Semiconductor device having E2 PROM and EPROM in one chip

Claim 2

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a major surface; first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type which are separately formed in the major surface of said substrate; first carrier storage means, formed above said substrate between said first and second semiconductor regions, for storing carriers; first insulating means, formed between said first carrier storage means and said substrate, for electrically insulating said first carrier storage means from said substrate; a first conductive layer formed above said first carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsA; second insulating means, formed between said first conductive layer and said first carrier storage means, for insulating said first conductive layer from said first carrier storage means; second carrier storage means, formed above said substrate between said third and fourth semiconductor regions and formed above said fourth semiconductor region so as to partly overlap said fourth semiconductor region, for storing carriers; third insulating means, formed between said second carrier storage means, said substrate, and said fourth semiconductor region, for electrically insulating said second carrier storage means from said substrate and from said fourth semiconductor region; a second conductive layer formed above said second carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsB; fourth insulating means, formed between said second conductive layer and said second carrier storage means, for insulating said second conductive layer from said second carrier storage means; and tunneling means, formed between said fourth semiconductor region and said second carrier storage means, for causing carriers to tunnel between said second carrier storage means and said fourth semiconductor region, wherein said first carrier storage means consists of a third conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsC, and said second carrier storage means consists of a fourth conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsD, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC and the sheet resistance ρsD is presented by ρsC≠ρsD.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth insulating means consists of an insulating film, and said tunneling means consists of an insulating film having a thickness smaller than that of an insulating film constituting said third insulating means.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, wherein an insulating film constituting said second and fourth insulating means is an insulating film obtained by stacking an oxide film and a nitride film.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsB is represented by ρsA=ρsB.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC and the sheet resistance ρsD is represented by ρsC<ρsD.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1, further comprising: a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type arranged near said fourth semiconductor region and formed in the major surface region of said substrate so as to be separated from said fourth semiconductor region; a fifth conductive layer formed above said substrate between said fourth and fifth semiconductor regions and having a sheet resistance of ρsE; and fifth insulating means, formed between said fifth conductive layer and said substrate, for electrically insulating said fifth conductive layer from said substrate.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6, wherein said fifth insulating means consists of an insulating film.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 6, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA, the sheet resistance ρsB, and the sheet resistance ρsE is represented by ρsA=ρsB=ρsE.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 6, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC, and the sheet resistance ρsD is represented by ρsC<ρsD.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 9, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC and the sheet resistance ρsE is represented by ρsC=ρsE.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 6, further comprising: sixth and seventh semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type formed in the major surface of said substrate and separated from each other; a sixth conductive layer formed above said substrate between said sixth and seventh semiconductor regions and having a sheet resistance of ρsF; and sixth insulating means, formed between said sixth conductive layer and said substrate, for insulating said sixth conductive layer from said substrate.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 11, wherein said sixth insulating means consists of an insulating film.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 11, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA, the sheet resistance ρsB, the sheet resistance ρsE, and the sheet resistance ρsF is represented by ρsA=ρsB=ρsE=ρsF.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 11, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC and the sheet resistance ρsD is represented by ρsC<ρsD.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 14, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsC, the sheet resistance ρsE, and the sheet resistance ρsF is represented by ρsC=ρsE=ρsF.

Claim 17

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a major surface; first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type which are separately formed in the major surface of said substrate; first carrier storage means, formed above said substrate between said first and second semiconductor regions for storing carriers, said first carrier storage means comprising a first conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsA; first insulating means, formed between said first carrier storage means and said substrate, for electrically insulating said first carrier storage means from said substrate; a second conductive layer formed above said first carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsB; second insulating means, formed between said second conductive layer and said first carrier storage means, for insulating said second conductive layer from said first carrier storage means; second carrier storage means, formed above said substrate, between said third and fourth semiconductor regions and above said fourth semiconductor region to partly overlap said fourth semiconductor region, for storing carriers, said second carrier storage means comprising a third conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsC; third insulating means, formed between said second carrier storage means, said substrate, and said fourth semiconductor region, for electrically insulating said second carrier storage means from said substrate and said fourth semiconductor region; a fourth conductive layer formed above said second carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsD; fourth insulating means, formed between said fourth conductive layer and said second carrier storage means, for insulating said fourth conductive layer from said second carrier storage means; tunneling means, formed between said fourth semiconductor region and said second carrier storage means, for causing carriers to tunnel between said second carrier storage means and said fourth semiconductor region; a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type arranged near said fourth semiconductor region and formed in the major surface of said semiconductor substrate so as to be separated from said fourth semiconductor region; a fifth conductive layer formed above said substrate between said fourth and fifth semiconductor regions and having a sheet resistance of ρsE; fifth insulating means, formed between said fifth conductive layer and said substrate, for electrically insulating said fifth conductive layer from said substrate; a sixth conductive layer formed above said fifth conductive layer; and a sixth insulating means, formed between said fifth conductive layer and said sixth conductive layer for insulating said sixth conductive layer from said fifth conductive layer, wherein said sixth conductive layer has the same sheet resistance as each of the sheet resistances of said second conductive layer and said fourth conductive layer.

