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US 6,656,792 B2Granted
Nanocrystal flash memory device and manufacturing method therefor
AssigneeChartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsWee Kiong Choi, Wai Kin Chim, Vivian Ng, Lap Chan
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Abstract
A Flash memory is provided having a trilayer structure of rapid thermal oxide/germanium (Ge) nanocrystals in silicon dioxide (SiO2)/sputtered SiO2 cap with demonstrated via capacitance versus voltage (C-V) measurements having memory hysteresis due to Ge nanocrystals in the middle layer of the trilayer structure. The Ge nanocrystals are synthesized by rapid thermal annealing of a co-sputtered Ge+SiO2 layer.
Claims32
A method for manufacturing a Flash memory device comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a first insulator layer over the semiconductor wafer;
- forming a nanocrystal-insulator layer over the first insulator layer, the forming the nanocrystal-insulator layer uses from 1 to 5 atomic percentage of nanocrystal material;
- forming a second insulator layer over the nanocrystal-insulator layer;
- and
- rapid thermal annealing the first insulator layer, the nanocrystal-insulator layer, and the second insulator layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a Flash memory device comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a first insulator layer over the semiconductor wafer;
- forming a nanocrystal-insulator layer over the first insulator layer;
- forming a second insulator layer over the nanocrystal-insulator layer;
- and
- rapid thermal annealing the first insulator layer, the nanocrystal-insulator layer, and the second insulator layer to provide more nanocrystals proximate the first insulator layer to nanocrystal-insulator layer than proximate the nanocrystal-insulator layer to the second insulator layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a Flash memory device comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a first oxide layer over the semiconductor wafer;
- forming a germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer over the first oxide layer, the forming the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer uses from about 1 to 5 atomic percentage of germanium material;
- forming a second oxide layer over the germaniun-oxide layer;
- and
- rapid thermal annealing the first oxide layer, the germanium crystal-oxide layer, and the second oxide layer.
3 more elements
A method for manufacturing a Flash memory device comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a first oxide layer over the semiconductor wafer;
- forming a germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer over the first oxide layer;
- forming a second oxide layer over the germanium-oxide layer;
- and
- rapid thermal annealing the first oxide layer, the germanium-oxide layer, and the second oxide layer to provide more germanium nanocrystals proximate the first oxide layer to germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer than proximate the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer to the second oxide layer.
3 more elements
A Flash device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first insulator layer formed over the semiconductor substrate;
- a nanocrystal-insulator layer formed over the first insulator layer, the nanocrystal-insulator layer contains from 1 to 5 atomic percentage of nanocrystal material;
- a second insulator layer formed over the nanocrystal-insulator layer;
- and nanocrystals proximate the first insulator layer and the nanocrystal-insulator layer.
2 more elements
A Flash device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first insulator layer formed over the semiconductor substrate;
- a nanocrystal-insulator layer formed over the first insulator layer;
- a second insulator layer formed over the nanocrystal-insulator layer;
- and
- nanocrystals proximate the first insulator layer and the nanocrystal-insulator layer wherein more nanocrystals are proximate the first insulator layer to nanocrystal-insulator layer than proximate the nanocrystal-insulator layer to the second insulator layer.
3 more elements
A Flash device comprising:
- a silicon substrate;
- a first oxide layer formed over the silicon substrate;
- a germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer formed over the first oxide layer, the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer contains from about 1 to 5 atomic percentage of germanium material;
- a second oxide layer formed over the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer;
- and
- germanium nanocrystals proximate the first oxide layer, the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer, and the second oxide layer.
3 more elements
A Flash device comprising:
- a silicon substrate;
- a first oxide layer formed over the silicon substrate;
- a germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer formed over the first oxide layer;
- a second oxide layer formed over the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer;
- and
- germanium nanocrystals proximate the first oxide layer, the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer, and the second oxide layer wherein more germanium nanocrystals are proximate the first oxide layer to germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer than proximate the germanium nanocrystal-oxide layer to the second oxide layer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.