Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having reduced source line resistance

Claim 2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an element isolation film formed on said semiconductor substrate to define an element area; first second, and third semiconductor regions formed in said element area, said first, second, and third semiconductor regions being spaced apart from each other and each having a conductivity type which is opposite to a conductivity type of said semiconductor substrate; a first gate electrode insulatively spaced from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said first and second semiconductor regions; a second gate electrode insulatively spaced from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said first and third semiconductor regions; an insulating interlayer formed over at least said first and second gate electrodes; a first conductor and a second conductor formed on said insulating interlayer, said first conductor and said second conductor each extending in the same first direction; a first electrode for electrically connecting said second semiconductor region to said first conductor; a second electrode for electrically connecting said third semiconductor region to said first conductor; and a third electrode formed in said insulating interlayer for electrically connecting said first semiconductor region to said second conductor, said third electrode extending in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction and being insulated from said first and second conductors except for a contact portion thereof which contacts said second conductor.

Claim 3

The device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of other first conductors arranged to extend parallel to said first conductor and a plurality of other second conductors arranged to extend parallel to said second conductor, said second conductors being arranged at particular intervals with respect to said first conductors.

Claim 4

The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second gate electrodes and said first, second, and third semiconductor regions constitute two memory cells sharing said first semiconductor region.

Claim 5

The device according to claim 1, wherein said contact portion of said third electrode is formed above said element isolation film.

Claim 6

The device according to claim 1, wherein said third electrode is formed such that a width of an uppermost portion of said third electrode between said first and second gate electrodes is larger than 1/2 a size in a direction of depth.

Claim 7

The device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said first, second, and third electrodes is formed of a refractory metal.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6, wherein said first, second, and third electrodes essentially consist of the same refractory metal.

Claim 9

The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electrodes and said first, second, and third semiconductor regions constitute two memory cells in which said second and third semiconductor regions serve as drain regions, and said first semiconductor region serves as a common source region, said first conductor comprises a bit line, and said second conductor comprises a source line.

Claim 10

The device according to claim 8, wherein said memory cells are arranged in a NOR memory structure.

Claim 11

The device according to claim 8, wherein insulating side walls are formed on said first and second gate electrodes, respectively.

Claim 12

The device according to claim 8 wherein insulating cap layers are formed on upper portions of said first and second gate electrodes, respectively.

Claim 13

The device according to claim 8, wherein said first and second gate electrodes of said two memory cells each includes a charge storage layer and a control gate, and an insulating film having a three-layered structure consisting of a first oxide film, a nitride film, and a second oxide film is formed between said charge storage layer and said control gate of said first and second gate electrodes.

Claim 14

The device according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of other first conductors arranged to extend parallel to said first conductor and a plurality of other second conductors arranged to extend parallel to said second conductor, said second conductors being arranged at particular intervals with respect to said first conductors.

Claim 15

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a memory cell group comprising a plurality of transistor pairs, each transistor pair comprising a common source diffusion layer and first and second drain diffusion layers, a first gate electrode insulated from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said common source diffusion layer and said first drain diffusion layer; and a second gate electrode insulated from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said common source diffusion layer and said second drain diffusion layer, each of said first and second gate electrodes comprising a charge storing layer for storing a charge and a control gate, the control gates of said gate electrodes being connected to each other in a row direction perpendicular to a column direction of an array of said transistor pairs, said connected control gates constituting a plurality of word lines; an insulating interlayer formed above said memory cell group; a plurality of bit lines formed on said insulating interlayer said bit lines extending in the column direction; at least one source line arranged to extend parallel to at least one of said plurality of bit lines; a plurality of columnar first electrodes for connecting said drain diffusion layers of said memory cell group and said bit lines; and at least one second electrode formed in said insulating interlayer, said at least one second electrode electrically connecting the common source diffusion layers between two adjacent rows of said memory cell group to said at least one source line, said at least one second electrode extending in the row direction and being insulated from said bit lines and said at least one source line except for contact portions thereof which contact said at least one source line.

