Method of forming non-volatile memory having charge trap layer with compositional gradient

US7816205B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Mihaela Balseanu · Sunnyvale, US
• Vladimir Zubkov · Mountain View, US
• Li-Qun Xia · Santa Clara, US
• Atif Noori · Saratoga, US
• Reza Arghavani · Scotts Valley, US
• Derek R. Witty · Fremont, US
• Amir Al-Bayati · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 22, 2008
• Grant date: Oct 19, 2010
• Expiry date: Oct 22, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/02351
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A flash memory device and method of forming a flash memory device are provided. The flash memory device includes a silicon nitride layer having a compositional gradient in which the ratio of silicon to nitrogen varies through the thickness of the layer. The silicon nitride layer having a compositional gradient of silicon and nitrogen provides an increase in charge holding capacity and charge retention time of the unit cell of a non-volatile memory device.