Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing it

Claim 1

A semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; first and second gate electrode structures formed on said semiconductor substrate, each including an electrode and a first insulating film and a second insulating film on upper and lower sides of said electrode, respectively, and each having first and second side faces on opposed coplanar sides thereof; a common impurity region of a second conductivity type formed in said substrate between said first and second gate electrode structures and adjacent to said first side faces thereof; a pair of first impurity regions of a second conductivity type formed in said semiconductor substrate at adjacent to respective second side faces of said first and second gate electrode structures for defining respective channel regions, said respective channel regions being beneath said first and second gate electrode structures and between said common impurity region and respective of said pair of first impurity regions; an impurity region formed in the channel region underlying said first gate electrode structure corresponding to data to be fixed in said memory device; a first insulating wall formed on the first side face of said first gate electrode structure, and a second insulating wall formed on the first side face of said second gate electrode structure, said first and second insulating walls being produced on the opposed coplanar sides of said first and second gate electrode structures by anisotropic etching and defining a self-aligned buried contact hole between said first and second insulating walls; a second impurity region of the second conductivity type in said substrate overlapping with said common impurity region being formed through said self-aligned buried contact hole; a contact pad layer connected to said second impurity region through said self-aligned buried contact hole, said contact pad layer being in contact with and covering said first and second insulating walls and at least a portion of said first insulating film; and a wiring layer connected to said contact pad layer.