Fabricating non-volatile memory with dual voltage select gate structure

• US 7,691,710 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Mokhlesi, Nima, Higashitani, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum; David S
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUKE, DANIEL M
• Application Number:
  US11/550,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20080090351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 438/266, 438/592, 438/275, 438/257, 257/E21.179, 257/E21.68
• US Class Current: 438/266
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5628 Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5642 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0483 comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/24 Bit-line control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28114 characterised by the sectional shape, e.g. T, inverted-T
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42376 characterised by the length or the sectional shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/30 characterised by the memory core region
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/35 with a cell select transistor, e.g. NAND
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 69/00 Erasable-and-programmable ROM [EPROM] devices not provided for in groups H10B41/00 - H10B63/00, e.g. ultraviolet erasable-and-programmable ROM [UVEPROM] devices

Abstract

A select gate structure for a non-volatile storage system include a select gate and a coupling electrode which are independently drivable. The coupling electrode is adjacent to a word line in a NAND string and has a voltage applied which reduces gate induced drain lowering (GIDL) program disturb of an adjacent unselected non-volatile storage element. In particular, an elevated voltage can be applied to the coupling electrode when the adjacent word line is used for programming. A reduced voltage is applied when a non-adjacent word line is used for programming. The voltage can also be set based on other programming criterion. The select gate is provided by a first conductive region while the coupling electrode is provided by a second conductive region formed over, and isolated from, the first conductive region.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a select gate structure, comprising:

forming a first conductive portion over a substrate;

forming a dielectric portion over a first part of the first conductive portion and over the substrate;

forming a conductive layer over the first conductive portion and the dielectric portion;

etching the conductive layer to form spaced apart second and third conductive portions, the second conductive portion being over the dielectric portion and electrically isolated from the first conductive portion by the dielectric portion, and the third conductive portion is over, and electrically contacting, a second part of the first conductive portion; and

forming control lines for independently driving the first and second conductive portions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the third conductive portion forms part of one of the control lines.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the third conductive portion is spaced apart from the second conductive portion in a bit line direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first conductive portion provides at least part of a select gate; and

the second conductive portion provides a coupling electrode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second conductive portions extend in a word line direction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming source/drain regions in the substrate adjacent to either side of the first conductive portion.

7. A method for fabricating a select gate structure, comprising:

forming a first conductive portion over an insulating layer on a substrate;

forming a second conductive portion over a first part of the first conductive portion, the second conductive portion being electrically coupled to the first conductive portion;

forming a dielectric portion over a second part of the first conductive portion;

forming a third conductive portion over the dielectric portion, the third conductive portion being electrically isolated from the first conductive portion by the dielectric portion and spaced apart from the second conductive portion, the second and third conductive portions are formed by forming a conductive layer over the first conductive portion and the dielectric portion and etching the conductive layer; and

forming a protective dielectric layer which covers an exposed portion of the first conductive portion between the second and third conductive portions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first and second conductive portions provide a select gate; and

the third conductive portion provides a coupling electrode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the select gate and coupling electrode are independently drivable.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the second and third conductive portions extend in a word line direction.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the third conductive portion is spaced apart from the second conductive portion in a bit line direction.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forming first and second source/drain regions in the substrate, the first conductive portion extending continuously between, in a bit line direction, the first and second source/drain regions.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first conductive portion is formed from a first polysilicon layer; and

the conductive layer from which the second and third conductive portions are formed is a second polysilicon layer.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the protective dielectric layer covers opposing side walls of the second and third conductive portions.