Claim 16

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a memory cell group comprising a plurality of transistor pairs, each transistor pair comprising a common source diffusion layer and first and second drain diffusion layers, a first gate electrode insulated from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said common source diffusion layer and said first drain diffusion layer; and a second gate electrode insulated from a portion of said semiconductor substrate between said common source diffusion layer and said second drain diffusion layer, each of said first and second gate electrodes comprising a charge storing layer for storing a charge and a control gate, the control gates of said gate electrodes being connected to each other in a row direction perpendicular to a column direction of an array of said transistor pairs, said connected control gates constituting a plurality of word lines; an insulating interlayer formed above said memory cell group; a plurality of bit lines formed on said insulating interlayer said bit lines extending in the column direction; at least one source line arranged to extend parallel to at least one of said plurality of bit lines; a plurality of columnar first electrodes for connecting said drain diffusion layers of said memory cell group and said bit lines; and at least one second electrode formed in said insulating interlayer, said at least one second electrode electrically connecting the common source diffusion layers between two adjacent rows of said memory cell group to said at least one source line, said at least one second electrode extending in the row direction and being insulated from said bit lines and said at least one source line except for contact portions thereof which contact said at least one source line.

Claim 17

The device according to claim 14, wherein said bit lines are parallel to each other, said at least one source line comprises a plurality of source lines parallel to each other, and said source lines are arranged at a particular interval with respect to said plurality of bit lines.

Claim 18

The device according to claim 14, wherein insulating side walls are formed on said first and second gate electrodes, respectively.

Claim 19

The device according to claim 14, wherein insulating cap layers are formed on upper portions of said first and second gate electrodes, respectively.

Claim 20

The device according to claim 14, wherein said charge storing layer and said control gate of each of said first and second gate electrodes are insulatively spaced apart by an insulating film having a three-layered structure consisting of a first oxide film, a nitride film, and a second oxide film.

Claim 21

The device according to claim 14, wherein said second electrode is formed such that a width of an uppermost portion of said second electrode between said first and second gate electrodes is larger than 1/2 a size in a direction of depth.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 14, wherein said first and second electrodes consist essentially of the same refractory metal.

Claim 23

The device according to claim 14; wherein said charge storing layer comprises a floating gate electrode.

Claim 24

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an element isolating film formed on said semiconductor substrate to define element areas; memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell comprising first and second current terminals formed in one of said elements areas, a charge accumulating layer, and a control gate; first conductors each extending in the column direction; first electrodes for connecting the first current terminals of said memory cells to said first conductors; second conductors each extending in the column direction; and second electrodes each extending in the row direction and connecting together the second current terminals of the memory cells in at least one corresponding row of said memory cells, each second electrode having at least one contact portion which contacts one of said second conductors.

Claim 25

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an element isolating film formed on said semiconductor substrate to define element areas; memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell comprising first and second current terminals formed in one of said elements areas, a charge accumulating layer, and a control gate; first conductors each extending in the column direction; first electrodes for connecting the first current terminals of said memory cells to said first conductors; second conductors each extending in the column direction; and second electrodes each extending in the row direction and connecting together the second current terminals of the memory cells in at least one corresponding row of said memory cells, each second electrode having at least one contact portion which contacts one of said second conductors.

Claim 26

The device according to claim 22, wherein the contact portions of said second electrodes are located above said element isolating film.

Claim 27

The device according to claim 22, wherein portions of said second electrodes other than the contact portions thereof are insulated from said first and second conductors.

Claim 28

The device according to claim 22, wherein an upper width of said second electrodes is greater than or equal to one-half of a thickness of said second electrodes above the second current terminals of said memory cells.

