Semiconductor memory device

A process for fabricating a semiconductor memory device having a switching transistor and a charge storage capacitor as a minimal unit, said process comprising the steps of:

• forming a word line substantially covered with an insulating film;
• forming a hole pattern by depositing SiO2 and Si3N4 and etching said SiO2 and Si3N4 in that order while using a hole pattern mask which extends onto at least a part of a substrate between word lines or a region including at least a part of said word line;
• depositing a conductive thin film and burying a resist in a hole covered with said conductive thin film;
• etching said conductive thin film while leaving the surface of the inner wall of said hole;
• and
• forming a capacitor insulating film and a plate electrode after etching Si3N4;
• wherein the major region of an active region in which a channel region and source and drain regions of said transistor are formed is so arranged as to be parallel to neither the major portions of word lines constituting said switching transistor nor the major portions of bit lines for writing and reading data.

A process for fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• forming a word line substantially covered with an insulating film;
• forming a hole pattern by depositing SiO2 and Si3N4 and etching said SiO2 and Si3N4 in that order while using a hole pattern mask which extends onto at least a part of a substrate between word lines or a region including at least a part of said word line;
• depositing a conductive thin film and burying a resist in a hole covered with said conductive thin film;
• etching said conductive thin film while leaving the surface of the inner wall of said hole;
• and
• forming a capacitor insulating film and a plate electrode after etching Si3N4.