Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with non-volatile memory comprising a memory cell with an access gate and with a control gate and a charge storage region

Abstract

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body (1) which is provided at a surface (2) with a non-volatile memory comprising a memory cell with a gate structure (4) with an access gate (19) and a gate structure (3) with a control gate (5) and a charge storage region situated between the control gate (5) and the semiconductor body (1), such as a floating gate (6). In this method on the surface (2) of the semiconductor body (1) a first one of said gate structures is formed with side walls (10) extending substantially perpendicular to the surface, a conductive layer is deposited (13) on and next to said first gate-structure, the conductive layer is subjected to a planarizing treatment until the first gate structure is exposed and the so planarized conductive layer is patterned so as to form at least a part of the other gate structure adjoining the first gate structure. Said patterning of the planarized conductive layer is performed in that the planarized conductive layer (14) is etched back so as to expose an upper portion (15) of the side walls of the first gate structure, a spacer (18) is formed on the exposed upper portion (15) of the side walls of first gate structure and the conductive layer (16) is etched anisotropically using the spacer as a mask. Thus very small memory cells can be realized.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.