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US5652161A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of making split gate flash EEPROM cell

Assignee: SK Hynix Inc
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Filing: 1996-03-13
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Granted: 1997-07-29
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Expires: 2016-03-13
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Abstract

Abstract The flash EEPROM cell of split-gate type according to the present invention can prevent the degradation of the tunnel oxide film of the cell due to the band-to-band tunneling and the secondary hot carrier which are generated by a high electric field formed at the overlap region between the junction region and the gate electrode when programming and erasure operations are performed by a high voltage to the structure in which the tunneling region is separated from the channel with a thick insulation film.

Inventors

  • 👤 Byung Jin Ahn

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 14:59
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B41/00; H10B41/20; H10B41/23; H10B41/30; H10B69/00; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/68; H10D30/6891; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3414; H10P14/3416; H10P14/3424; H10P14/3426; H10P14/40; H10P14/416; H10P30/00; H10P30/20; H10P30/22; H10P76/00; H10P76/20; H10P76/204; H10P76/2041

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 327 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell, comprising the steps of: removing a portion of a first oxide film and a nitride film which are sequentially formed on a silicon substrate through the etching process using a photoresist pattern as an etching mask to expose a portion of said silicon substrate; removing said photoresist pattern and then forming a second oxide film, by oxidizing the surface of said silicon substrate a portion of which is exposed; forming a recess on the surface of said silicon substrate from which said second oxide film is removed, by removing the exposed portion of said second oxide film using said nitride film a portion of which is removed as an etching mask, thereby the portion of said second oxide film covered with the nitride film a portion of which is removed remains intact; forming a drain region on said recess portion of said silicon substrate; forming a tunnel oxide film on said silicon substrate of said recess portion and then forming a first polysilicon layer on the entire structure; sequentially removing said first polysilicon layer, said nitride film a portion of which is removed, said tunnel oxide film and said first oxide film a portion of which is removed through the etching process using the mask for a floating gate electrode to form a floating gate made of said first polysilicon layer; implanting an impurity ion for controlling a threshold voltage to form a select gate channel region on said silicon substrate which is exposed on one side of said floating gate; forming a select gate oxide film and an interpoly oxide film and then forming a second polysilicon layer on the entire structure; and forming a control gate of split structure by patterning said second polysilicon layer through the etching process using the mask for a control gate electrode and then forming a source region on said silicon substrate which is exposed on one side of said control gate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 327 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell, comprising the steps of: removing a portion of a first oxide film and a nitride film which are sequentially formed on a silicon substrate through the etching process using a photoresist pattern as an etching mask to expose a portion of said silicon substrate; removing said photoresist pattern and then forming a second oxide film, by oxidizing the surface of said silicon substrate a portion of which is exposed; forming a recess on the surface of said silicon substrate from which said second oxide film is removed, by removing the exposed portion of said second oxide film using said nitride film a portion of which is removed as an etching mask, thereby the portion of said second oxide film covered with the nitride film a portion of which is removed remains intact; forming a drain region on said recess portion of said silicon substrate; forming a tunnel oxide film on said silicon substrate of said recess portion and then forming a first polysilicon layer on the entire structure; sequentially removing said first polysilicon layer, said nitride film a portion of which is removed, said tunnel oxide film and said first oxide film a portion of which is removed through the etching process using the mask for a floating gate electrode to form a floating gate made of said first polysilicon layer; implanting an impurity ion for controlling a threshold voltage to form a select gate channel region on said silicon substrate which is exposed on one side of said floating gate; forming a select gate oxide film and an interpoly oxide film and then forming a second polysilicon layer on the entire structure; and forming a control gate of split structure by patterning said second polysilicon layer through the etching process using the mask for a control gate electrode and then forming a source region on said silicon substrate which is exposed on one side of said control gate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell according to claim 1 wherein said first oxide film is formed in thickness of 150 to 250Å.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell according to claim 1 wherein said second oxide film is formed in thickness of 1500 to 2500Å.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell according to claim 1 wherein said nitride film is formed in thickness of 400 to 600Å.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method of making a flash EEPROM cell according to claim 1 wherein said tunnel oxide film is formed in thickness of 80 to 120Å.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5008212A Cited
US5049515A Cited
US5429969A Cited
US5445984A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-07-28 2001-01-27 2001-07-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-07-28 2005-01-27 2005-07-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-07-28 2009-01-27 2009-07-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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