Non volatile semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method thereof

A non volatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a linear first electrode on the substrate, the longitudinal direction of the linear first electrode being a first direction;
• a linear second electrode on the first electrode, the longitudinal direction of the linear second electrode being a second direction that intersects with the first direction;
• and
• a memory cell between the first electrode and the second electrode at the intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode,
• wherein the memory cell comprises a stack of first to third dielectric films on the first electrode, and particulates in the second dielectric film, the particulates being made of a metal smaller than silicon in free energy decrease amount during oxide formation or made of an alloy of this metal and another metal, the particulates having convex curved upper surfaces.

A method of manufacturing a non volatile semiconductor memory device, the method comprising:

• forming a first electrode on a substrate;
• forming, on the first electrode, a functional film serving as a storage medium;
• forming, on the functional film, a metal film or its alloy film;
• and
• using an agglomeration phenomenon resulting from a heat treatment to form a second electrode having a convex curved upper surface from the metal film or its alloy film.

A method of manufacturing a non volatile semiconductor memory device, the method comprising:

• forming, on a substrate, a linear first electrode which has its longitudinal direction in a first direction;
• forming, on the first electrode, a linear second electrode which has its longitudinal direction in a second direction that intersects with the first direction;
• and
• forming a memory cell between the first electrode and the second electrode at the intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode,
• wherein forming the memory cell comprises;
• forming a first dielectric film on the first electrode, forming, on the first dielectric film, a metal film or metal alloy film which comprises a metal smaller than silicon in free energy decrease amount during oxide formation,
• using an agglomeration phenomenon resulting from a heat treatment to form a metal film pattern having a convex curved upper surface from the metal film or metal alloy film,
• forming a second dielectric film over the metal film pattern, and
• forming a third dielectric film on the second dielectric film.