Semiconductor devices comprising floating gate transistors and methods of forming such semiconductor devices
First Claim
1. A semiconductor device including at least one transistor comprising:
- a floating gate including;
a first end portion;
a second end portion opposite the first end portion; and
an intermediate portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion including a curved recess in at least one outside surface of the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion of the floating gate having a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the first end portion of the floating gate and a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the second end portion of the floating gate; and
a control gate capacitively coupled with and electrically isolated from the floating gate, the control gate comprising at least one protrusion disposed at least partially within the curved recess of the intermediate portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Semiconductor devices include one or more transistors having a floating gate and a control gate. In at least one embodiment, the floating gate comprises an intermediate portion extending between two end portions. The intermediate portion has an average cross-sectional area less than one or both of the end portions. In some embodiments, the intermediate portion may comprise a single nanowire. In additional embodiments, semiconductor devices have one or more transistors having a control gate and a floating gate in which a surface of the control gate opposes a lateral side surface of a floating gate that defines a recess in the floating gate. Electronic systems include such semiconductor devices. Methods of forming semiconductor devices include, for example, forming a floating gate having an intermediate portion extending between two end portions, and configuring the intermediate portion to have an average cross-sectional area less than one or both of the end portions.
75 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A semiconductor device including at least one transistor comprising:
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a floating gate including; a first end portion; a second end portion opposite the first end portion; and an intermediate portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion including a curved recess in at least one outside surface of the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion of the floating gate having a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the first end portion of the floating gate and a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the second end portion of the floating gate; and a control gate capacitively coupled with and electrically isolated from the floating gate, the control gate comprising at least one protrusion disposed at least partially within the curved recess of the intermediate portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of forming a semiconductor device having at least one transistor, the method comprising:
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disposing a floating gate proximate to a semiconductor material, the floating gate comprising a first end portion opposite a second end portion; removing a portion of the floating gate to form a curved recess in at least one outside surface of an intermediate portion of the floating gate, the intermediate portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion of the floating gate and having a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the first end portion of the floating gate and a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the second end portion of the floating gate; and disposing a control gate proximate to the floating gate with at least a portion of the floating gate extending into the curved recess in the at least one outside surface of the intermediate portion of the floating gate with the control gate electrically isolated from and capacitively coupled to the floating gate. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A semiconductor device including at least one transistor comprising:
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a semiconductor material; a floating gate electrically isolated from the semiconductor material, the floating gate comprising; a first end portion; a second end portion opposite the first end portion; and an intermediate portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion including at least one concave outside surface and having a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the first end portion of the floating gate and a smaller average cross-section than an average cross-section of the second end portion of the floating gate; and a control gate electrically isolated from the floating gate, the control gate comprising at least one surface opposing the at least one outside surface of the intermediate portion of the floating gate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification