IP Library Granted Patent US 7,491,605
Granted Patent B2
US 7,491,605 · App. 11/225,429 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Zero cost non-volatile memory cell with write and erase features

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,491,605
App. No.
11/225,429
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for making a semiconductor structure of a memory device includes forming a capacitor having a gate dielectric between a gate conductor and a dopant region of a first conductivity type located in another dopant region of a second conductivity type, forming a bipolar transistor having a base region of the first conductivity type, and forming a field-effect transistor having a gate conductor coupled to the gate conductor of the capacitor, wherein the dopant region and the base region of the first conductivity type are formed in the same step to avoid additional cost in forming the capacitor.

Claims (51)

1. A method for making a semiconductor structure of a memory device, comprising:

forming a first dopant region of a second conductivity type in a substrate of a first conductivity type;

forming a bipolar transistor, including forming a base region of the bipolar transistor, the base region being of the first conductivity type;

forming a second dopant region of the first conductivity type in the first dopant region, the second dopant region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region, the second dopant region being distinct and separate from the base region, said forming a second dopant region and said forming a base region of the bipolar transistor occur in a same step;

forming a gate dielectric atop the second dopant region;

forming a first gate conductor atop the gate dielectric;

forming a field-effect transistor, comprising forming a second gate conductor coupled to the first gate conductor;

wherein the second dopant region, the gate dielectric, and the first gate conductor form a capacitor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a p-substrate, the first dopant region is an n-well, and the second dopant region is a p-type region.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a first contact region of the second conductivity type in the first dopant region, the first contact region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region;

forming a second contact region of the first conductivity in the second dopant region, the second contact region being more heavily doped than the second dopant region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming a first gate conductor and said forming a second gate conductor comprise part of forming a same conducting trace.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming a field-effect transistor comprises:

forming a third dopant region of the first conductivity type in the substrate;

forming a second gate dielectric atop the third dopant region, wherein the second gate conductor is located atop the second gate dielectric;

forming a source region of the second conductivity type in the third dopant region; and

forming a drain region of the second conductivity type in the third dopant region.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the third dopant region is a p-well.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the said forming a field-effect transistor comprises:

forming a second gate dielectric atop the substrate, wherein the second gate conductor is located atop the second gate dielectric;

forming a source region of the second conductivity in the substrate; and

forming a drain region of the second conductivity in the substrate.

8. A method for making a semiconductor structure of a memory device, comprising:

forming a first dopant region of a second conductivity type in a substrate of a first conductivity type;

forming a second dopant region of the first conductivity type in the first dopant region, the second dopant region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region;

forming a gate dielectric atop the second dopant region;

forming a first gate conductor atop the gate dielectric, wherein the second dopant region, the gate dielectric, and the first gate conductor form a capacitor;

forming a field-effect transistor, comprising forming a second gate conductor coupled to the first gate conductor;

forming a first contact region of the second conductivity type in the first dopant region, the first contact region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region;

forming a second contact region of the first conductivity in the first dopant region, the second contact region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region;

forming a field implant region of the first conductivity in the first dopant region and coupling the second contact region and the second dopant region; and

forming a field oxide between the second contact region and the second dopant region, wherein the first gate dielectric and the first gate conductor overlay the field oxide so an end of the first gate conductor terminates above the field oxide.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate is a p-substrate, the first dopant region is an n-well, and the second dopant region is a p-type region.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said forming a second dopant region comprises part of forming a base region of a bipolar transistor.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

forming a first contact region of the second conductivity type in the first dopant region, the

first contact region being more heavily doped than the first dopant region;

forming a second contact region of the first conductivity in the second dopant region, the

second contact region being more heavily doped than the second dopant region.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said forming a first gate conductor and said forming a second gate conductor comprise part of forming a same conducting trace.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said forming a field-effect transistor comprises:

forming a third dopant region of the first conductivity type in the substrate;

forming a second gate dielectric atop the third dopant region, wherein the second gate conductor is located atop the second gate dielectric;

forming a source region of the second conductivity type in the third dopant region; and

forming a drain region of the second conductivity type in the third dopant region.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third dopant region is a p-well.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the said forming a field-effect transistor comprises:

forming a second gate dielectric atop the substrate, wherein the second gate conductor is located atop the second gate dielectric;

forming a source region of the second conductivity in the substrate; and

forming a drain region of the second conductivity in the substrate.

Assignments (9)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BUY-IN AGREEMENT/ASSIGNMENT Recorded Apr 4, 2023
From: MICREL LLC
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 063241/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →