Method for producing a floating gate memory structure

US8865582B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• IMEC · BE

Inventors

• Roger Loo · Leuven, BE
• Matty Caymax · Leuven, BE
• Pieter Blomme · Heverlee, BE
• Geert Van den Bosch · Leuven, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 25, 2011
• Grant date: Oct 21, 2014
• Expiry date: Feb 8, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D64/661

Abstract

Disclosed are methods for manufacturing floating gate memory devices and the floating gate memory devices thus manufactured. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate, forming a tunnel oxide layer on the substrate, and depositing a protective layer on the tunnel oxide layer to form a stack of the tunnel oxide layer and the protective layer. The method further includes forming at least one opening in the stack, thereby exposing at least one portion of the substrate, and cleaning the at least one exposed portion with a cleaning liquid. The method still further includes loading the substrate comprising the stack into a reactor and, thereafter, performing an in-situ etch to remove the protective layer, using the at least one exposed portion as a source to epitaxially grow a layer comprising the monocrystalline semiconductor material, and forming the layer into at least one columnar floating gate structure.