Method of fabricating a semiconductor device

Abstract

In a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, a charge storage layer is etched using an etching gas by which a tunnel insulating layer is less etched than the charge storage layer. Thus, it is possible to prevent the tunnel insulating layer formed below the charge storage layer from being damaged when the charge storage layer is patterned. The method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate on which a tunnel insulating layer and a charge storage layer formed of an insulating material are formed; forming a stack layer on the charge storage; patterning the stack layer to expose a portion of the charge storage layer; and etching the exposed charge storage layer using as etching gas hydrogen bromide (HBr) gas, chloride (Cl2) gas, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas or a mixture gas thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.