Semiconductor devices suitable for narrow pitch applications and methods of fabrication thereof

US8871645B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Udayan Ganguly · San Jose, US
• Yoshita Yokota · San Jose, US
• Jing Tang · Santa Clara, US
• Sunderraj Thirupapuliyur · San Jose, US
• Christopher S. Olsen · Fremont, US
• Shiyu Sun · Shanghai, CN
• Tze Wing Poon · Sunnyvale, US
• Wei Liu · Espoo, FI
• Johanes F. Swenberg · Los Gatos, US
• Vicky U. Nguyen · Milpitas, US
• Swaminathan Srinivasan · Pleasanton, US
• Jacob Newman · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 11, 2009
• Grant date: Oct 28, 2014
• Expiry date: Feb 29, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10B41/30
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Semiconductor devices suitable for narrow pitch applications and methods of fabrication thereof are described herein. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device may include a floating gate having a first width proximate a base of the floating gate that is greater than a second width proximate a top of the floating gate. In some embodiments, a method of shaping a material layer may include (a) oxidizing a surface of a material layer to form an oxide layer at an initial rate; (b) terminating formation of the oxide layer when the oxidation rate is about 90% or below of the initial rate; (c) removing at least some of the oxide layer by an etching process; and (d) repeating (a) through (c) until the material layer is formed to a desired shape. In some embodiments, the material layer may be a floating gate of a semiconductor device.