Programming an IGFET read-only-memory

Claim 1

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and electrode that is penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a first dielectric material onto said array, which layer is permeable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a second dielectric material onto the first dielectric layer, which second layer is not significantly penetrable by said ion beam and can be preferentially etched; etching windows in said second dielectric layer over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array with an etchant that does not also attack the first dielectric layer, and thus does not uncover said gate electrodes; exposing said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to make said selected IGFETs unaffected by gate operating voltage, and thereby encode said array; and electrically contacting all of said IGFETs, even those made inoperative, whereby the first dielectric layer uncovered in said windows provides electrical insulation between at least one drain electrode and a gate electrode.

Claim 2

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and electrode that is penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a first dielectric material onto said array, which layer is permeable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a second dielectric material onto the first dielectric layer, which second layer is not significantly penetrable by said ion beam and can be preferentially etched; etching windows in said second dielectric layer over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array with an etchant that does not also attack the first dielectric layer, and thus does not uncover said gate electrodes; exposing said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to make said selected IGFETs unaffected by gate operating voltage, and thereby encode said array; and electrically contacting all of said IGFETs, even those made inoperative, whereby the first dielectric layer uncovered in said windows provides electrical insulation between at least one drain electrode and a gate electrode.

Claim 3

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and electrode that is penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a first dielectric material onto said array, which layer is permeable by an ion beam; opening electrical contact windows in said first dielectric layer over source and drain regions of all of said IGFETs; depositing a blanket layer of a second dielectric material onto the first dielectric layer, which second layer is not significantly penetrable by said ion beam and can be preferentially etched; etching ion implant windows in said second dielectric layer over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array with an etchant that does not also attack the first dielectric layer effective to uncover source and drain contact areas for all of said IGFETs but not uncover gate electrodes; exposing all of said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to make said selected IGFETs inoperative but not significantly compensate IGFET source and drain regions, and thereby encode said array; and applying electrodes to all of said contact areas, including those of IGFETs made inoperative, and interconnecting some of them with integral electrode extensions crossing ion implant windows while insulatingly supported on the first dielectric layer.

Claim 4

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and electrode that is penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket layer of a first dielectric material onto said array, which layer is permeable by an ion beam; opening electrical contact windows in said first dielectric layer over source and drain regions of all of said IGFETs; depositing a blanket layer of a second dielectric material onto the first dielectric layer, which second layer is not significantly penetrable by said ion beam and can be preferentially etched; etching ion implant windows in said second dielectric layer over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array with an etchant that does not also attack the first dielectric layer effective to uncover source and drain contact areas for all of said IGFETs but not uncover gate electrodes; exposing all of said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to make said selected IGFETs inoperative but not significantly compensate IGFET source and drain regions, and thereby encode said array; and applying electrodes to all of said contact areas, including those of IGFETs made inoperative, and interconnecting some of them with integral electrode extensions crossing ion implant windows while insulatingly supported on the first dielectric layer.

Claim 5

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and a polycrystalline silicon gate electrode that are both penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket coating of silicon nitride onto said array in a layer thin enough to be permeable by an ion beam; opening electrical contact windows in said silicon nitride coating over source and drain regions of all of said IGFETs; depositing a blanket coating of a phosphorus doped glass onto the silicon nitride coating in a layer thick enough to mask underlying surfaces from said ion beam; etching ion implant windows in said glass coating over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array using an etchant that does not also attack the silicon nitride coating, and thus uncover said polycrystalline silicon gate electrodes; exposing all of said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to render said selected IGFETs inoperative, and thereby encode said array; and electrically contacting all of said IGFETs, even those rendered inoperative in the preceding step, whereby said array is encoded late in the process of making it and read-only-memory size is not significantly enlarged.

Claim 6

A method of making a read-only-memory comprising the steps of: forming an array of IGFETs on a semiconductor surface, each of said IGFETs having an operable channel region underlying a gate dielectric and a polycrystalline silicon gate electrode that are both penetrable by an ion beam; depositing a blanket coating of silicon nitride onto said array in a layer thin enough to be permeable by an ion beam; opening electrical contact windows in said silicon nitride coating over source and drain regions of all of said IGFETs; depositing a blanket coating of a phosphorus doped glass onto the silicon nitride coating in a layer thick enough to mask underlying surfaces from said ion beam; etching ion implant windows in said glass coating over channel regions of selected IGFETs in said array using an etchant that does not also attack the silicon nitride coating, and thus uncover said polycrystalline silicon gate electrodes; exposing all of said windows and second dielectric layer to said ion beam in a dose effective to render said selected IGFETs inoperative, and thereby encode said array; and electrically contacting all of said IGFETs, even those rendered inoperative in the preceding step, whereby said array is encoded late in the process of making it and read-only-memory size is not significantly enlarged.