Method of fabricating a planar structure charge trapping memory cell array with rectangular gates and reduced bit line resistance

1. A method of fabricating a planar architecture charge trapping dielectric memory cell array with rectangular gates, the method comprising:

fabricating a tunnel dielectric layer on a surface of a substrate;

fabricating a charge trapping dielectric over the tunnel dielectric;

depositing a polysilicon layer over the charge trapping dielectric;

applying a word line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask linear word lines in a first direction and to expose trench regions there between;

etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the trench regions;

applying a bit line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask gates in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and to expose bit line regions there between;

etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions;

fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer;

removing the tunnel dielectric layer to expose the substrate between insulating spacers in the bit line regions;

fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions; and

fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying an insulator to fill the trench regions formed by each of the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the trench regions; and (ii) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; the step of applying the insulator following the step of fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate; and

the step of fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction comprises fabricating such word line conductors over the insulator between the gates.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises a nitride compound layer adjacent to the tunnel layer and a top insulator layer over the nitride layer and adjacent to the polysilicon layer.

4. The method claim 1 , further comprising as step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines, such step occurring between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying an insulator over the exposed charge trapping dielectric following the step of etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the channel regions to fill the trench regions within the polysilicon layer formed by the step of etching; and wherein

the step of applying a bit line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask gates in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and to expose bit line regions there between further comprises applying the bit line mask over the insulator within the trench regions; and

the step of etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions further comprises etching the insulator within the trench regions.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

applying an insulator to fill the trench regions formed by each of the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the channel regions; and (ii) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; the step of applying the insulator following the step of fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate; and

the step of fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction comprises fabricating such word line conductors over the insulator between the gates.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises a nitride compound layer adjacent to the tunnel layer and a top insulator layer over the nitride layer and adjacent to the polysilicon layer.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising as step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines, such step occurring between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

13. A method of fabricating a planar architecture charge trapping dielectric memory cell circuit with square gate memory cells, the method comprising:

fabricating an oxide layer on a surface of a substrate;

fabricating a charge trapping dielectric over the tunnel dielectric;

fabricating a mask over the charge trapping dielectric to define and mask a core region and define and expose a periphery region;

etching the charge trapping dielectric to remove the charge trapping dielectric in the periphery region to expose the oxide layer;

fabricating a gate oxide layer in the periphery region by growing additional oxide on the oxide layer in the periphery region;

simultaneously depositing a polysilicon layer over the charge trapping dielectric in the core region and over the gate oxide layer in the periphery region;

applying a word line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask linear word lines in a first direction and to expose trench regions there between within the core region and to mask the periphery region;

etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the trench regions;

applying a bit line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask “gates” in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and to expose bit line regions there between within the core region and to mask gates and expose source/drain regions within the periphery;

etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions and to expose the gate oxide in the source/drain regions;

fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer in both the core region and the periphery region;

simultaneously removing the tunnel dielectric layer to expose the substrate between insulating spacers in the bit line regions and removing the gate oxide layer to expose the substrate in the source/drain regions;

fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions and in the source/drain regions; and

fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

applying an insulator to fill the trench regions formed by each of the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the channel regions; and (ii) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; the step of applying the insulator following the step of fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate; and

the step of fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction comprises fabricating such word line conductors over the insulator between the gates.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises a nitride compound layer adjacent to the tunnel layer and a top insulator layer over the nitride layer and adjacent to the polysilicon layer.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising as step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines, such step occurring between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

applying an insulator over the exposed charge trapping dielectric following the step of etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the channel regions to fill the trench regions within the polysilicon layer formed by the step of etching; and wherein

the step of applying a bit line mask over the polysilicon layer to mask “gates” in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and to expose bit line regions there between and to mask gates and expose source/drain regions within the periphery further comprises applying the bit line mask over the insulator within the trench regions; and

the step of etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions and to expose the gate oxide in the source/drain regions further comprises etching the insulator within the trench regions.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

applying an insulator to fill the trench regions formed by each of the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer to expose the charge trapping dielectric in the channel regions; and (ii) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; the step of applying the insulator following the step of fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate; and

the step of fabricating word line conductors that electrically couple remaining portions of the polysilicon layer along word lines in the first direction comprises fabricating such word lien conductors over the insulator between the gates.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the charge trapping dielectric comprises a nitride compound layer adjacent to the tunnel layer and a top insulator layer over the nitride layer and adjacent to the polysilicon layer.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising as step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines, such step occurring between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) etching the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping dielectric layer to expose the tunnel dielectric layer in the bit line regions; and (ii) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the step of implanting an impurity into the substrate within the bit line regions to form buried bit lines occurs between the steps of: (i) fabricating insulating spacers on exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer and the charge trapping layer; and (ii) fabricating a conductor on the exposed substrate in the bit line regions.