IP Library Granted Patent US 8,143,661
Granted Patent B2
US 8,143,661 · App. 11/539,984 · Granted Mar 27, 2012

Memory cell system with charge trap

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,143,661
App. No.
11/539,984
Granted
Mar 27, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory cell system is provided including a first insulator layer over a semiconductor substrate, a charge trap layer over the first insulator layer, and slot where the charge trap layer includes a second insulator layer having the characteristic of being grown.

Claims (34)

1. A memory cell system comprising:

a first insulator layer over a semiconductor substrate;

a charge trap layer over the first insulator layer, the charge trap layer including a second insulator layer; and

a third insulator layer over the second insulator layer, the third insulator layer comprising at least a portion of the second insulator layer converted to oxide wherein an interface between the charge trap layer and the third insulator layer is smoother than a thermal oxide interface.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the charge trap layer comprises a nitride.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the charge trap layer comprises silicon and nitrogen.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the charge trap layer has multiple layers comprised of a silicon rich nitride layer over the first insulator layer and a layer of nitride with less silicon content over the silicon rich nitride layer.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a memory system with memory cell systems; and

a device or an electronic system with the memory system.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the first insulator layer is a tunneling oxide layer over the semiconductor substrate;

the second insulator layer is a nitride layer over the first insulator layer; and

the third insulator layer, having substantially uniform thickness, is a blocking oxide layer on the charge trap layer.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the tunneling oxide layer is a silicon dioxide layer.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the nitride layer over the tunneling oxide layer has silicon and nitrogen.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the nitride layer has a gradient concentration of the silicon in the nitride layer.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a conductive gate electrode on the blocking oxide layer.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third insulator layer has been grown from the second insulator layer using a slot plane antenna plasma technique.

12. A memory cell system comprising:

a tunneling layer over a semiconductor substrate;

a charge trap layer over the tunneling layer, the charge trap layer including a nitride layer; and

a blocking layer over the charge trap layer, the blocking layer comprising at least a portion of the nitride layer converted to oxide, wherein an interface between the charge trap layer and the blocking layer is smoother than a thermal oxide interface.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the charge trap layer includes a silicon rich nitride layer, the nitride layer being less silicon rich then the silicon rich nitride layer.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the charge trap layer has multiple layers comprised of a silicon rich nitride layer over tunneling layer and a layer of nitride with less silicon content over the silicon rich nitride layer.

15. The system as claimed. in claim 12 further comprising:

a memory system with memory cell systems; and

a device or an electronic system with the memory system.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

the tunneling layer is a tunneling oxide layer; and

the blocking layer is a top blocking oxide layer on the charge trap layer, the blocking layer having a uniform interface with the nitride layer.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the tunneling oxide layer is a silicon dioxide layer.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the nitride layer has a gradient concentration of the silicon in the nitride layer.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the blocking layer has been grown from the nitride layer using a slot plane antenna plasma technique.

Assignments (10)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 8647899 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035240 FRAME 0429. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTERST. Recorded Nov 3, 2020
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058002/0470 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 049109/0573 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2019
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: LONGITUDE FLASH MEMORY SOLUTIONS LTD.
Reel/Frame 049086/0803 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2018
From: SPANSION LLC
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048172/0687 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2017
From: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
To: SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 042416/0448 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2015
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 035240/0429 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2015
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: SPANSION LLC; SPANSION INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 035201/0159 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 4, 2010
From: SPANSION LLC; SPANSION INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 024522/0338 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2006
From: FANG, SHENQING; SUGINO, RINJI; BHAKTA, JAYENDRA; NANSEI, HIROYUKI; HAYAKAWA, YUKIO; MARUYAMA, TAKAYUKI; SHIRAIWA, HIDEHIKO; CHANG, KUO-TUNG; XUE, LEI; DING, MENG; JOSHI, AMOL RAMESH; SUH, YOUSEOK; SACHAR, HARPREET
To: SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 018369/0821 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2006
From: ORIMOTO, TAKASHI
To: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 018369/0703 →