Claim 18

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a major surface; first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type which are separately formed in the major surface of said substrate; first carrier storage means, formed above said substrate between said first and second semiconductor regions for storing carriers, said first carrier storage means comprising a first conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsA; first insulating means, formed between said first carrier storage means and said substrate, for electrically insulating said first carrier storage means from said substrate; a second conductive layer formed above said first carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsB; second insulating means, formed between said second conductive layer and said first carrier storage means, for insulating said second conductive layer from said first carrier storage means; second carrier storage means, formed above said substrate, between said third and fourth semiconductor regions and above said fourth semiconductor region to partly overlap said fourth semiconductor region, for storing carriers, said second carrier storage means comprising a third conductive layer having a sheet resistance of ρsC; third insulating means, formed between said second carrier storage means, said substrate, and said fourth semiconductor region, for electrically insulating said second carrier storage means from said substrate and said fourth semiconductor region; a fourth conductive layer formed above said second carrier storage means and having a sheet resistance of ρsD; fourth insulating means, formed between said fourth conductive layer and said second carrier storage means, for insulating said fourth conductive layer from said second carrier storage means; tunneling means, formed between said fourth semiconductor region and said second carrier storage means, for causing carriers to tunnel between said second carrier storage means and said fourth semiconductor region; a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type arranged near said fourth semiconductor region and formed in the major surface of said semiconductor substrate so as to be separated from said fourth semiconductor region; a fifth conductive layer formed above said substrate between said fourth and fifth semiconductor regions and having a sheet resistance of ρsE; fifth insulating means, formed between said fifth conductive layer and said substrate, for electrically insulating said fifth conductive layer from said substrate; a sixth conductive layer formed above said fifth conductive layer; and a sixth insulating means, formed between said fifth conductive layer and said sixth conductive layer for insulating said sixth conductive layer from said fifth conductive layer, wherein said sixth conductive layer has the same sheet resistance as each of the sheet resistances of said second conductive layer and said fourth conductive layer.

Claim 19

A device according to claim 16, wherein each of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth insulating means consists of an insulating film, and said tunneling means consists of an insulating film having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the insulating film comprising said third insulating means.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 17, wherein the insulating film comprising said second, fourth, and sixth insulating means is an insulating film obtained by stacking an oxide film and a nitride film.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 16, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsC is represented by ρsA≠ρsC.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 19, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsC is represented by ρsA<ρsC.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 20, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsE is represented by ρsA=ρsE.

Claim 24

A device according to claim 16, further comprising: sixth and seventh semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type formed in the major surface of said substrate to be separated from each other; a seventh conductive layer formed above said substrate between said sixth and seventh semiconductor regions and having a sheet resistance of ρsF; and seventh insulating means, formed between said seventh conductive layer and said substrate, for insulating said seventh conductive layer from said substrate.

Claim 25

A device according to claim 22, wherein said seventh insulating means comprises an insulating film.

Claim 26

A device according to claim 22, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsC is represented by ρsA≠ρsC.

Claim 27

A device according to claim 24, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsB, the sheet resistance ρsD, and the sheet resistance ρsF is represented by ρsB=ρsD=ρsF.

Claim 28

A device according to claim 24, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA and the sheet resistance ρsC is represented by ρsA<ρsC.

Claim 29

A device according to claim 26, wherein a relationship between the sheet resistance ρsA, the sheet resistance ρsE, and the sheet resistance ρsF is represented by ρsA=ρsE=ρsF.