Semiconductor memory device

Claim 2

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 further comprising: a source region; a channel region provided between said drain region and said source region; an insulator provided at least on said channel region, said insulator having a thickness larger than said film; and a control gate provided on said insulator.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said film is not provided on said channel region.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 wherein said insulator comprises silicon oxide.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 further comprising: a source region provided in a semiconductor substrate; a protrusion provided on said semiconductor substrate and containing said drain region therein; a channel region provided in said semiconductor substrate between said source region and said drain region; an insulator provided on said source region and said channel region; and a control gate provided on a side of said protrusion with said floating gate between said control gate and said protrusion.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 wherein said insulator comprises silicon oxide.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6 further comprising an insulator provided between said control gate and said floating gate.

Claim 9

The device of claim 2 wherein said film comprises silicon oxinitride and is provided on said channel region with a silicon oxide between said film and said channel region.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1 wherein said silicon carbide is Si X C 1-X (0<X≦1).

Claim 11

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: source and drain regions; a channel region provided between said source and drain regions; a silicon oxide film provided in contact with said channel region; a floating gate; a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide; and a control gate provided on said floating gate.

Claim 12

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: source and drain regions; a channel region provided between said source and drain regions; a silicon oxide film provided in contact with said channel region; a floating gate; a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide; and a control gate provided on said floating gate.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10 wherein said silicon oxide film has a thickness larger than said film provided between said floating gate and said drain region.

Claim 14

The device of claim 10 wherein said film provided between said floating gate and said drain region is not provided on said channel region.

Claim 15

The device of claim 10 further comprising a control gate provided on said silicon oxide film.

Claim 16

The device of claim 10 wherein oxygen of said silicon oxinitride is 30 atom % or less of nitrogen of said silicon oxinitride.

Claim 17

The device of claim 10 further comprising: a semiconductor substrate containing said source region therein; a protrusion provided on said semiconductor substrate and containing said drain region therein; and a control gate provided on a side of said protrusion with said floating gate between said control gate and said protrusion.

Claim 18

The device of claim 15 further comprising an insulator provided between said control gate and said floating gate.

Claim 19

The device of claim 10 wherein said silicon carbide is Si X C 1-X (0<X≦1).

Claim 20

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising aluminum oxide, wherein thickness of said film is in the range of from 2 to 100 nm.

Claim 21

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising aluminum oxide, wherein thickness of said film is in the range of from 2 to 100 nm.

Claim 22

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising silicon carbide, wherein thickness of said film is in the range of from 10 to 200 Å.

Claim 23

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising silicon carbide, wherein thickness of said film is in the range of from 10 to 200 Å.

Claim 24

A semiconductor memory device comprising: a channel semiconductor layer; source and drain semiconductor layers with said channel semiconductor layer therebetween; a first insulating layer comprising an insulating oxide formed on said channel semiconductor layer; a control gate electrode formed over said channel semiconductor layer with said oxide insulating layer therebetween; an electrically floating gate located over said drain semiconductor layer; and a second insulating layer disposed between said floating gate and said drain semiconductor layer where an electrical charge is capable of being injected to said floating gate from said drain semiconductor layer through said second insulating layer, wherein said second insulating layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.

Claim 25

A semiconductor memory device comprising: a channel semiconductor layer; source and drain semiconductor layers with said channel semiconductor layer therebetween; a first insulating layer comprising an insulating oxide formed on said channel semiconductor layer; a control gate electrode formed over said channel semiconductor layer with said oxide insulating layer therebetween; an electrically floating gate located over said drain semiconductor layer; and a second insulating layer disposed between said floating gate and said drain semiconductor layer where an electrical charge is capable of being injected to said floating gate from said drain semiconductor layer through said second insulating layer, wherein said second insulating layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.

Claim 26

The semiconductor memory device of claim 20 wherein said first insulating layer directly contacts a surface of said channel semiconductor layer.

Claim 27

The device of claim 10 wherein said silicon oxinitride is SiO x N y where 0<x<2 and 0<y<4.

Claim 28

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide, wherein oxygen content of said silicon oxinitride is 30 atom % or less of nitrogen content of said silicon oxinitride.

Claim 29

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a floating gate; a drain region; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide, wherein oxygen content of said silicon oxinitride is 30 atom % or less of nitrogen content of said silicon oxinitride.

Claim 30

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a semiconductor substrate comprising a protrusion; a nitride film provided on a portion of a side wall of said protrusion; an oxide film provided on another portion of said side wall; and a floating gate provided on said side wall with said nitride film and said oxide film being provided between said floating gate and said protrusion.

Claim 31

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a semiconductor substrate comprising a protrusion; a nitride film provided on a portion of a side wall of said protrusion; an oxide film provided on another portion of said side wall; and a floating gate provided on said side wall with said nitride film and said oxide film being provided between said floating gate and said protrusion.

Claim 32

The device of claim 24 wherein said nitride film comprises silicon nitride.

Claim 33

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a semiconductor substrate comprising a protrusion; a source region provided in said semiconductor substrate; a drain region provided in said protrusion; a channel region provided between said source region and said drain region; a silicon oxide film provided in contact with said channel region; a floating gate; a control gate provided on a side of said protrusion with said floating gate between said control gate and said protrusion; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.

Claim 34

A semiconductor memory device capable of being electrically written and erased comprising: a semiconductor substrate comprising a protrusion; a source region provided in said semiconductor substrate; a drain region provided in said protrusion; a channel region provided between said source region and said drain region; a silicon oxide film provided in contact with said channel region; a floating gate; a control gate provided on a side of said protrusion with said floating gate between said control gate and said protrusion; and a film provided between said floating gate and said drain region and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxinitride, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.

Claim 35

The device of claim 20 wherein said silicon oxinitride is SiO x N y where 0<x<2 and 0<y<4.

Claim 36

The device of claim 23, wherein said silicon oxinitride is SiO x N y where 0<x<2 and 0<y<4.

Claim 37

The device of claim 26 wherein said silicon oxinitride is SiO x N y where 0<x<2 and 0<y<4.