Claim 29

A semiconductor memory device comprising: memory cells arranged in rows and columns on a semiconductor substrate, each memory cell comprising a field effect transistor including a source region, a drain region, a charge accumulating layer insulated from a channel region between said source region and said drain region, and a control gate insulated from said charge accumulating layer; an interlayer insulating film; bit lines, said bit lines extending in the column direction; source lines; contact holes formed in said interlayer insulating film to expose the drain regions of said memory cells; bit line contacts formed in said contact holes for electrically connecting the drain regions of said memory cells to said bit lines; slits formed in said interlayer insulating film, each slit extending in the row direction and exposing source regions of said memory cells; and a conductive film formed in said slits, said conductive film including first portions above the source regions and second portions above the spaces between the source regions, wherein said first portions have first upper surface level and at least some of said second portions have a second different upper surface level, and said second portions of said conductive film having the second upper surface level are in contact with corresponding ones of said source lines.

Claim 30

A semiconductor memory device comprising: memory cells arranged in rows and columns on a semiconductor substrate, each memory cell comprising a field effect transistor including a source region, a drain region, a charge accumulating layer insulated from a channel region between said source region and said drain region, and a control gate insulated from said charge accumulating layer; an interlayer insulating film; bit lines, said bit lines extending in the column direction; source lines; contact holes formed in said interlayer insulating film to expose the drain regions of said memory cells; bit line contacts formed in said contact holes for electrically connecting the drain regions of said memory cells to said bit lines; slits formed in said interlayer insulating film, each slit extending in the row direction and exposing source regions of said memory cells; and a conductive film formed in said slits, said conductive film including first portions above the source regions and second portions above the spaces between the source regions, wherein said first portions have first upper surface level and at least some of said second portions have a second different upper surface level, and said second portions of said conductive film having the second upper surface level are in contact with corresponding ones of said source lines.

Claim 31

The device according to claim 26 wherein said charge accumulating layers of said memory cells comprise floating gate electrodes.

Claim 32

The device according to claim 26, wherein an upper width of said first portions of said conductive film is equal to or greater than one-half of a thickness of said first portions of said conductive film.

Claim 33

The device according to claim 26, wherein a thickness of said first portions of said conductive film is close to a thickness of said interlayer insulating film and an upper width of said first portions of said conductive film is about one-half the thickness of said first portions of said conductive film.

Claim 34

The device according to claim 26, wherein said bit lines are insulated from the first portions of said conductive film by said interlayer insulating film.

Claim 35

The device according to claim 26, wherein each of said memory cells further comprise insulating sidewalls formed on the charge accumulating layer and the control gate electrode thereof and a width of said slits in said interlayer insulating film is less than a spacing between the control gate electrodes of memory cells in adjacent rows of said memory cell array and larger than the spacing between lower portions of the insulating sidewalls of memory cells in adjacent rows of said memory cell array.

Claim 36

The device according to claim 26, wherein said bit line contacts and said conductive film are formed of a refractory metal.

Claim 37

The device according to claim 26, wherein said source lines extend in the column direction.

Claim 38

The device according to claim 26, wherein said source lines are formed at intervals of less than one for every 15 columns of said memory cell array.

Claim 39

The device according to claim 34, wherein said source lines are formed at intervals of one for every 64 columns of said memory cell array.

Claim 40

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an element isolating film formed on said semiconductor substrate to define element areas; memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell comprising first and second current terminals formed in one of said elements areas, a charge accumulating layer, and a control gate; bit lines each extending in the column direction; first electrodes for connecting the first current terminals of said memory cells to said bit lines; and second electrodes each extending in the row direction and connecting together the second current terminals of the memory cells in at least one corresponding row of said memory cells, an upper width of said second electrodes being greater than or equal to one-half of a thickness of said second electrodes above the second current terminals of said memory cells.

Claim 41

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an element isolating film formed on said semiconductor substrate to define element areas; memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell comprising first and second current terminals formed in one of said elements areas, a charge accumulating layer, and a control gate; bit lines each extending in the column direction; first electrodes for connecting the first current terminals of said memory cells to said bit lines; and second electrodes each extending in the row direction and connecting together the second current terminals of the memory cells in at least one corresponding row of said memory cells, an upper width of said second electrodes being greater than or equal to one-half of a thickness of said second electrodes above the second current terminals of said memory cells.