Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
A method of fabricating control and floating gate electrodes involved in a flash memory cell comprising the steps of: forming a bottom semiconductor film serving as a floating gate electrode; forming a phase splitting glass film on said bottom semiconductor film; subjecting said phase splitting glass film to a heat treatment to allow said phase splitting glass film to be split into at least two different glass films which have different components; subjecting said phase splitting glass film to an etching in which one of said glass films has a higher etching rate than an etching rate of another of said glass films so that said one glass film having the higher etching rate only is removed, while said another glass film remains thereby a mask pattern comprising the remaining glass film is formed; subjecting said bottom semiconductor film to a dry etching using said mask pattern to form trench grooves defined by trench pillars in said bottom semiconductor film; forming a dielectric film on surfaces of said trench grooves and trench pillars; and forming a top semiconductor film serving as a control gate electrode on said dielectric film.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
189 words
A method of fabricating control and floating gate electrodes involved in a flash memory cell comprising the steps of: forming a bottom semiconductor film serving as a floating gate electrode; forming a phase splitting glass film on said bottom semiconductor film; subjecting said phase splitting glass film to a heat treatment to allow said phase splitting glass film to be split into at least two different glass films which have different components; subjecting said phase splitting glass film to an etching in which one of said glass films has a higher etching rate than an etching rate of another of said glass films so that said one glass film having the higher etching rate only is removed, while said another glass film remains thereby a mask pattern comprising the remaining glass film is formed; subjecting said bottom semiconductor film to a dry etching using said mask pattern to form trench grooves defined by trench pillars in said bottom semiconductor film; forming a dielectric film on surfaces of said trench grooves and trench pillars; and forming a top semiconductor film serving as a control gate electrode on said dielectric film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said phase splitting glass film comprise B 2 O 3 and SiO 2 as base components.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said phase splitting glass film comprises P 2 O 5 , B 2 O 3 and SiO 2 as base components.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base component SiO 2 is in the range from 60 to 80 mol %.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said phase splitting glass film is deposited by a chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said chemical vapor deposition is carried out at a temperature of 400° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said phase splitting glass film is deposited by sputtering.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat treatment is carried out a temperature below a liquidus line.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said heat treatment is carried out at a temperature of 7000° C. for 30 to 60 minutes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said heat treatment is carried out at a temperature of 680° C. for 30 to 60 minutes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top and bottom semiconductor films comprise polysilicon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one glass film is removed by a wet etching.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one glass film is removed by an anisotropic dry etching carried out to form said trench grooves.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trench grooves have a width in the range from 10 to 100 nanometers.