Charge Trapping Insulator Nonvolatile Memory Structures (epo) Patents (Class 257/E21.679)
  • Patent number: 8735945
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor array including a plurality of transistors each having a gate electrode extended in a first direction, the plurality of transistors being arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a pad electrode arranged in the first direction of the transistor array and electrically connected to source regions of the plurality of transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Masashi Shima, Kaoru Saigoh, Nobuhiro Misawa, Takao Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8723248
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device. The device includes: a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells. Each of the nonvolatile memory cells includes: a first semiconductor layer including a first source region, a first drain region, and a first channel region; a block insulating film formed on the first channel region; a charge storage layer formed on the block insulating film; a tunnel insulating film formed on the charge storage layer; a second semiconductor layer formed on the tunnel insulating film and including a second source region, a second drain region, and a second channel region. The second channel region is formed on the tunnel insulating film such that the tunnel insulating film is located between the second source region and the second drain region. A dopant impurity concentration of the first channel region is higher than that of the second channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoki Yasuda, Jun Fujiki
  • Patent number: 8674414
    Abstract: Provided are three-dimensional nonvolatile memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The memory devices include semiconductor pillars penetrating interlayer insulating layers and conductive layers alternately stacked on a substrate and electrically connected to the substrate and floating gates selectively interposed between the semiconductor pillars and the conductive layers. The floating gates are formed in recesses in the conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoungkeun Son, Hansoo Kim, Jinho Kim, Kihyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8669606
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate with a trench; a tunnel insulating film covering an inner surface of the trench; a trap layer in contact with the tunnel insulating film on an inner surface of an upper portion of the trench; a top insulating film in contact with the trap layer; a gate electrode embedded in the trench, and in contact with the tunnel insulating film at a lower portion of the trench and in contact with the top insulating film at the upper portion of the trench, in which the trap layer and the top insulating film, in between the lower portion of the trench and the upper portion of the trench, extend and protrude from both sides of the trench so as to be embedded in the gate electrode, and a method for manufacturing thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Fumiaki Toyama, Fumihiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 8669622
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor device includes a memory cell in a first area of a substrate, a low voltage transistor in a second area of the substrate, and a high voltage transistor in a third area of the substrate. The memory cell includes a tunnel insulation layer formed on the substrate, a charge trapping layer pattern formed on the tunnel insulation layer in the first area of the substrate, a blocking layer pattern formed on the charge trapping layer pattern and a control gate formed on the blocking layer pattern. The control gate has a width substantially smaller than a width of the blocking layer pattern and the width of the control gate is substantially smaller than a width of the charge trapping layer pattern. In addition, an offset is formed between the control gate and the blocking layer pattern such that a spacer is not formed on a sidewall of the control gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hak-Sun Lee, Kyoung-Sub Shin
  • Patent number: 8653581
    Abstract: Memory devices having an increased effective channel length and/or improved TPD characteristics, and methods of making the memory devices are provided. The memory devices contain two or more memory cells on a semiconductor substrate and bit line dielectrics between the memory cells. The memory cell contains a charge trapping dielectric stack, a poly gate, a pair of pocket implant regions, and a pair of bit lines. The bit line can be formed by an implant process at a higher energy level and/or a higher concentration of dopants without suffering device short channel roll off issues because spacers at bit line sidewalls constrain the implant in narrower implant regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Ning Cheng, Huaqiang Wu, Hiro Kinoshita, Jihwan Choi, Angela Hui
  • Patent number: 8648404
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers, and a plurality of contacts. The plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers are stacked alternately above the semiconductor substrate. The plurality of contacts extend in a stacking direction of the plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers. The plurality of conductive layers form a stepped portion having positions of ends of the plurality of conductive layers gradually shifted from an upper layer to a lower layer. The plurality of contacts are connected respectively to each of steps of the stepped portion. The stepped portion is formed such that, at least from an uppermost conductive layer to a certain conductive layer, the more upwardly the conductive layer is located, the broader a width of the step is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nikka Ko, Katsunori Yahashi
