Abstract: A semiconductor structure including a substrate and a deep trench isolation structure is provided. The deep trench isolation structure is disposed in the substrate and is not electrically connected to any device. The deep trench isolation structure includes a heat dissipation layer and a dielectric liner layer. The heat dissipation layer is disposed in the substrate. The dielectric liner layer is disposed between the heat dissipation layer and the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a heat generating device arranged over a substrate. An interlayer dielectric (ILD) material may be arranged over the heat generating device and the substrate. A metallization layer may be arranged over the interlayer dielectric material. A thermal shunt structure may be arranged proximal the heat generating device, whereby an upper portion of the thermal shunt structure may be arranged in the interlayer dielectric material and may be lower than the metallization layer, and a lower portion of the thermal shunt structure may be arranged in the substrate.

Abstract: The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a pad oxide layer positioned on the substrate, a hard mask layer positioned on the pad oxide layer, an isolation layer positioned along the hard mask layer and the pad oxide layer and extending to the substrate, a first dielectric layer positioned between the substrate and the isolation layer, and a liner layer positioned on a top surface of the hard mask layer and positioned between the first dielectric layer and the isolation layer, between the pad oxide layer and the isolation layer, and between the hard mask layer and the isolation layer. The hard mask layer and the liner layer include boron nitride.

Abstract: A method to fabricate a three dimensional memory structure may include creating a stack of layers including a conductive source layer, a first insulating layer, a select gate source layer, and a second insulating layer, and an array stack. A hole through the stack of layers may then be created using the conductive source layer as a stop-etch layer. The source material may have an etch rate no faster than 33% as fast as an etch rate of the insulating material for the etch process used to create the hole. A pillar of semiconductor material may then fill the hole, so that the pillar of semiconductor material is in electrical contact with the conductive source layer.

Abstract: A light-emitting device including a substrate at least partially doped with a first type of conductivity and including a face; light-emitting diodes each including at least one three-dimensional semiconducting element which is undoped or doped with the first type of conductivity and resting on the said face; and semiconducting regions forming photodiodes, at least partially doped with a second type of conductivity opposite to the first type of conductivity and extending in the substrate from the said face between at least some of the three-dimensional semiconducting elements, a portion of the substrate of first type of conductivity extending up to the said face at the level of each three-dimensional semiconducting element.

Abstract: A light-emitting-element mount substrate formed by relatively simple manufacturing steps, having a good heat release property, and having a high mechanical strength; and an LED device including the light-emitting-element mount substrate are provided. A substrate body of a light-emitting-element mount substrate is made of a low-resistance semiconductor (e.g., n-type silicon) substrate, and is divided into a first and second individual substrate bodies by an insulating layer. A first front-surface mounting electrode and a first external-connection electrode are formed on respective first and second major surfaces (e.g., front and back surfaces) of the first individual substrate body. A second front-surface mounting electrode and a second external-connection electrode are formed respective first and second major surfaces (e.g., front and back surfaces) of the second individual substrate body. The insulating layer has a shape different from a straight-line shape in plan view.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having an SRAM cell includes a pair of cross-coupled inverters with first driver and load transistors connected to provide a first storage node and second driver and load transistors connected to provide a second storage node. The SRAM cell also includes first and second pass gate transistors controlled by at least one word line and respectively connected between a first bit line and the first storage node and a second bit line and the second storage node; wherein a first driver transistor threshold voltage is different than a second driver transistor threshold voltage and one of the first and second driver threshold voltages is different than a pass gate transistor threshold voltage. Alternately, a threshold voltage of the first and second driver transistors is different than a symmetrical pass gate transistor threshold voltage. Additionally, methods of manufacturing an integrated circuit having an SRAM cell are provided.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes a substrate; an isolation film extending in a first direction and dividing the substrate into element regions; a cell string including memory cells in the element regions; a cell unit including the cell string and a select transistor on first directional ends of the cell string; diffusion layers formed in a portion of the element region first directionally beside the select gate electrode, the diffusion layers being adjacent to one another in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and contacts extending through an interlayer insulating film and contacting the diffusion layers. An upper surface of the isolation film located between the diffusion layers is lower than an upper surface of the substrate. A laminate of silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are located above the upper surface of the isolation film and below the upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A shallow trench isolation (STI) and method of forming the same is provided. The STI structure includes an upper insulating portion and a lower insulating portion, where the lower insulating portion includes a first insulator and an insulating layer surrounding the first insulator, the upper insulating portion includes a second insulator and a buffer layer surrounding the second insulator. A part of the buffer layer interfaces between the first insulator and the second insulator, and the outer sidewall of the buffer layer and the sidewall of the first insulator are leveled.

