Method of manufacturing a MOS integrated circuit having components with different dielectrics

• US 6,114,203 A
• Filed: 05/10/1996
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Clementi, Cesare, Ghidini, Gabriella
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitehead, Jr., Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US08/644,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 438/201, 438/217, 438/275, 438/258, 438/231, 438/287, 438/232, 438/264, 438/591, 438/FOR 168
• US Class Current: 438/258
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02238 silicon in uncombined form, i.e. pure silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02255 formation by thermal treatment H01L21/02252 takes precedence; after treatment of an insulating film H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02332 into an oxide layer, e.g. changing SiO to SiON
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02337 treatment by exposure to a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3145 formed by deposition from a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/40 characterised by the peripheral circuit region
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/46 with an inter-gate dielectric layer also being used as part of the peripheral transistor

Abstract

The method described provides for the formation of thin thermal oxide on areas of a silicon die intended for memory cells and other components of the peripheral circuits of the memory. To improve the quality of the oxide of the cells essentially in terms of resistance to degradation due to the passage of charges through it during the operation of the memory, the method provides for a step for the high-temperature nitriding of the oxide. According to a variant, the nitrided oxide formed on the areas intended for the components of the peripheral circuits is removed and then formed again by a similar thermal oxidation treatment followed by high-temperature nitriding.

Claims

1. A method for forming an integrated device, comprising:

forming in a first section of a substrate having a first conductivity a first region having a second conductivity;

forming in a second section of said substrate a second region having said first conductivity;

forming a first oxide layer on said substrate;

treating said first oxide layer with a nitride;

forming a first conductive layer on said first nitrided oxide layer;

forming a dielectric layer on said first conductive layer;

removing portions of said dielectric, conductive, and nitrided oxide layers that are on said second section of said substrate;

forming a second oxide layer on said second section of said substrate after said removing portions of said dielectric, conductive, and nitrided oxide layers;

treating said second oxide layer with a nitride;

forming a second conductive layer on said second nitrided oxide layer and on a remaining portion of said dielectric layer; and

forming nonvolatile memory cells in said first section of said substrate and forming peripheral transistors in said second section of said substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first conductivity is p-type and said second conductivity is n-type.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming a second conductive layer comprises:

forming a layer of polysilicon on said second nitrided oxide layer and on said remaining portion of said dielectric layer; and

forming a layer of silicide on said layer of polysilicon.

4. A method for forming an integrated device, comprising:

forming in a first section of a substrate having a first conductivity a first region having a second conductivity;

forming in a second section of said substrate a second region having said first conductivity;

forming a first oxide layer on said substrate;

treating said first oxide layer with a nitride;

forming a first conductive layer on said first nitrided oxide layer;

removing portions of said conductive and nitrided oxide layers that are on said second section of said substrate;

forming, after said removing portions of said conductive and nitrided oxide layers, a second oxide layer on said second section of said substrate and on a remaining portion of said first conductive layer;

treating said second oxide layer with a nitride;

forming a second conductive layer on said second nitrided oxide layer; and

forming nonvolatile memory cells in said first section of said substrate and forming peripheral transistors in said second section of said substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said forming a first conductive layer comprises forming a polysilicon layer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said forming memory cells and transistors comprises:

forming floating gates of said memory cells in said first conductive layer;

forming control gates of said memory cells in said second conductive layer; and

forming gates of said transistors in said second conductive layer.

7. A method for forming an integrated device, comprising:

forming in a first section of a substrate having a first conductivity a first region having a second conductivity;

forming in a second section of said substrate a second region having said first conductivity;

forming a first oxide layer on said substrate;

treating said first oxide layer with a nitride;

removing a portion of said first nitrided oxide layer that is on said second section of said substrate;

forming a second oxide layer on said second section of said substrate layer after said removing;

treating said second oxide layer with a nitride;

forming a conductive layer on said first and second nitrided oxide layers; and

forming memory cells in said first section of said substrate and forming peripheral transistors in said second section of said substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said forming memory cells and transistors comprises forming gate electrodes of said memory cells and said transistors in said conductive layer.

9. A method of forming structural elements, each comprising a dielectric and an electrically-conductive element thereon, in manufacturing an integrated circuit with memory cells and peripheral circuits on a monocrystalline silicon die, the memory cells and peripheral circuits having structural elements with dielectrics of different characteristics in contact with the silicon die, the method including formation of first and second dielectrics having thermal oxidation treatments to form silicon dioxide on areas of the die intended for the memory cells and peripheral circuits and for the formation of electrically-conductive material on the first and second dielectrics, the formation of the first and second dielectrics comprising:

a first oxidation step comprising at least one thermal oxidation treatment;

a nitriding step;

a step for the removal of the silicon dioxide from the areas intended for the peripheral circuits;

a reoxidation step comprising at least one thermal oxidation treatment; and

a further nitriding step.

10. The method according to claim 9 in which the formation of electrically-conductive material comprises a step for the deposition of polycrystalline silicon before the removal step, the method further comprising a step, before the latter removal, for the removal of the polycrystalline silicon at least from the areas intended for the peripheral circuits, and in which the formation of electrically-conductive material comprises a further step for the deposition of polycrystalline silicon followed by a step for the selective removal thereof to form electrically-conductive elements on the areas intended for the memory cells and peripheral circuits.

11. The method according to claim 10 in which the step for the selective removal of the polycrystalline silicon also comprises the formation of electrically-conductive elements on the areas intended for the memory cells and peripheral circuits.

12. The method according to claim 9 in which the nitriding is carried out in an atmosphere containing nitrous oxide (N₂ O) at a temperature of between 750 and 1050°

C.