  • Patent number: 8633074
    Abstract: The present memory device includes a substrate, a tunneling layer over the substrate, a floating gate over the tunneling layer, a dielectric over the floating gate and including silicon oxynitride, and a control gate over the dielectric. A method for fabricating such a memory device is also provided, including various approaches for forming the silicon oxynitride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Minh Q. Tran, Minh-Van Ngo, Alexander H. Nickel, Jeong-Uk Huh
  • Patent number: 8629018
    Abstract: Some embodiments include NAND memory constructions. The constructions may contain semiconductor material pillars extending upwardly between dielectric regions, with individual pillars having a pair of opposing vertically-extending sides along a cross-section. First conductivity type regions may be along first sides of the pillars, and second conductivity type regions may be along second sides of the individual pillars; with the second conductivity type regions contacting interconnect lines. Vertical NAND strings may be over the pillars, and select devices may selectively couple the NAND strings with the interconnect lines. The select devices may have vertical channels directly against the semiconductor material pillars and directly against upper regions of the first and second conductivity type regions. Some embodiments include methods of forming NAND memory constructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sanh D. Tang
  • Patent number: 8618603
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a semiconductor member; a memory film provided on a surface of the semiconductor member and being capable of storing charge; and a plurality of control gate electrodes provided on the memory film, spaced from each other, and arranged along a direction parallel to the surface. Average dielectric constant of a material interposed between one of the control gate electrodes and a portion of the semiconductor member located immediately below the control gate electrode adjacent to the one control gate electrode is lower than average dielectric constant of a material interposed between the one control gate electrode and a portion of the semiconductor member located immediately below the one control gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshio Ozawa, Fumiki Aiso
  • Patent number: 8603878
    Abstract: In a vertical-type memory device and a method of manufacturing the vertical-type memory device, the vertical memory device includes an insulation layer pattern of a linear shape provided on a substrate, pillar-shaped single-crystalline semiconductor patterns provided on both sidewalls of the insulation layer pattern and transistors provided on a sidewall of each of the single-crystalline semiconductor patterns. The transistors are arranged in a vertical direction of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, and thus the memory device may be highly integrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Hoon Son, Jong-Wook Lee, Jong-Hyuk Kang
  • Patent number: 8598644
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device including a first transistor comprising a first gate electrode including a charge storage layer, an interelectrode insulating film, and a control electrode layer; a second transistor comprising a second gate electrode including a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and an upper silicide portion above the upper electrode; and a third transistor comprising a third gate electrode including a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and an upper silicide portion above the upper electrode; wherein the lower electrodes of the second and the third gate electrodes have a first side and a second side taken along a length direction of the second and the third gate electrodes, the lower electrodes of the second and the third gate electrodes including a lower silicide portion in which at least the first side of the lower electrodes are partially silicided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Wataru Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 8592275
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory cell of a high operation speed and a high rewrite cycle and a nonvolatile memory cell of high reliability. In a split gate type nonvolatile memory in which memory gate electrodes are formed in the shape of sidewalls of control gate electrodes, it is possible to produce a memory chip having a memory of a high operation speed and a high rewrite cycle and a memory of high reliability at a low cost by jointly loading memory cells having different memory gate lengths in an identical chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8552489
    Abstract: A mold stack including alternating insulation layers and sacrificial layers is formed on a substrate. Vertical channel regions extending through the insulation layers and sacrificial layers of the mold stack are formed. Gate electrodes are formed between adjacent ones of the insulation layers and surrounding the vertical channel regions. The gate electrodes have a greater thickness at a first location near sidewalls of the insulation layers than at a second location further away from the sidewalls of the insulation layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daehong Eom, Kyunghyun Kim, Kwangsu Kim, Jun-Youl Yang, Se-Ho Cha
  • Patent number: 8546867
