Method of fabricating memory and memory

1. A method of fabricating a memory, comprising steps of:

forming a storage material film on a first electrode film;

forming a storage part and an etched thin-film part by partially etching said storage material film by a prescribed thickness;

forming an insulator film to cover at least said thin-film part of said storage material film; and

patterning said insulator film and said thin-film part of said storage material film by forming an etching mask on a prescribed region of said insulator film and thereafter etching said insulator film and said thin-film part of said storage material film through said etching mask.

2. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 1 , wherein

said step of forming said storage part and said thin-film part includes a step of partially etching said storage material film so that said thin-film part has a thickness of at least about 15% of the thickness of said storage material film on the average.

3. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 2 , wherein

said step of forming said storage part and said thin-film part includes a step of partially etching said storage material film so that said thin-film part has a thickness of not more than about 95% of the thickness of said storage material film on the average.

4. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 2 , wherein

said step of forming said storage part and said thin-film part includes a step of partially etching said storage material film with etching gas containing no chlorine-based gas.

5. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 1 , said memory further comprising a memory cell array region formed with said storage material film, a peripheral circuit region and a connecting wire for connecting said memory cell array region and said peripheral circuit region with each other, wherein

said step of patterning said insulator film and said thin-film part of said storage material film includes a step of patterning said insulator film and said thin-film part of said storage material film so that no said thin-film part of said storage material film is present at least in the vicinity of a region connecting said memory cell array region and said connecting wire with each other.

6. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 5 , further comprising steps of:

forming an interlayer dielectric film covering at least a portion close to said region connecting said memory cell array region and said connecting wire with each other after patterning said insulator film and said thin-film part of said storage material film, and

forming an opening for connecting said memory cell array region and said connecting wire with each other by etching a prescribed region of said interlayer dielectric film.

7. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 6 , further comprising a step of connecting said first electrode film of said memory cell array region and said connecting wire with each other through said opening.

8. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 1 , wherein

said step of forming said insulator film includes a step of forming said insulator film having a function of inhibiting hydrogen from diffusion.

9. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 1 , wherein

said first electrode film includes a first lower electrode film and a second lower electrode film formed on said first lower electrode film.

10. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 9 , wherein

said first lower electrode film has a function of inhibiting oxygen from diffusion.

11. The method of fabricating a memory according to claim 1 , wherein

said storage material film is either a ferroelectric film or a colossal magnetoresistance film.