Abstract: An edge terminated semiconductor device is described including a GaN substrate; a doped GaN epitaxial layer grown on the GaN substrate including an ion-implanted insulation region, wherein the ion-implanted region has a resistivity that is at least 90% of maximum resistivity and a conductive layer, such as a Schottky metal layer, disposed over the GaN epitaxial layer, wherein the conductive layer overlaps a portion of the ion-implanted region. A Schottky diode is prepared using the Schottky contact structure.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to provide a dielectric film material with controllable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). A first compound containing a first liquid crystalline component is formed. The first compound is cast into a first film. The first film is oriented in an magnetic or electromagnetic field in a first direction. The first film is cured at a first temperature.

Abstract: A semiconductor element is operated without being affected even when the substrate is largely affected by heat shrink such as a large substrate. Furthermore, a thin film semiconductor circuit and a thin film semiconductor device each having the semiconductor element. Also, a semiconductor element is operated without being affected even if there is slight mask deviation. In view of them, a plurality of gate electrodes formed so as to overlap a lower concentration impurity region of a semiconductor layer than drain regions on a drain region side. Also, source regions and the drain regions corresponding to the respective gate electrodes are formed so that current flows in opposite directions each other through channel regions corresponding to the gate electrodes. Further, the number of the channel regions in which a current flows in a first direction is equal to the number of the channel regions in which a current flows in a direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: An trench isolation structure and method for manufacturing the trench isolation structure are disclosed. An exemplary trench isolation structure includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion extends from a surface of a semiconductor substrate to a first depth in the semiconductor substrate, and has a width that tapers from a first width at the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a second width at the first depth, the first width being greater than the second width. The second portion extends from the first depth to a second depth in the semiconductor substrate, and has substantially the second width from the first depth to the second depth.

Abstract: A shallow trench isolation (STI) and method of forming the same is provided. The STI structure comprises an upper insulating portion and a lower insulating portion, wherein the lower insulating portion includes a first insulator and an insulating layer surrounding the first insulator, the upper insulating portion includes a second insulator and a buffer layer surrounding the second insulator. A part of the buffer layer interfaces between the first insulator and the second insulator, and the outer sidewall of the buffer layer and the sidewall of the first insulator are leveled.

Abstract: A reprocessing method of a semiconductor device, the reprocessing method includes adjusting a resistance value of a first resistor by first trimming the first resistor, wherein the first resistor is electrically connected between a first pad and a second pad, forming a second resistor on the first trimmed first resistor, and adjusting a resistance value of the second resistor by second trimming the second resistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns. Each memory cell may include a first region connected to a source line extending in a first orientation. Each memory cell may also include a second region connected to a bit line extending a second orientation. Each memory cell may further include a body region spaced apart from and capacitively coupled to a word line, wherein the body region is electrically floating and disposed between the first region and the second region. The semiconductor device may also include a first barrier wall extending in the first orientation and a second barrier wall extending in the second orientation and intersecting with the first barrier wall to form a trench region configured to accommodate each of the plurality of memory cells.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an edge termination, which can be used in conjunction with GaN-based materials, includes providing a substrate of a first conductivity type. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The method also includes forming a first GaN epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the first surface of the substrate and forming a second GaN epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. The second GaN epitaxial layer is coupled to the first GaN epitaxial layer. The substrate, the first GaN epitaxial layer and the second GaN epitaxial layer can be referred to as an epitaxial structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device and a process for making the integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device including a substrate having a trench formed therein, a first layer of isolation material occupying the trench, a second layer of isolation material formed over the first layer of isolation material, an epitaxially-grown silicon layer on the substrate and horizontally adjacent the second layer of isolation material, and a gate structure formed on the epitaxially-grown silicon, the gate structure defining a channel.