    Abstract: A technique capable of improving the reliability of a non-volatile memory semiconductor device is provided and, in particular, a technique capable of supplying electricity without fail to a memory gate electrode of split gate transistor is provided. One end of an electricity supply line ESL is arranged over a terminal end TE1 and the other end thereof is arranged over a terminal end TE2, and further, the central portion of the electricity supply line ESL is arranged over a dummy part DMY. That is, the terminal end TE1, the terminal end TE2, and the dummy part DMY have substantially the same height, and therefore, most of the electricity supply line ESL arranged from over the terminal end TE1 to over the terminal end TE2 via the dummy part DMY is formed so as to have the same height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hiraku Chakihara, Tsutomu Okazaki
  • Patent number: 8541821
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of forming an electron memory storage device and the resulting device. The device comprises a gate structure which, in form, comprises a first gate insulating layer formed over a semiconductor substrate, a self-forming electron trapping layer of noble metal nano-crystals formed over the first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer formed over the electron trapping layer, a gate electrode formed over the second gate insulating layer, and source and drain regions formed on opposite sides of the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubneesh Batra, Gurtej Sandhu
  • Patent number: 8530307
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device including bit lines (14) formed in a semiconductor substrate (10), insulating film lines (18) located on the bit lines (14) to successively run in a length direction of the bit lines (14), gate electrodes (16) located above the semiconductor substrate (10) between the bit lines (14), and word lines (20) located on the gate electrodes (18) to run in a width direction of the bit lines (14), a trench region (22) formed between the bit lines (14) and the between word lines (20) in the semiconductor substrate, and there is also provided a fabrication method therefor. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device where elements can be isolated between the word lines (14) and memory cells can be miniaturized, and to provide a fabrication method therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventor: Masaya Hosaka
  • Patent number: 8519376
    Abstract: Nonvolatile resistive memory devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, the memory devices comprise multilayer structures including electrodes, one or more resistive storage layers, and separation layers. The separation layers insulate the resistive storage layers to prevent charge leakage from the storage layers and allow for the use of thin resistive storage layers. In some embodiments, the nonvolatile resistive memory device includes a metallic multilayer comprising two metallic layers about an interlayer. A dopant at an interface of the interlayer and metallic layers can provide a switchable electric field within the multilayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov, Insik Jin, Haiwen Xi
  • Patent number: 8519485
    Abstract: A method of forming a memory device. The method provides a semiconductor substrate having a surface region. A first dielectric layer is formed overlying the surface region of the semiconductor substrate. A bottom wiring structure is formed overlying the first dielectric layer and a second dielectric material is formed overlying the top wiring structure. A bottom metal barrier material is formed to provide a metal-to-metal contact with the bottom wiring structure. The method forms a pillar structure by patterning and etching a material stack including the bottom metal barrier material, a contact material, a switching material, a conductive material, and a top barrier material. The pillar structure maintains a metal-to-metal contact with the bottom wiring structure regardless of the alignment of the pillar structure with the bottom wiring structure during etching. A top wiring structure is formed overlying the pillar structure at an angle to the bottom wiring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Crossbar, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Brad Herner
  • Patent number: 8513076
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a peripheral circuit region and a cell region. A method for fabricating the non-volatile memory device includes forming gate patterns over a substrate, the gate pattern including a tunnel insulation layer, a floating gate electrode, a charge blocking layer and a control gate electrode, and removing the control gate electrode and the charge blocking layer of the gate pattern formed in the peripheral circuit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Nam-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 8508047
    Abstract: An integrated circuit system includes providing a semiconductor substrate and forming buried word lines in the semiconductor substrate with the buried word lines including vertical charge-trapping dielectric layers. The system further includes forming bit lines further comprising forming in-substrate portions in the semiconductor substrate, and forming above-substrate portions over the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventor: Michael Brennan
  • Patent number: 8492831
