Abstract:
A floating gate memory cell (10) has a floating gate in which there are two floating gate layers (18, 22). The top layer (22) is etched to provide a contour in the top layer (22) while leaving the lower layer (18) unchanged. The control gate (38) follows the contour of the floating gate (22) to increase capacitance therebetween. The two layers (18, 22) of the floating gate can be polysilicon separated by a very thin etch stop layer (20). This etch stop layer (20) is thick enough to provide an etch stop during a polysilicon etch but preferably thin enough to be electrically transparent. Electrons are able to easily move between the two layers (22, 18). Thus the etch of the top layer (22) does not extend into the lower layer (18) but the first (18) and second layer (22) have the electrical effect for the purposes of a floating gate of being a continuous conductive layer.
Abstract:
A method to improve the coupling ratio between a control gate (18) and a floating gate (14) of a floating gate non-volatile semiconductor device is described. In a stacked gate floating gate transistor according to the invention, a conductive spacer (24) is used at both sides of the stack. The conductive spacer (24) is galvanically connected to the control gate (18), preferably by means of a conductive layer (34), whereas it is separated from the floating gate (14) by means of an insulating layer (22). The capacitance (C1, C2) between both conductive spacers (24) and the side walls of the floating gate (14) adds up to the normal capacitance between control gate (18) and floating gate (14).
Abstract:
Disclosed is a self-aligned non-volatile memory cell (200) comprising a small sidewall spacer (239) electrically coupled and being located next to a main floating gate region (212). Both the small sidewall spacer (239) and the main floating gate region (212) are formed on a substrate (204) and both form the floating gate of the non-volatile memory cell. Both are isolated electrically from the substrate by an oxide layer (232) which is thinner (260) between the small sidewall spacer (239) and the substrate (204); and is thicker (263) between the main floating gate region (212) and the substrate (204). The small sidewall spacer (239) can be made small; therefore, the thin oxide layer area can also be made small to create a small pathway for electrons to tunnel into the floating gate.
Abstract:
A memory cell comprises a MOS transistor including a source region (5), a drain region (6) and a gate electrode (4); ferroelectric film (2) formed on insulating film (3) over the source region of the MOS transistor; and an electrode (1) formed on the ferroelectric film. The memory cell is formed of fewer elements, while avoiding the destruction and disturbance of retrieved data.
Abstract:
A vertical channel flash memory cell with a silicon germanium layer (24) in the channel region provides enhanced secondary electron injection when programming the device. The device includes a silicon substrate (10), a silicon germanium alloy layer (24) epitaxially grown on the substrate, and a silicon layer (260) epitaxially grown on the silicon germanium layer. A sidewall through the stacked structure is formed by etching thereby exposing edges of the silicon layer and the silicon germanium layer and a portion of the substrate. A floating gate (18) is formed overlying the sidewall and insulated therefrom with a control gate (20) overlying the floating gate and insulated therefrom. A source region (14) is formed in the silicon layer and a drain region (12) is formed in the substrate with a channel therebetween along the sidewall and including the silicon germanium layer. The silicon germanium layer (24) is preferably compressively strained and can have a uniform mole fraction or a graded mole fraction. The vertical structure permits the fabrication of flash memory cells with smaller dimensions and lower operating voltages.
Abstract:
A memory cell comprises a MOS transistor including a source region (5), a drain region (6) and a gate electrode (4); ferroelectric film (2) formed on insulating film (3) over the source region of the MOS transistor; and an electrode (1) formed on the ferroelectric film. The memory cell is formed of fewer elements, while avoiding the destruction and disturbance of retrieved data.
Abstract:
Memory cell having a floating gate (41) with lateral edges (41a, 41b) which are aligned directly above edges (42a), (42b) of the active area (42) in the substrate (46), a control gate (43) positioned directly above the floating gate (41), and a select gate (44) spaced laterally from the control gate (43). The memory cell is fabricated by forming a poly-1 layer and an overlying dielectric film on a substrate in areas in which the stack transistors are to be formed, forming a poly-2 layer over the dielectric film and over areas of the substrate in which the select transistors are to be formed, patterning the poly-2 layer to form control gates for the stack transistors and select gates for the select transistors, removing the poly-1 layer and the dielectric film to form floating gates in areas which are not covered by the control gates, and forming source and drain regions in the substrate.
Abstract:
A nonvolatile memory cell (10a, 10b) which is highly scalable includes a cell formed in a triple well (44, 46). A pair of sources (32, 34) for a pair of cells on adjacent word lines (36) each acts as the emitter of a lateral bipolar transistor (68). The lateral bipolar transistor (68) of one cell (10) operates as a charge injector for the other cell (10). The charge injector provides carriers for substrate hot carrier injection onto a floating gate (28b).
Abstract:
Maximized multi-state compaction and more tolerance in memory state behavior is achieved through a flexible, self-consistent and self-adapting mode of detection, covering a wide dynamic range. For high density multi-state encoding, this approach borders on full analog treatment, dictating analog techniques including A to D type conversion to reconstruct and process the data. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, the memory array is read with high fidelity, not to provide actual final digital data, but rather to provide raw data accurately reflecting the analog storage state, which information is sent to a memory controller for analysis and detection of the actual final digital data.