Abstract: A circuit substrate structure including a substrate, a dielectric stack layer, a first plating layer and a second plating layer is provided. The substrate has a pad. The dielectric stack layer is disposed on the substrate and has an opening exposing the pad, wherein the dielectric stack layer includes a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a third dielectric layer located between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and there is a gap between the portion of the first dielectric layer surrounding the opening and the portion of the second dielectric layer surrounding the opening. The first plating layer is disposed at the dielectric stack layer. The second plating layer is disposed at the pad, wherein the gap isolates the first plating layer from the second plating layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device supplying a charging current to a charging-target element includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on a main surface of the semiconductor layer and having a first node coupled to a first electrode of the charging-target element and a second node coupled to a power supply potential node supplied with a power supply voltage; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed in a surface of the first semiconductor region at a distance from the semiconductor layer and having a third node coupled to the power supply potential node; and a charge carrier drift restriction portion restricting drift of charge carrier from the third node to the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method of forming patterns of a semiconductor device includes forming a hard mask layer and a first sacrificial layer over a first region and a second region of a semiconductor substrate, etching the first sacrificial layer to form a first sacrificial pattern having a first width in the first region and second sacrificial patterns having a second width in the second region, wherein the second width is narrower than the first width, forming a first spacer surrounding sidewalls of the first sacrificial pattern and a second spacer surrounding sidewalls of the second sacrificial patterns, removing the first and the second sacrificial patterns; and etching the first and second spacers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention includes: transistor Tr1 arranged on a semiconductor substrate; transistor Tr2 arranged such that a carrier drift direction thereof viewed on the semiconductor substrate is identical to a carrier drift direction of transistor Tr1; diffusion layer 51c connecting diffusion layers 51a and 51b on carrier supply sides of transistors Tr1 and Tr2; and contact plug 61 that is connected to a surface of diffusion layers 51a and 51b on the carrier supply sides of transistors Tr1 and Tr2 or that is connected to a surface of diffusion layer 51c connecting the diffusion layers to each other, and that supplies diffusion layers 51a and 51b with electricity.

Abstract: An trench isolation structure and method for manufacturing the trench isolation structure are disclosed. An exemplary trench isolation structure includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion extends from a surface of a semiconductor substrate to a first depth in the semiconductor substrate, and has a width that tapers from a first width at the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a second width at the first depth, the first width being greater than the second width. The second portion extends from the first depth to a second depth in the semiconductor substrate, and has substantially the second width from the first depth to the second depth.

Abstract: A semiconductor device in which it is possible to suppress short-circuiting between pads for chip arising from dicing processing is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, multiple first pads, and multiple second pads. The first pads are formed in an element formation region and the second pads are formed in a dicing line region surrounding the element formation region. The dicing line region includes a first region for which second pads are prone to electrically short-circuit to each other and a second region for which second pads are less prone to electrically short-circuit to each other. Some first pads arranged in positions opposite the first region are arranged farther away from one side of the outer edge of the element formation region than the remaining first pads arranged in positions opposite the second region are.