    Abstract: A vertical non-volatile memory device is structured/fabricated to include a substrate, groups of memory cell strings each having a plurality of memory transistors distributed vertically so that the memory throughout multiple layers on the substrate, integrated word lines coupled to sets of the memory transistors, respectively, and stacks of word select lines. The memory transistors of each set are those transistors, of one group of the memory cell strings, which are disposed in the same layer above the substrate. The word select lines are respectively connected to the integrated word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-min Hwang, Han-soo Kim, Won-seok Cho, Jae-hoon Jang, Sun-il Shim, Jae-hun Jeong, Ki-hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8486782
    Abstract: Flash memory devices and methods for fabricating the same are provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for fabricating a memory device comprises the steps of fabricating a first gate stack and a second gate stack overlying a substrate. A trench is etched into the substrate between the first gate stack and the second gate stack and a first impurity doped region is formed within the substrate underlying the trench. The trench is filled at least partially with a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Ning Cheng, Fred Cheung, Ashot Melik-Martirosian, Kyunghoon Min, Michael Brennan, Hiroyuki Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8476154
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charge trapping non-volatile semiconductor memory device and a method of making the device. The charge trapping non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a source region, a drain region, and, consecutively formed over the semiconductor substrate, a channel insulation layer, a charge trapping layer, a blocking insulation layer, and a gate electrode. The drain region includes a P-N junction, and the source region includes a metal-semiconductor junction formed between the semiconductor substrate and a metal including titanium, cobalt, nickel, platinum or one of their various combinations. The charge trapping non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to the present disclosure has low programming voltage, fast programming speed, low energy consumption, and relatively high device reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Fudan University
    Inventors: Dongping Wu, Shi-Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 8460998
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device including forming a charge storage layer, and forming a first tunnel insulating layer covering the charge storage layer, the forming of the first tunnel insulating layer including heat treating the charge storage layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: JinGyun Kim, Myoungbum Lee, Seungmok Shin
  • Patent number: 8441063
    Abstract: A memory array includes a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines, a gate region, and a charge trapping layer. The charge trapping layer is wider than a word line; the charge trapping layer is extended beyond the edge of the gate region to facilitate capturing and removing charges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Shenqing Fang, Tung-Sheng Chen, Chun Chen
  • Patent number: 8436416
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, a plurality of semiconductor pillars and a charge storage film. The stacked body is provided on the substrate, with a plurality of insulating films alternately stacked with a plurality of electrode films, and includes a hydrophobic layer provided between one of the insulating films and one of the electrode films. The hydrophobic layer has higher hydrophobicity than the electrode films. The plurality of semiconductor pillars extend in a stacking direction of the stacked body and pierce the stacked body, and the charge storage film is provided between the electrode films and one of the semiconductor pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Daigo Ichinose, Tadashi Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8426301
    Abstract: Nonvolatile memory devices are provided and methods of manufacturing such devices. In the method, conductive layers and insulating layers are alternatingly stacked on a substrate. A first sub-active bar is formed which penetrates a first subset of the conductive layers and a first subset of the insulating layers. The first sub-active bar is electrically connected with the substrate. A second sub-active bar is formed which penetrates a second subset of the conductive layers and a second subset of the insulating layers. The second sub-active bar is electrically connected to the first sub-active bar. A width of a bottom portion of the second sub-active bar is less than a width of a top portion of the second sub-active bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Yong Oh, Woonkyung Lee, Jin-Sung Lee, Sunil Shim, Hansoo Kim, Wonseok Cho, Jaehoon Jang, Jin-Soo Lim
  • Patent number: 8409950
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method is disclosed to integrate silicon oxide nitride oxide silicon (SONOS) non-volatile memory (NVM) into a standard sub-90 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor foundry process flow. An embodiment of the method adds a few additional steps to a standard CMOS foundry process flow and makes minor changes to the rest of the baseline CMOS foundry process flow to form a new process module that includes both CMOS devices and an embedded SONOS NVM. An embodiment of the method utilizes new material sets (which are not utilized at larger nodes) that enhance NVM performance by improving charge tunneling behavior and reducing leakage currents. Furthermore, an embodiment of the method integrates CMOS with SONOS NVM at ever-shrinking dimensions while enhancing the NVM performance, without performing extra, costly processing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick Bruckner Shea, Dennis Adams, Michael Rennie, Joseph Terence Smith
  • Patent number: 8410540
