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit system is provided including forming a semi-conducting layer over a substrate, forming a spacer stack having a gap filler adjacent to the semi-conducting layer and a inter-layer dielectric over the gap filler, forming a transition layer having a recess over the semi-conducting layer and adjacent to the spacer stack, and forming a metal layer in the recess.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing information is provided. A core region of memory includes a semiconductor layer, at least one shallow trench, an insulator, and a charge-trapping layer. The semiconductor layer includes at least one source/drain region, and the insulator disposed above the source/drain region. The charge trapping layer is within the insulator, and the charge trapping layer is above the entire width of the source/drain region, and extends at least one angstrom beyond the width of the source/drain region, so that a portion the charge trapping layer extends into at least one shallow trench.

Abstract: A dual node memory device and methods for fabricating the device are provided. In one embodiment the method comprises forming a layered structure with an insulator layer, a charge storage layer, a buffer layer, and a sacrificial layer on a semiconductor substrate. The layers are patterned to form two spaced apart stacks and an exposed substrate portion between the stacks. A gate insulator and a gate electrode are formed on the exposed substrate, and the sacrificial layer and buffer layer are removed. An additional insulator layer is deposited overlying the charge storage layer to form insulator-storage layer-insulator memory storage areas on each side of the gate electrode. Sidewall spacers are formed at the sidewalls of the gate electrode overlying the storage areas. Bit lines are formed in the substrate spaced apart from the gate electrode, and a word line is formed that contacts the gate electrode and the sidewall spacers.

Abstract: A memory cell system is provided including a first insulator layer over a semiconductor substrate, a charge trap layer over the first insulator layer, and slot where the charge trap layer includes a second insulator layer having the characteristic of being grown.

Abstract: A hot hole erase operation as described herein can be utilized for a flash memory device having an array of memory cells. The erase operation employs an adaptive erase bias voltage scheme where the drain bias voltage (and/or the gate bias voltage) is dynamically adjusted in response to an erase pulse count corresponding to a preliminary erase operation during which a relatively small portion of a sector is erased. The adjustment of the erase bias voltage in this manner enables the rest of the sector to be erased using erase bias voltages that are better suited to the current erase characteristics of the sector.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a memory device includes forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a charge storage element over the first dielectric layer and forming an inter-gate dielectric over the charge storage element. The method also includes depositing a silicon control gate layer over the inter-gate dielectric using a reactant that contains chlorine.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit system is provided including forming a memory section having a spacer with a substrate, forming an outer doped region of the memory section in the substrate, forming a barrier metal layer over the spacer, and forming a metal plug over the outer doped region and the barrier metal layer.