Abstract: Shallow trenches are formed around a vertical stack of a buried insulator portion and a top semiconductor portion. A dielectric material layer is deposited directly on sidewalls of the top semiconductor portion. Shallow trench isolation structures are formed by filling the shallow trenches with a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. After planarization, the top semiconductor portion is laterally contacted and surrounded by the dielectric material layer. The dielectric material layer prevents exposure of the handle substrate underneath the buried insulator portion during wet etches, thereby ensuring electrical isolation between the handle substrate and gate electrodes subsequently formed on the top semiconductor portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor device supplying a charging current to a charging-target element includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on a main surface of the semiconductor layer and having a first node coupled to a first electrode of the charging-target element and a second node coupled to a power supply potential node supplied with a power supply voltage; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed in a surface of the first semiconductor region at a distance from the semiconductor layer and having a third node coupled to the power supply potential node; and a charge carrier drift restriction portion restricting drift of charge carrier from the third node to the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes an element isolation insulating film formed on a substrate, an element region and a dummy pattern region demarcated by the element isolation insulating film on the substrate, a first epitaxial crystal layer formed on the substrate within the element region, and a second epitaxial crystal layer formed on the substrate within the dummy pattern region. The first epitaxial crystal layer is made up of crystals that have a different lattice constant from that of the crystals that constitute the substrate. The second epitaxial crystal layer is made up of the same crystals as the first epitaxial crystal layer. The (111) plane of the substrate that includes any points on the interface between the second epitaxial crystal layer and the substrate is surrounded by the element isolation insulating film in a deeper region than the second epitaxial crystal layer.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) cell device comprises a first semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor substrate bonded to the first semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer provided between the first and second substrates to electrically isolate the first substrate from the second substrate; a plurality of PV cells defined on the first substrate, each PV cell including a n-type region and a p-type region; a plurality of vertical trenches provided in the first substrate to separated the PV cells, the vertical trenches terminating at the insulating layer; a plurality of isolation structures provided within the vertical trenches, each isolation structure including a first isolation layer including oxide and a second isolation layer including polysilicon; and an interconnect layer patterned to connect the PV cells to provide X number of PV cells in series and Y number of PV cells in parallel.

Abstract: A peripheral circuit area is formed around a memory cell array area. The peripheral circuit area has element regions, an element isolation region isolating the element regions, and field-effect transistor formed in each of the element regions and including a gate electrode extending in a channel width direction, on a semiconductor substrate. An end portion and a corner portion of the gate electrode are on the element isolation region. A radius of curvature of the corner portion of the gate electrode is smaller than a length from the end portion of the element region in the channel width direction to the end portion of the gate electrode in the channel width direction, and is less than 85 nm.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate; an element isolation region formed in the substrate including trenches formed at a first depth and being filled with an element isolation insulating film; an element forming region formed on the substrate and being surrounded by the trenches; a gate electrode formed along a first direction on the element forming region via a gate insulating film, the gate electrode extending over the element insulating film filled the trenches extending along a second direction; a source/drain region having a second depth less than the first depth formed in the element forming region beside the gate electrode and having an exposed surface exposed to a trench sidewall; wherein the upper surface of the element isolation insulating film exclusive of a portion underlying the gate electrode is located at a third depth greater than the second depth and less than the first depth.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor which enables heat treatment aimed at improving characteristics of a gate insulating film such as lowering of an interface level or reduction in a fixed charge without causing a problem of misalignment in patterning due to expansion or shrinkage of glass. A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor of the present invention comprises the steps of heat-treating in a state where at least a gate insulating film is formed over a semiconductor film on which element isolation is not performed, simultaneously isolating the gate insulating film and the semiconductor film into an element structure, forming an insulating film covering a side face of an exposed semiconductor film, thereby preventing a short-circuit between the semiconductor film and a gate electrode.

Abstract: An array substrate includes first and second gate electrodes on a substrate; a gate insulating layer on the first and second gate electrodes; first and second active layers on the gate insulating layer; an interlayer insulating layer on the first and second active layers; first to fourth ohmic contact layers respectively contacting both sides of the first active layer and both sides of the second active layer; first and second source electrodes and first and second drain electrodes respectively on the first, third, second and fourth ohmic contact layers; a data line connected to the first source electrode; a first passivation layer connected to the first gate electrode; a power line; one end and the other end of a connection electrode respectively connected to the first drain electrode and the second gate electrode; a second passivation layer; and a pixel electrode-connected to the second drain electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer may include, but is not limited to, the following elements. A semiconductor substrate has a device region and a dicing region. A stack of inter-layer insulators may extend over the device region and the dicing region. Multi-level interconnections may be disposed in the stack of inter-layer insulators. The multi-level interconnections may extend in the device region. An electrode layer may be disposed over the stack of inter-layer insulators. The electrode layer may extend in the device region. The electrode layer may cover the multi-level interconnections. A cracking stopper groove may be disposed in the dicing region. The cracking stopper groove may be positioned outside the device region.

