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US 8,912,061 B2Granted
Floating gate device with oxygen scavenging element
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorMartin M. Frank
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A floating gate device is provided. A tunnel oxide layer is formed over the channel. A floating gate is formed over the tunnel oxide layer. A high-k dielectric layer is formed over the floating gate. A control gate is formed over the high-k dielectric layer. At least one of the control gate and/or the floating gate includes an oxygen scavenging element. The oxygen scavenging element is configured to decrease an oxygen density at least one of at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer, at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate, at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer, and at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel responsive to annealing.
Claims18
A method for forming a floating gate device, comprising:
- forming a tunnel oxide layer over a channel;
- forming a floating gate over the tunnel oxide layer;
- forming a high-k dielectric layer over the floating gate;
- forming a control gate over the high-k dielectric layer, the control gate comprising an oxygen scavenging element;
- wherein the floating gate device is formed of the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- after the floating gate device has been formed by the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate, annealing the floating gate device in order to decrease by the oxygen scavenging element an oxygen density at, at least one of, the first native oxide layer at the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and the second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate.
4 more elements
A method for forming a floating gate device, comprising:
- forming a tunnel oxide layer over a channel;
- forming a floating gate over the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate comprising an oxygen scavenging element;
- forming a high-k dielectric layer over the floating gate;
- forming a control gate over the high-k dielectric layer;
- wherein the floating gate device is formed of the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- after the floating gate device has been formed by the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate, annealing the floating gate device in order to at least one of:
- decrease by the oxygen scavenging element an oxygen density at the first native oxide layer at the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer;
- decrease by the oxygen scavenging element the oxygen density at the second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- decrease by the oxygen scavenging element the oxygen density at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer;
- and
- decrease by the oxygen scavenging element the oxygen density at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel.
9 more elements
A method for forming a floating gate device, comprising:
- forming a tunnel oxide layer over a channel;
- forming a floating gate over the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate comprising a first oxygen scavenging element;
- forming a high-k dielectric layer over the floating gate;
- forming a control gate over the high-k dielectric layer, the control gate comprising a second oxygen scavenging element;
- wherein the floating gate device is formed of the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- after the floating gate device has been formed by the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate, the high-k dielectric layer, and the control gate, annealing the floating gate device in order to at least one of:
- decrease by the first and second oxygen scavenging elements an oxygen density at the first native oxide layer at a-the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer;
- decrease by the first and second oxygen scavenging elements the oxygen density at the second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- decrease by the first oxygen scavenging element the oxygen density at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer;
- and
- decrease by the first oxygen scavenging element the oxygen density at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.