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a non-volatile memory device includes a stacked structure including a memory portion and an electrode having a surface facing the memory portion; and a voltage application portion to apply a voltage to the memory portion to change resistance. The surface includes first and second regions. The first region contains a first nonmetallic element and at least one element of a metallic element, Si, Ga, and As. The second region contains a second nonmetallic element and the at least one element. The second region has a content ratio of the second nonmetallic element higher than that in the first region. A difference in electronegativity between the second nonmetallic element and the at least one element is greater than that between the first nonmetallic element and the at least one element. At least one of the first and second regions has an anisotropic shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Araki, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Mariko Hayashi, Kohichi Kubo, Takayuki Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 8410543
    Abstract: In a non-volatile memory in which writing/erasing is performed by changing a total charge amount by injecting electrons and holes into a silicon nitride film serving as a charge accumulation layer, in order to realize a high efficiency of a hole injection from a gate electrode, the gate electrode of a memory cell comprises a laminated structure made of a plurality of polysilicon films with different impurity concentrations, for example, a two-layered structure comprising a p-type polysilicon film with a low impurity concentration and a p+-type polysilicon film with a high impurity concentration deposited thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Itaru Yanagi, Toshiyuki Mine, Hirotaka Hamamura, Digh Hisamoto, Yasuhiro Shimamoto
  • Patent number: 8399952
    Abstract: Strontium ruthenium oxide provides an effective interface between a ruthenium conductor and a strontium titanium oxide dielectric. Formation of the strontium ruthenium oxide includes the use of atomic layer deposition to form strontium oxide and subsequent annealing of the strontium oxide to form the strontium ruthenium oxide. A first atomic layer deposition of strontium oxide is preformed using water as an oxygen source, followed by a subsequent atomic layer deposition of strontium oxide using ozone as an oxygen source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhaskar Srinivasan, Vassil Antonov, John Smythe
  • Patent number: 8394700
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell, of a nonvolatile memory array. The first memory cell includes a body region, a gate structure, a source region, and a drain region. The second memory cell includes a body region, a gate structure, a source region, and a drain region. In one embodiment, the body of the second memory cell is physically isolated from the body region of the first memory cell. A bitline segment is electrically connected to the drain region of the first memory cell and to the drain region of the second memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory James Scott, Mark Michael Nelson, Thierry Coffi Herve Yao
  • Patent number: 8378341
    Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention has a first interconnect layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor element; the first interconnect layer has an insulating layer, and a first interconnect filled in a surficial portion of the insulating layer; the semiconductor element has a semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode; the semiconductor layer is positioned over the first interconnect layer; the gate insulating film is positioned over or below semiconductor layer; and the gate electrode is positioned on the opposite side of the semiconductor layer while placing the gate insulating film in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Hayashi, Naoya Inoue, Kishou Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8372699
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first semiconductor layer over a substrate, forming a first photoresist layer over the first semiconductor layer, and using only a first single mask patterning the first photoresist layer to form a first patterned photoresist layer. The method further includes using the first patterned photoresist layer etching the first semiconductor layer to form a select gate and forming a charge storage layer over the select gate and a portion of the substrate. The method further includes forming a second semiconductor layer over the charge storage layer, forming a second photoresist layer over the second semiconductor layer, and using only a second single mask patterning the second photoresist layer to form a second patterned photoresist layer. The method further includes forming a control gate by anisotropically etching the second semiconductor layer and then subsequently isotropically etching the second semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Taeg Kang, Jane A. Yater
  • Patent number: 8367537
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Meng Ding, YouSeok Suh, Shenqing Fang, Kuo-Tung Chang
  • Patent number: 8361862
