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US 9,177,808 B2Granted
Memory device with control gate oxygen diffusion control and method of making thereof
AssigneeSanDisk Technologies LLC
InventorsVinod R. Purayath, James Kai, Donovan Lee, Akira Matsudaira, Yuan Zhang
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Abstract
An embodiment relates to a memory device that includes a semiconductor channel, a tunnel dielectric located over the semiconductor channel, a charge storage region located over the tunnel dielectric, a blocking dielectric located over the charge storage region, and a control gate located over the blocking dielectric. An interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate substantially prevents oxygen diffusion from the blocking dielectric into the control gate.
Claims20
A memory device, comprising:
- a semiconductor channel;
- a tunnel dielectric located over the semiconductor channel;
- a charge storage region located over the tunnel dielectric;
- a blocking dielectric located over the charge storage region;
- and
- a control gate located over the blocking dielectric;
- wherein an interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate substantially prevents oxygen diffusion from the blocking dielectric into the control gate;
- wherein the blocking dielectric contains at least one metal oxide layer below the interface;
- wherein the blocking dielectric comprises a first hafnium oxide layer located over the charge storage region and a first aluminum oxide layer located over the first hafnium oxide layer;
- and
- further comprising at least one of (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e):
- (a) further comprising a hafnium oxynitride barrier layer located at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate, wherein the hafnium oxynitride barrier layer contacts the first aluminum oxide layer;
- (b) further comprising a hafnium oxynitride barrier layer located at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate, and a second hafnium oxide layer located between the hafnium oxynitride barrier layer and the first aluminum oxide layer;
- (c) further comprising a hafnium oxynitride barrier layer located at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate, wherein the hafnium oxynitride barrier layer contains between 2 and 5 atomic percent nitrogen;
- (d) further comprising a second aluminum oxide barrier layer located at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate;
- or
- (e) further comprising a titanium silicide nitride barrier layer located at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate.
14 more elements
A method of making a memory device, comprising:
- forming a tunnel dielectric over a semiconductor channel;
- forming a charge storage region over the tunnel dielectric;
- forming a blocking dielectric over the charge storage region;
- and
- forming a control gate over the blocking dielectric;
- wherein an interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate substantially prevents oxygen diffusion from the blocking dielectric into the control gate;
- wherein the blocking dielectric contains at least one metal oxide layer below the interface;
- wherein the blocking dielectric comprises a first hafnium oxide layer located over the charge storage region and a first aluminum oxide layer located over the first hafnium oxide layer;
- and
- further comprising at least one of (a), (b), (c) or (d):
- (a) further comprising forming a hafnium oxynitride barrier layer at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate, wherein the hafnium oxynitride barrier layer is formed by nitriding at least an upper surface of a second hafnium oxide layer located over the first aluminum oxide layer;
- (b) further comprising forming a hafnium oxynitride barrier layer at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate, wherein the hafnium oxynitride barrier layer contains between 2 and 5 atomic percent nitrogen;
- (c) further comprising forming a second aluminum oxide barrier layer at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate;
- or
- (d) further comprising forming a titanium silicide nitride barrier layer at the interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.