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Planar structure for non-volatile memory devices

Assignee: Longitude Flash Memory Solutions Ltd
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Filing: 2001-06-27
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Granted: 2003-04-01
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Expires: 2021-06-27
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Abstract

Abstract One aspect of the present invention relates to a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, containing a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; a charge trapping dielectric over the core region of the substrate; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines under the charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and wordlines over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region, wherein the core region is substantially planar.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mark T. Ramsbey
  • 👤 Jean Y. Yang
  • 👤 Hidehiko Shiraiwa
  • 👤 Michael A. Van Buskirk
  • 👤 David M. Rogers
  • 👤 Ravi S. Sunkavalli
  • 👤 Janet S. Wang
  • 👤 Narbeh Derhacobian

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 09:31
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B43/00; H10B43/30; H10B43/40; H10B69/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/954; Y10S438/981

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 98 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; a charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate wherein the charge trapping dielectric in the core region is substantially planar; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and wordlines over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 98 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; a charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate wherein the charge trapping dielectric in the core region is substantially planar; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and wordlines over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 69 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises at least one of an ONO trilayer dielectric, an oxide/nitride bilayer dielectric, a nitride/oxide bilayer dielectric, an oxide/tantalum oxide bilayer dielectric, an oxide/tantalum oxide/oxide trilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate bilayer dielectric, an oxide/barium strontium titanate bilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate/oxide trilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate/barium strontium titanate trilayer dielectric, and an oxide/hafnium oxide/oxide trilayer dielectric.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 32 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises an ONO dielectric comprising at least one of a nitrided oxide layer and a silicon-rich silicon nitride layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the gate dielectric comprises silicon dioxide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the buried bitlines comprise at least one of arsenic, boron, and phosphorus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the wordlines comprise at least one of polysilicon and doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
The memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric has a thickness from about 75 Å to about 300 Å.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 93 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; a charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and substantially planar wordlines having a substantially uniform thickness over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 93 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; a charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and substantially planar wordlines having a substantially uniform thickness over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the gate dielectric in the periphery region has a thickness from about 30 Å to about 300 Å.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 35 words
The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the buried bitlines comprise at least one of arsenic, boron, and phosphorus at a dosage from about 1×10 14 to about 1×10 16 atoms/cm 2 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 67 words
The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises one of an ONO trilayer dielectric, an oxide/nitride bilayer dielectric, a nitride/oxide bilayer dielectric, an oxide/tantalum oxide bilayer dielectric, an oxide/tantalum oxide/oxide trilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate bilayer dielectric, an oxide/barium strontium titanate bilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate/oxide trilayer dielectric, an oxide/strontium titanate/barium strontium titanate trilayer dielectric, and an oxide/hafnium oxide/oxide trilayer dielectric.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 32 words
The memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises an ONO dielectric comprising at least one of a nitrided oxide layer and a silicon-rich silicon nitride layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 96 words
A SONOS flash memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; an ONO charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the ONO charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and substantially planar wordlines having a substantially uniform thickness over the ONO charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 96 words
A SONOS flash memory device, comprising: a substrate, the substrate having a core region and a periphery region; an ONO charge trapping dielectric over the entire core region of the substrate; a gate dielectric in the periphery region of the substrate; buried bitlines directly under the ONO charge trapping dielectric in the core region; and substantially planar wordlines having a substantially uniform thickness over the ONO charge trapping dielectric in the core region, with the proviso that the core region does not comprise bitline oxides and the proviso that the core region does not comprise LOCOS.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
The memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the buried bitlines are formed by implanting at least one of arsenic, boron, and phosphorus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 29 words
The memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the ONO charge trapping dielectric comprises at least one of a nitrided oxide layer and a silicon-rich silicon nitride layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 23 words
The memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the buried bitlines have a width from about 0.18 μm to about 1 μm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
The memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the buried bitlines comprise at least one of an n+ and p+ dopant.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5349221A Cited
US5907171A Cited
US6406960B1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-03-31 2006-09-30 2007-04-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-03-31 2010-09-30 2011-04-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-03-31 2014-09-30 2015-04-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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