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US 12,015,026 B2Granted
Methods of forming circuit-protection devices
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Smith, Kenneth W. Marr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of forming a circuit-protection device include forming a dielectric having a first thickness and a second thickness greater than the first thickness over a semiconductor, forming a conductor over the dielectric, and patterning the conductor to retain a portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the second thickness, and to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the first thickness, wherein the retained portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device.
Claims20
A method of forming a circuit-protection device, comprising:
- forming a dielectric having a first thickness, and having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, over a semiconductor;
- after forming the dielectric having the first thickness and having the second thickness, forming a conductor over and in contact with the dielectric having the first thickness and having the second thickness;
- and
- patterning the conductor to retain a portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the second thickness, and to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the first thickness;
- wherein the retained portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device.
2 more elements
A method of forming a circuit-protection device, comprising:
- forming a dielectric having a first thickness, having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and having a third thickness greater than the second thickness, over a semiconductor;
- forming a conductor over the dielectric having the first thickness and having the second thickness;
- and
- patterning the conductor to retain a portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the second thickness, and to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the first thickness;
- wherein the retained portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device;
- wherein forming the dielectric comprises forming the portion of the dielectric having the first thickness after forming at least some dielectric over a portion of the semiconductor corresponding to the portion of the dielectric having the second thickness;
- and
- wherein forming the dielectric further comprises forming the portion of the dielectric having the first thickness after forming at least some dielectric over a portion of the semiconductor corresponding to a portion of the dielectric having the third thickness.
5 more elements
A method of forming a circuit-protection device, comprising:
- forming a dielectric having a first thickness, and having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, over a semiconductor, wherein forming the dielectric comprises:
- forming a first portion of the dielectric over a first portion of the semiconductor;
- forming a second portion of the dielectric over the first portion of the semiconductor, and over a second portion of the semiconductor;
- forming a conductor over the dielectric;
- and
- patterning the conductor to retain a portion of the conductor over the first portion of the dielectric having the second thickness, and to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a portion of the second portion of the dielectric having the first thickness;
- wherein the retained portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device.
4 more elements
A method of forming a circuit-protection device, comprising:
- forming a dielectric having a first thickness, having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and having a third thickness less than the first thickness, over a semiconductor;
- forming a conductor over the dielectric;
- and
- patterning the conductor to retain a first portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the second thickness, to retain a second portion of the conductor over a first portion of the dielectric having the first thickness, to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a second portion of the dielectric having the first thickness, and to retain substantially no portion of the conductor over a portion of the dielectric having the third thickness;
- wherein the retained first portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a first field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device;
- and
- wherein the retained second portion of the conductor defines a control gate of a second field-effect transistor of the circuit-protection device.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.