Abstract: A method of depositing dielectric material into sub-micron spaces and resultant structures is provided. After a trench is etched in the surface of a wafer, a silicon nitride barrier is deposited into the trench. The silicon nitride layer has a high nitrogen content near the trench walls to protect the walls. The silicon nitride layer further from the trench walls has a low nitrogen content and a high silicon content, to allow improved adhesion. The trench is then filled with a spin-on precursor. A densification or reaction process is then applied to convert the spin-on material into an insulator. The resulting trench has a well-adhered insulator which helps the insulating properties of the trench.

Abstract: On a semiconductor substrate, a well is formed. In the well, one MOS transistor including a gate electrode, a source region, a source field limiting layer and a source/drain region, and another MOS transistor including a gate electrode, a drain electrode, a drain field limiting layer and a source/drain region are formed. The one and another MOS transistors are connected in series through the source/drain region common to the two transistors. Accordingly, a semiconductor device can be provided in which increase in pattern layout area is suppressed when elements including a high-breakdown voltage MOS transistor are to be connected in series.

Abstract: An isolation structure for a semiconductor device comprises a floor isolation region, a dielectric filled trench above the floor isolation region and a sidewall isolation region extending downward from the bottom of the trench to the floor isolation region. This structure provides a relatively deep isolated pocket in a semiconductor substrate while limiting the depth of the trench that must be etched in the substrate. A MOSFET is formed in the isolated pocket.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device manufacturing method includes forming a floating gate electrode above a semiconductor substrate, forming an interelectrode insulating film above the floating gate electrode, forming a first radical nitride film on a surface of the interelectrode insulating film by first radical nitriding, and forming a control gate electrode on the first radical nitride film.

Abstract: An electronic device can include a transistor structure of a first conductivity type, a field isolation region, and a layer of a first stress type overlying the field isolation region. For example, the transistor structure may be a p-channel transistor structure and the first stress type may be tensile, or the transistor structure may be an n-channel transistor structure and the first stress type may be compressive. The transistor structure can include a channel region that lies within an active region. An edge of the active region includes the interface between the channel region and the field isolation region. From a top view, the layer can include an edge the lies near the edge of the active region. The positional relationship between the edges can affect carrier mobility within the channel region of the transistor structure.

Abstract: A method of selectively forming a germanium structure within semiconductor manufacturing processes removes the native oxide from a nitride surface in a chemical oxide removal (COR) process and then exposes the heated nitride and oxide surface to a heated germanium containing gas to selectively form germanium only on the nitride surface but not the oxide surface.

Abstract: A leakage current measurement circuit measuring a substrate leakage current and a gate leakage current in response to a variation in the size of an MOS transistor and a leakage current comparison circuit judging which one of the substrate leakage current and the gate leakage current is dominant. The leakage current measurement circuit includes a charge supply, a leakage current generator and a detection signal generator. The leakage current comparison circuit includes a charge supply, a leakage current comparator and a detection signal generator.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device has an active region defined by an isolation layer formed inside an STI trench that includes an upper trench and a lower trench having a substantially curved cross-sectional profile under the upper trench so that the lower trench is in communication with the upper trench. Since the upper trench has a sidewall tapered with a positive slope, a good gap filling property can be obtained when filling the upper trench with an insulating layer. By forming a void in the lower trench, a dielectric constant at the bottom of the isolation layer is lower than a dielectric constant at an oxide layer, thereby improving the isolation property. The isolation layer includes a first insulating layer formed inside only the upper trench and covering an inner wall of the upper trench in the form of a spacer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an SOI substrate for semiconductor devices is described. The method includes forming a low density impurity region in a first semiconductor substrate and a high density impurity region in the low density impurity region, forming a trench surrounding the low density impurity region and the high density impurity region, the depth of the trench being deeper than the high density impurity region and shallower than the low density impurity region, forming an insulating layer on the surface of the first semiconductor substrate to fill the inside of the trench, attaching a second semiconductor substrate on the surface of the insulating layer, and removing a part of the first semiconductor substrate so that the bottom of the trench is exposed.

