Back to results
US 8,941,169 B2Granted
Floating gate device with oxygen scavenging element
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorMartin M. Frank
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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 floating gate device, comprising:
- a tunnel oxide layer formed over a channel;
- a floating gate formed over the tunnel oxide layer;
- a high-k dielectric layer formed over the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate formed over the high-k dielectric layer, the control gate comprising an oxygen scavenging element;
- the oxygen scavenging element being configured to decrease an oxygen density at, at least one of, a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein annealing the floating gate device, after the floating gate device is formed, decreases by the oxygen scavenging element an oxygen density, at least one of, at the first native oxide layer in the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and at the second native oxide layer in the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein the oxygen scavenging element comprises oxygen impurities that are materialized after forming the floating gate device and as a result of the annealing the floating gate device.
6 more elements
A floating gate device, comprising:
- a tunnel oxide layer formed over a channel;
- a floating gate formed over the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate comprising an oxygen scavenging element;
- a high-k dielectric layer formed over the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate formed over the high-k dielectric layer;
- the oxygen scavenging element being configured to at least one of decrease an oxygen density at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer, decrease the oxygen density at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate, decrease the oxygen density at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer, and decrease the oxygen density at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein annealing the floating gate device, after the floating gate device is formed, decreases by the oxygen scavenging element an oxygen density, at least one of, at the first native oxide layer in the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and at the second native oxide layer in the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein the oxygen scavenging element comprises oxygen impurities that are materialized after forming the floating gate device and as a result of the annealing the floating gate device.
6 more elements
A floating gate device, comprising:
- a tunnel oxide layer formed over a channel;
- a floating gate formed over the tunnel oxide layer, the floating gate comprising a first oxygen scavenging element;
- a high-k dielectric layer formed over the floating gate;
- and
- a control gate formed over the high-k dielectric layer, the control gate comprising a second oxygen scavenging element;
- the first and second oxygen scavenging elements being configured to at least one of decrease an oxygen density at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and decrease the oxygen density at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- the first oxygen scavenging element being configured to at least one of decrease the oxygen density at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer and decrease the oxygen density at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel;
- wherein forming the floating gate device causes a first native oxide layer at the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and causes a second native oxide layer at the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein annealing the floating gate device, after the floating gate device is formed, decreases by the first and second oxygen scavenging elements the oxygen density, at least one of, at the first native oxide layer in the first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer and at the second native oxide layer in the second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate;
- wherein the first and second oxygen scavenging elements comprise oxygen impurities that are materialized after forming the floating gate device and as a result of the annealing the floating gate device.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.