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the device including a stacked structural unit including a plurality of insulating films alternately stacked with a plurality of electrode films in a first direction and a semiconductor pillar piercing the stacked structural unit in the first direction, the method includes: forming a stacked unit including a core material film alternately stacked with a sacrificial film on a major surface of a substrate perpendicular to the first direction; making a trench in the stacked unit, the trench extending in the first direction and a second direction in a plane perpendicular to the first direction; filling a filling material into the trench; removing the sacrificial film to form a hollow structural unit, the hollow structural unit including a post unit supporting the core material film on the substrate, the post unit being made of the filling material; and forming the stacked structural unit by stacking one of the insulating films and one of the el
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fukuzumi, Ryota Katsumata, Masaru Kito, Masaru Kidoh, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Yosuke Komori, Megumi Ishiduki, Junya Matsunami, Tomoko Fujiwara, Hideaki Aochi, Ryouhei Kirisawa
  • Patent number: 8350326
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes first and second stacked structural bodies, first and second semiconductor pillars, a memory unit connection portion, a selection unit stacked structural body, first and second selection unit semiconductor pillars, a selection unit connection portion, and first to fifth interconnections. The semiconductor pillars pierce the stacked structural bodies. The first and second interconnections are connected to the first and second semiconductor pillars, respectively. The memory unit connection portion connects the first and second semiconductor pillars. The selection unit semiconductor pillars pierce the selection unit stacked structural body. The third and fourth interconnections are connected to the first and second selection unit semiconductor pillars, respectively. The selection unit connection portion connects the first and second selection unit semiconductor pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fukuzumi, Ryota Katsumata, Masaru Kito, Masaru Kidoh, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hideaki Aochi
  • Patent number: 8350314
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, comprising a plurality of memory strings, each of the memory strings being constituted with a plurality of electrically erasable memory cells being serially connected each other, the memory strings comprising: a columnar semiconductor layer perpendicularly extending toward a substrate; a plurality of conductive layers being formed in parallel to the substrate and including a first space between a sidewall of the columnar semiconductor layers; and characteristic change layer being formed on the sidewall of the columnar semiconductor layer faced to the first space or a sidewall of the conductive layer faced to the first space and changing characteristics accompanying with applied voltage; wherein the plurality of the conductive layers have a function of a relative movement to a prescribed direction for the columnar semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fukuzumi, Ryota Katsumata, Masaru Kidoh, Masaru Kito, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hideaki Aochi, Yasuyuki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8338877
    Abstract: Nonvolatile memory devices and methods of forming the same are provided, the nonvolatile memory devices may include first regions and second regions which extend in a first direction and are alternately disposed in a semiconductor substrate along a second direction crossing the first direction. Buried doped lines are formed at the first regions respectively and extend in the first direction. The buried doped lines may be doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type. Bulk regions doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type and device isolation patterns are disposed along the second direction. The bulk regions and the device isolation patterns may be formed in the second regions. Word lines crossing the buried doped lines and the bulk regions are formed parallel to one another. Contact structures are connected to the buried doped lines and disposed between the device isolation patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongsik Jeong, Jeonguk Han, Weonho Park, Byungsup Shim
  • Patent number: 8338244
    Abstract: Provided are three-dimensional nonvolatile memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The memory devices include semiconductor pillars penetrating interlayer insulating layers and conductive layers alternately stacked on a substrate and electrically connected to the substrate and floating gates selectively interposed between the semiconductor pillars and the conductive layers. The floating gates are formed in recesses in the conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoungkeun Son, Hansoo Kim, Jinho Kim, Kihyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8338257
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device with a superior charge holding characteristic in which highly-efficient writing is possible at low voltage, and to provide a manufacturing method thereof. The nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes a semiconductor film having a pair of impurity regions formed apart from each other and a channel formation region provided between the impurity regions; and a first insulating film, a charge accumulating layer, a second insulating film, and a conductive film functioning as a gate electrode layer which are provided over the channel formation region. In the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, a second barrier formed by the first insulating film against a charge of the charge accumulating layer is higher in energy than a first barrier formed by the first insulating film against a charge of the semiconductor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8334182