Abstract: A stack package comprises a substrate having a circuit pattern; at least two semiconductor chips stacked on the substrate, having a plurality of through-via interconnection plugs and a plurality of guard rings which surround the respective through-via interconnection plugs, and connected with each other by the medium of the through-via interconnection plugs; a molding material for molding an upper surface of the substrate including the stacked semiconductor chips; and solder balls mounted to a lower surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A FET structure is provided in which at least one stressor element provided at or near one corner of an active semiconductor region applies a stress in a first direction to one side of a channel region of the FET to apply a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET. In a particular embodiment, a second stressor element is provided at or near an opposite corner of the active semiconductor region to apply a stress in a second direction to an opposite side of a channel region of the FET, the second direction being opposite to the first direction. In this way, the first and second stressor elements cooperate together in applying a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of: introducing insulation film into a trench to provide a trench isolation; planarizing the trench isolation to expose a passivation film; and removing the passivation film and depositing a second silicon layer on a first silicon layer and the trench isolation; and in the step of depositing the first silicon layer the first silicon layer is an undoped silicon layer and in the step of depositing the second silicon layer the second silicon layer is a doped silicon layer or an undoped silicon layer subsequently having an impurity introduced thereinto or the like and thermally diffused through subsequent thermal hysteresis into the first silicon layer.

Abstract: This disclosure provides cells of nonvolatile memory devices with floating gates and methods for fabricating the same. The cell of the nonvolatile memory device includes device isolation layers in parallel with each other on a predetermined region of a semiconductor substrate that define a plurality of active regions. Each device isolation layer has sidewalls that project over the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of word lines crosses over the device isolation layers. A tunnel oxide layer, a floating gate, a gate interlayer dielectric layer, and a control gate electrode are sequentially stacked between each active region and each word line. The floating gate and the control gate electrode have sidewalls that are self-aligned to the adjacent device isolation layers.

Abstract: A method and resulting device that eliminates vertical steps or gaps in a deep trench isolation region and, thus, eliminates or drastically reduces a possibility of polysilicon stringers. Additionally, the invention allows an inexpensive dielectric material, for example a lower-quality silicon dioxide to be used to fill the deep trench and a higher quality oxide, in an electrically active region, to be used on an uppermost portion of the deep trench without affecting device performance or increasing a possibility of forming polysilicon stringers.

Abstract: An electronic device can include a transistor structure of a first conductivity type, a field isolation region, and a layer of a first stress type overlying the field isolation region. For example, the transistor structure may be a p-channel transistor structure and the first stress type may be tensile, or the transistor structure may be an n-channel transistor structure and the first stress type may be compressive. The transistor structure can include a channel region that lies within an active region. An edge of the active region includes the interface between the channel region and the field isolation region. From a top view, the layer can include an edge the lies near the edge of the active region. The positional relationship between the edges can affect carrier mobility within the channel region of the transistor structure.

Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, which is intended to prevent data destruction by movements of electric charges between floating gates and thereby improve the reliability, includes element isolation/insulation films buried into a silicon substrate to isolate stripe-shaped element-forming regions. Formed on the substrate are a floating gate via a first gate insulating film and further a control gate via a second gate insulating film. Source and drain diffusion layers are formed in self-alignment with control gates. The second gate insulating film on the floating gate is divided and separated together with the floating gate by slits above the element isolation/insulation films into discrete portions of individual memory cells.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures are formed using diffusion topography engineering (DTE). A preferred method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming trench isolation regions that define a diffusion region, performing a DTE in a hydrogen-containing ambient on the semiconductor substrate, and forming a MOS device in the diffusion region. The DTE causes silicon migration, forming a rounded or a T-shaped surface of the diffusion regions. The method may further include recessing a portion of the diffusion region before performing the DTE. The diffusion region has a slanted surface after performing the DTE.