Patent · US Expired

Process for fabricating an ONO floating-gate electrode in a two-bit EEPROM device using rapid-thermal-chemical-vapor-deposition

US6180538A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
5References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 25, 1999
Grant dateJan 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 25, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/022
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A process for fabricating an ONO floating-gate electrode in a two-bit EEPROM device includes the formation of a first and second oxide layers using a high-temperature-oxide (HTO) deposition process in which the HTO process is carried out at a temperature of about 700 to about 800.degree. C. The process further includes the sequential formation of a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, and a second silicon oxide layer using an RTCVD process in which the silicon nitride layer is not exposed to ambient atmosphere prior to the formation of the top oxide layer. The formation of the first and second oxide layers using an RTCVD process provides an improved two-bit EEPROM memory device by reducing charge leakage in the ONO floating-gate electrode.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.