Abstract: Air gaps are formed between bit lines by etching to remove sacrificial material from between bit lines. Bit lines are protected from etch damage. Sacrificial material may be selectively oxidized prior to deposition of bit line metal so that protective oxide lies along sides of bit lines during etch. Portions of protective material may be selectively formed on tops of bit lines prior to etching sacrificial material.

Abstract: Air gaps are formed between bit lines by etching to remove sacrificial material from between bit lines. Bit lines are protected from etch damage. Sacrificial material may be selectively oxidized prior to deposition of bit line metal so that protective oxide lies along sides of bit lines during etch. Portions of protective material may be selectively formed on tops of bit lines prior to etching sacrificial material.

Abstract: Air gaps are formed between bit lines by etching to remove sacrificial material from between bit lines. Bit lines are protected from etch damage. Sacrificial material may be selectively oxidized prior to deposition of bit line metal so that protective oxide lies along sides of bit lines during etch. Portions of protective material may be selectively formed on tops of bit lines prior to etching sacrificial material.

Abstract: Air gaps are formed between bit lines by etching to remove sacrificial material from between bit lines. Bit lines are protected from etch damage. Sacrificial material may be selectively oxidized prior to deposition of bit line metal so that protective oxide lies along sides of bit lines during etch. Portions of protective material may be selectively formed on tops of bit lines prior to etching sacrificial material.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating memory with metal nanodots as charge-storing elements. In an example approach, a coupling layer such as an amino functional silane group is provided on a gate oxide layer on a substrate. The substrate is dip coated in a colloidal solution having metal nanodots, causing the nanodots to attach to sites in the coupling layer. The coupling layer is then dissolved such as by rinsing or nitrogen blow drying, leaving the nanodots on the gate oxide layer. The nanodots react with the coupling layer and become negatively charged and arranged in a uniform monolayer, repelling a deposition of an additional monolayer of nanodots. In a configuration using a control gate over a high-k dielectric floating gate which includes the nanodots, the control gates may be separated by etching while the floating gate dielectric extends uninterrupted since the nanodots are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating memory with metal nanodots as charge-storing elements. In an example approach, metal salt ions are added to a core of a copolymer solution. A metal salt reduction causes the metal atoms to aggregate in the core, forming a metal nanodot. The copolymer solution is applied to a gate oxide on a substrate using spin coating or dip coating. Due to the copolymer configuration, the nanodots are held in a uniform 2D grid on the gate oxide. The polymers are selected to provide a desired nanodot size and spacing between nanodots. A polymer cure and removal process leaves the nanodots on the gate oxide. In a configuration using a control gate over a high-k dielectric floating gate which includes the nanodots, the control gates may be separated by etching while the floating gate dielectric extends uninterrupted since the nanodots are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating memory with metal nanodots as charge-storing elements. In an example approach, a coupling layer such as an amino functional silane group is provided on a gate oxide layer on a substrate. The substrate is dip coated in a colloidal solution having metal nanodots, causing the nanodots to attach to sites in the coupling layer. The coupling layer is then dissolved such as by rinsing or nitrogen blow drying, leaving the nanodots on the gate oxide layer. The nanodots react with the coupling layer and become negatively charged and arranged in a uniform monolayer, repelling a deposition of an additional monolayer of nanodots. In a configuration using a control gate over a high-k dielectric floating gate which includes the nanodots, the control gates may be separated by etching while the floating gate dielectric extends uninterrupted since the nanodots are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating memory with metal nanodots as charge-storing elements. In an example approach, a coupling layer such as an amino functional silane group is provided on a gate oxide layer on a substrate. The substrate is dip coated in a colloidal solution having metal nanodots, causing the nanodots to attach to sites in the coupling layer. The coupling layer is then dissolved such as by rinsing or nitrogen blow drying, leaving the nanodots on the gate oxide layer. The nanodots react with the coupling layer and become negatively charged and arranged in a uniform monolayer, repelling a deposition of an additional monolayer of nanodots. In a configuration using a control gate over a high-k dielectric floating gate which includes the nanodots, the control gates may be separated by etching while the floating gate dielectric extends uninterrupted since the nanodots are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: A NAND flash memory device incorporates a unique booster plate design. The booster plate is biased during read and program operations and the coupling to the floating gates in many cases reduces the voltage levels necessary to program and read the charge stored in the gates. The booster plate also shields against unwanted coupling between floating gates. Self boosting, local self boosting, and erase area self boosting modes used with the unique booster plate further improve read/write reliability and accuracy. A more compact and reliable memory device can hence be realized according to the present invention.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating memory with metal nanodots as charge-storing elements. In an example approach, a coupling layer such as an amino functional silane group is provided on a gate oxide layer on a substrate. The substrate is dip coated in a colloidal solution having metal nanodots, causing the nanodots to attach to sites in the coupling layer. The coupling layer is then dissolved such as by rinsing or nitrogen blow drying, leaving the nanodots on the gate oxide layer. The nanodots react with the coupling layer and become negatively charged and arranged in a uniform monolayer, repelling a deposition of an additional monolayer of nanodots. In a configuration using a control gate over a high-k dielectric floating gate which includes the nanodots, the control gates may be separated by etching while the floating gate dielectric extends uninterrupted since the nanodots are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory is formed having shallow trench isolation structures between floating gates and having control gates extending between floating gates where shallow trench isolation dielectric is etched. Control of etch depth is achieved using ion implantation to create a layer of dielectric with a high etch rate compared with the underlying dielectric. A conductive layer overlies the substrate during implantation. A substrate having small polysilicon features in a memory array and large polysilicon features in a peripheral area is accurately planarized using protrusions in the peripheral area and a soft chemical mechanical polishing step that stops when protrusions are removed.