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a non-volatile memory is provided. The method comprises steps of providing a substrate. Thereafter, a plurality of first doped regions are formed in the substrate and then a plurality of trenches are formed in a portion of the first doped regions. A plurality of second doped regions are formed in a portion of the substrate under the bottoms of the trenches respectively. Then, a charge storage layer is formed conformal to a surface of the substrate and a conductive layer is formed over the substrate, wherein the conductive layer covers the charge storage layer and fills in the trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: MACRONIX International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chao-I Wu
  • Patent number: 8330201
    Abstract: There is provided a non-volatile semiconductor memory having a charge accumulation layer of a configuration where a metal oxide with a dielectric constant sufficiently higher than a silicon nitride, e.g., a Ti oxide, a Zr oxide, or a Hf oxide, is used as a base material and an appropriate amount of a high-valence substance whose valence is increased two levels or more (a VI-valence) is added to produce a trap level that enables entrance and exit of electrons with respect to the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tatsuo Shimizu, Koichi Muraoka
  • Patent number: 8329543
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a semiconductor device having nanocrystals. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming a first insulating layer over a surface of the substrate; forming a first plurality of nanocrystals on the first insulating layer; forming a second insulating layer over the first plurality of nanocrystals; implanting a first material into the second insulating layer; and annealing the first material to form a second plurality of nanocrystals in the second insulating layer. The method may be used to provide a charge storage layer for a non-volatile memory having a greater nanocrystal density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Taeg Kang, Jane A. Yater
  • Patent number: 8329544
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a semiconductor device having nanocrystals. The method includes: forming a first insulating layer over a surface of a substrate; forming a first plurality of nanocrystals on the first insulating layer; implanting a first material into the first insulating layer; and annealing the first material to form a second plurality of nanocrystals in the first insulating layer. The method may be used to provide a charge storage layer for a non-volatile memory having a greater nanocrystal density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Taeg Kang, Jane A. Yater
  • Patent number: 8329536
    Abstract: To improve a charge retention characteristic of a nonvolatile memory transistor. A first insulating film, a charge trapping film, and a second insulating film are formed between a semiconductor substrate and a conductive film. The charge trapping film is formed of a silicon nitride film including an upper region having a low concentration of hydrogen and a lower region having a high concentration of hydrogen. Such a silicon nitride film is formed in such a manner that a silicon nitride film including 15 atomic % or more hydrogen is formed by a chemical vapor deposition method and an upper portion of the silicon nitride film is nitrided. The nitridation treatment is performed by nitriding the silicon nitride film by nitrogen radicals produced in plasma of a nitrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kosei Noda
  • Patent number: 8309450
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device including a memory cell portion and a select gate portion, the method includes etching a charge accumulation layer, a tunnel insulating film, and a semiconductor substrate to make a trench, burying a first insulating film in the trench to contact with a side surface of the charge accumulation layer, performing heat processing to compress the first insulating film, forming a second insulating film on the charge accumulation layer and the first insulating film, etching the second insulating film in the select gate portion to expose a surface of the charge accumulation layer, forming a silicon layer to contact with the exposed surface of the charge accumulation layer, forming a metal layer on the silicon layer, and performing heat processing to silicide an entire boundary region between the charge accumulation layer and the tunnel insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takuo Ohashi
  • Patent number: 8309417
    Abstract: In a vertical-type memory device and a method of manufacturing the vertical-type memory device, the vertical memory device includes an insulation layer pattern of a linear shape provided on a substrate, pillar-shaped single-crystalline semiconductor patterns provided on both sidewalls of the insulation layer pattern and transistors provided on a sidewall of each of the single-crystalline semiconductor patterns. The transistors are arranged in a vertical direction of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, and thus the memory device may be highly integrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Hoon Son, Jong-Wook Lee, Jong-Hyuk Kang
  • Patent number: 8298899
    Abstract: Exposed are a semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same. The device includes an insulation film that is disposed between an active pattern and a substrate, which provides various improvements. This structure enhances the efficiency of high integration and offers an advanced structure for semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Woo Oh, Sung-Hwan Kim, Dong-Gun Park