Method for forming EPROM and flash memory cells with source-side injection
AssigneeNational Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsAlexander Kalnitsky, Albert Bergemont, Christoph Pichler
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Abstract
A method for forming an electrically-programmable read-only-memory (EPROM) or a flash memory cell is disclosed. The EPROM or flash memory cell provides both source-side and drain-side injection, along with a reduced cell size, by forming the memory cell in a trench. The drain is formed in the top surface of the substrate, the source is formed in the bottom surface of the trench, and the stacked gate is formed over the sidewall of the trench.
Claims12
A method for forming a memory device in a semiconductor material of a first conductivity type, the semiconductor material having a top surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a plurality of trenches in the semiconductor material that extend continuously across the semiconductor material, the plurality of trenches defining a plurality of top surface strips that extend continuously across the top surface of the semiconductor material between adjacent pairs of trenches, the plurality of trenches having a plurality of bottom surfaces and sidewall surfaces such that each trench has a bottom surface that extends continuously across the semiconductor material and a pair of sidewall surfaces which connect the bottom surface to adjacent pairs of top surface strips;
- forming a layer of gate oxide over the top surface strips, the bottom surfaces, and the sidewall surfaces;
- forming a layer of first polysilicon (poly-1) on the gate oxide layer;
- forming a layer of interpoly dielectric on the poly-1 layer;
- forming a second layer of polysilicon (poly-2) on the interpoly dielectric layer;
- etching the poly-2 layer, the layer of interpoly dielectric, and the layer of poly-1 to form a plurality of stacked gate structures on each sidewall surface of each trench, each stacked gate structure having a floating gate and a control gate;
- and
- implanting the semiconductor material so that a plurality of drain and source lines that extend continuously across the semiconductor material are formed in the top and the bottom surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.