Abstract: A NAND flash memory device incorporates a unique booster plate design. The booster plate is biased during read and program operations and the coupling to the floating gates in many cases reduces the voltage levels necessary to program and read the charge stored in the gates. The booster plate also shields against unwanted coupling between floating gates. Self boosting, local self boosting, and erase area self boosting modes used with the unique booster plate further improve read/write reliability and accuracy. A more compact and reliable memory device can hence be realized according to the present invention.

Abstract: A NAND flash memory device incorporates a unique booster plate design. The booster plate is biased during read and program operations and the coupling to the floating gates in many cases reduces the voltage levels necessary to program and read the charge stored in the gates. The booster plate also shields against unwanted coupling between floating gates. Self boosting, local self boosting, and erase area self boosting modes used with the unique booster plate further improve read/write reliability and accuracy. A more compact and reliable memory device can hence be realized according to the present invention.

Abstract: A NAND flash memory device incorporates a unique booster plate design. The booster plate is biased during read and program operations and the coupling to the floating gates in many cases reduces the voltage levels necessary to program and read the charge stored in the gates. The booster plate also shields against unwanted coupling between floating gates. Self boosting, local self boosting, and erase area self boosting modes used with the unique booster plate further improve read/write reliability and accuracy. A more compact and reliable memory device can hence be realized according to the present invention.

Abstract: In a two-step spacer fabrication process for a non-volatile memory device, a thin oxide layer is deposited on a wafer substrate leaving a gap in the core of the non-volatile memory device. Implantation and/or oxide-nitride-oxide removal can be accomplished through this gap. After implantation, a second spacer is deposited. After the second spacer deposition, a periphery spacer etch is performed. By the above method, a spacer is formed.

Abstract: A method for making a ULSI MOSFET includes covering core gate stacks with a first protective layer, etching away the first layer such that intended source regions of the substrate are exposed, and implanting dopant into the source regions. A second protective layer is then deposited over the first layer and is etched back to conform to the first layer, covering only the sides of the gate stacks, and exposing intended drain regions of the substrate. Dopant is then implanted into the drain regions. During subsequent manufacturing steps including ILD formation and metallization, mobile ions and other process-induced charges are blocked from entering the floating gates of the gate stacks by the protective layers, thereby preventing unwanted charge gain/loss.

Abstract: A dual gate semiconductor device, such as a flash memory semiconductor device, whose plurality of dual gate sidewall spacer structure is formed by a first and second anti-reflection fabrication process. The sidewall spacers of the dual transistor gate structures in the core memory region are left coated with the second anti-reflective coating material, after being used for gate patterning, to act as sidewall spacers for use in subsequent ion implant and salicidation fabrication steps. The second anti-reflective coating material is selected from a material group such as silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and silicon germanium (SiGe), or other anti-reflective coating material having optical properties and that are compatible with the subsequent implant and salicidation steps.

Abstract: A method for forming insulating spacers for separating conducting layers in semiconductor wafer fabrication. The spacers are formed by removing portions of a protective photoresist layer through photolithography, and then through etching of exposed portions of the insulating layer. The spacers allow for fabrication of components that are smaller in size than are obtainable through conventional photolithography methods.

Abstract: A plurality of core gate stacks and periphery gates on the substrate, each core gate stack and periphery gate having at least one side and first and second protective shoulders formed on said plurality of core gate stacks and periphery gates, such that a dopant can be implanted sequentially into source and drain regions of a substrate supporting the stacks to establish transistors and such that charge migration into said at least one side of the gate stacks during interlayer dielectric (ILD) formation and device metallization is prevented, at least the second shoulder being frabricated from at least one material selected from a group consisting essentially of nitride and silicon oxynitride (SiON).

Abstract: Methods and arrangements are provided to increase the process control during the fabrication of the floating/control gate configuration in a non-volatile memory semiconductor device. The methods and arrangements effectively reduce the severity of the topology attributable to the space between adjacent floating gates, by advantageously reducing the thickness of the floating gates. The altered topology allows a subsequently formed control gate to be formed without significant surface depressions. Significant surface depressions in the control gate can lead to cracks in the silicide layer that is formed on the control gate. The cracking usually occurs during subsequent thermal processing of the semiconductor device. Thus the disclosed methods and arrangements prevent cracking of the silicide layer on the control gate, which can affect the performance of the semiconductor device by increasing the resistance of the control gate arrangement.