Abstract:
An improved method for autoaligning lines (WL) of a conductive material in circuits integrated on a semiconductor substrate (2), comprising the following steps:
forming, on said semiconductor substrate (2), a plurality of regions (3) projecting from the substrate (2) surface and aligned to one another; forming a fill layer (4) in the gaps between said regions (3) ; planarizing said fill layer (4) to expose said regions (3) ; removing a surface portion of said regions (3) to form holes (5) at the locations of said regions (3); forming an insulating layer (6) in said holes (5); selectively removing the dielectric layer (6) to form spacers (7) along the edges of said holes (5) ; depositing at least one conductive layer (8) all over the exposed surface; photolithographing with a mask and etching away the layer (8) to define lines (WL) and collimate them to the underlying regions (3).
Abstract:
Electrically programmable non-volatile memory device, comprising an array (1) of memory cells (MC) arranged in rows (WL n -WL n+3 ) and columns (BL n -BL n+4 ) with common source diffusions (SD) contacted by at least one conductive matrix source line (SL n ,SL n+1 ) coupled to an external source bias voltage conductor (SELsource) external to the memory cell array carrying a voltage to be applied to source regions of the memory cells in the memory cell array. At least one resistive means (10) is connected in series between the at least one matrix source line and the external source bias voltage conductor, the resistive means being external to the memory cell array and being suitable to cause a rise in a voltage of the source regions of the memory cells when run through by a memory cell programming current during a programming operation of the memory device.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a P-channel native MOS transistor (7) in a circuit integrated on a semiconductor (1) which also includes a matrix of non-volatile memory cells of the floating gate type with two polysilicon levels (5,10) having an interpoly dielectric layer sandwiched between the two polysilicon levels, comprises the following steps:
masking and defining active areas (2) of the discrete integrated devices; masking and defining the first polysilicon level (5) using a Poly1 mask; and masking and defining an intermediate dielectric layer (8) using a Matrix mask (9).
The length of the native threshold channel of the native transistor is defined by means of the Matrix mask (9) and by etching away the interpoly dielectric layer (8). A subsequent step of masking and defining the second polysilicon level (10) provides for the use of a Poly2 mask (12) which extends the active area of the transistor (7) with a greater width than the previous mask (9) in order to enable, by subsequent etching, the two polysilicon levels (5,10) to overlap in self-alignment over the channel region.
Abstract:
Electronic memory device with non-volatile memory cells, high density and reduced interference cell-to-cell, of the type integrated on a semiconductor substrate (3) and organised in matrix with rows or Word lines (4) and columns or Bit lines (5) of memory cells (2). Each of said cells (2) comprises at least one floating gate transistor having a floating gate region (9) projecting from said substrate (3) and a control gate region (12) capacitively coupled to said floating gate region (9). Between the cells (2) of said opposite Word lines (4) a lateral coating (15) is provided comprising at least one conductive layer (16) floating along the direction of said Bit lines (5).
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing electronic semiconductor integrated electronic memory devices having virtual ground and comprising at least a matrix of floating gate memory cells (1), the matrix being formed on a semiconductor substrate (2) with a plurality of continuous bit lines (10) extending across the substrate (2) as discrete parallel strips, comprising at least the following steps:
forming an oxide layer (3) over the matrix region; depositing the semiconductor throughout with a stack structure which comprises a first conductor layer (4), first dielectric layer (5), and second conductor layer (6); forming a second dielectric layer (7); defining floating gate regions (13) by photolithography using a mask of "POLY1 along a first predetermined direction", and associated etching, to define, in said stack structure, a plurality of parallel openings (9); implanting said parallel openings (9) to confer a predetermined conductivity on the bit line (10) regions; filling the parallel openings (12) with a photo-sensitive material (11) to protect the matrix bit lines (10).
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a dual charge storage location electrically programmable memory cell comprises the steps of: forming a central insulated gate ( 12 , 15 ) over a semiconductor substrate ( 11 ); forming physically separated charge-confining layers stack portions of a dielectric-charge trapping material-dielectric layers stack ( 19 , 110 , 111 ; 29 , 210 , 211;49A , B , 410A , B , 411A , B ) at the sides of the central gate, the charge trapping material layer ( 110 ; 210 ; 410A , B ) in each charge-confining layers stack portion forming a charge storage element; forming side control gates ( 113A , B ; 212 ; 312 ; 413A , B ) over each of the charge-confining layers stack portions; forming memory cell source/drain regions ( 115 ; 215 ; 315 ; 415 ) laterally to the side control gates; electrically connecting ( 116 , 117 ; 216 ; 312 ; 416 ) the side control gates to the central gate. Each of the charge-confining layers stack portions at the sides of the central gate is formed with an "L" shape, with a base charge-confining layers stack portion lying on the substrate surface and an upright charge-confining layers stack portion lying against a respective side of the insulated gate.