Memory cell with self-aligned floating gate and separate select gate, and fabrication process
First Claim
1. In a memory cell:
- a substrate having an active area with source and drain regions on opposite sides of the active area, a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area and overlying portions of the source and drain regions, a control gate positioned directly above the floating gate, and a select gate positioned entirely to one side of the floating gate and the control gate.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Memory cell having a floating gate with lateral edges which are aligned directly above edges of the active area in the substrate, a control gate positioned directly above the floating gate, and a select gate spaced laterally from the control gate. The floating gate has a bottom wall and side walls which face corresponding walls of the control gate in capacitive coupling relationship, with the height of the side walls being on the order of 80 to 160 percent of the width of the bottom wall. In some embodiments, the floating gate is wider than the overlying control gate and has projecting portions which overlie the source and drain regions of the stack transistor. 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. The floating gates are aligned with active areas in the substrate by forming isolation oxide regions which extend above the substrate at the edges of the active areas, and forming the floating gates on the sides of the isolation oxide regions in alignment with the edges of the active areas.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. In a memory cell:
- a substrate having an active area with source and drain regions on opposite sides of the active area, a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area and overlying portions of the source and drain regions, a control gate positioned directly above the floating gate, and a select gate positioned entirely to one side of the floating gate and the control gate.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
12. In a process of fabricating a memory cell, the steps of:
- forming an active area in a substrate, forming a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area, forming a control gate directly above the floating gate, forming a select gate entirely to one side of the floating gate and the control gate, and forming source and drain regions on opposite sides of the active area with the laterally extending portions of the floating gate overlying portions of the source and drain regions.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
23. In a memory cell:
- a substrate having an active area with source and drain regions of different junction depth on opposite sides of the active area, a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area and overlying portions of the source and drain regions, a control gate positioned directly above the floating gate, a select gate positioned to one side of the floating gate and the control gate, and additional source and drain regions formed in the substrate toward opposite sides of the select gate.
- View Dependent Claims (24)
-
25. In a process of fabricating a memory cell, the steps of:
- forming an active area in a substrate, forming a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area, forming a control gate directly above the floating gate, forming a select gate entirely to one side of the floating gate and the control gate, forming source and drain regions of different junction depth on opposite sides of the active area with the laterally extending portions of the floating gate overlying portions of the source and drain regions, and forming additional source and drain regions in the substrate toward opposite sides of the select gate.
- View Dependent Claims (26)
-
27. In a memory cell:
-
a substrate;
a stack transistor formed on the substrate, comprising an active area in the substrate with source and drain regions on opposite sides of the active area, a floating gate which overlies the active area with portions of the floating gate extending laterally beyond the active area and overlying portions of the source and drain regions, and a control gate positioned directly above the floating gate; and
a select transistor formed on the substrate to one side of the stack transistor, comprising a select gate positioned entirely to the side of the stack transistor, and additional source and drain regions formed in the substrate toward opposite sides of the select gate. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
Specification