IP Library Granted Patent US 7,825,461
Granted Patent B2
US 7,825,461 · App. 11/798,947 · Granted Nov 2, 2010

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,825,461
App. No.
11/798,947
Granted
Nov 2, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example embodiments are directed to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device including a substrate including a plurality of active regions and a plurality of isolation regions between adjacent active regions, each active region including a groove, a bottom surface of the groove being below an upper surface of the active region.

Claims (69)

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including a plurality of active regions and a plurality of isolation regions between adjacent active regions, each active region including a groove, a bottom surface of the groove being below an upper surface of the active region and a sidewall of the groove being apart from the isolation regions;

a gate structure crossing over the plurality of grooves and including a charge storage layer and a control gate, and

a spacer and a pad oxide between the control gate and the isolation regions, wherein the groove extends along a direction perpendicular to a running direction of the gate structure, such that a source and a drain region adjacent to the gate structure have a “U” shape.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , the gate structure including

a tunneling insulation layer between the charge storage layer and the substrate, and,

a blocking insulation layer between the charge storage layer and the control gate.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the control gate is a multilayer.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the control gate is a poly or poly to metal layer.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the spacer and the pad oxide are made of silicon oxide.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the tunneling insulation layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, and hafnium oxide.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate structure includes a charge trap gate structure.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , the charge trap gate structure includes

an ONO layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions, and

a control gate on the ONO layer.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the ONO layer includes

a first oxide layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions,

a nitride layer on the first oxide layer, and

a second oxide layer on the nitride layer.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , the charge trap gate structure including

a tunnel insulating layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions, and

a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer,

a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer, the blocking insulating layer having a second dielectric constant which is greater than the first dielectric constant of the tunnel insulating layer; and

a gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer, wherein the gate electrode includes a metal layer.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the tunnel insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage layer comprises at least one of silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon-rich oxide, metallic oxynitride and other metallic oxide materials.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the blocking insulating layer comprises a metal oxide doped with a group IV element.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the blocking insulating layer comprises at least one of HfO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , La 2 O 3 , Hf 1-X Al X O Y , Hf X Si 1-X O 2 , Hf—Si-oxynitride, ZrO 2 , Zr X Si 1-X O 2 , and Zr—Si-oxynitride.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the gate electrode comprises a metal layer having a work-function of at least 4 eV.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein metal layer is one of titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, tantalum, tungsten, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium dioxide, molybdenum nitride, iridium, platinum, cobalt, chrome, ruthenium monoxide, titanium aluminide (Ti 3 Al), Ti 2 AlN, palladium, tungsten nitride (WN x ), tungsten silicide (WSi), nickel silicide, or combinations thereof.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a shape of a bottom portion of each of the plurality of grooves has an obtuse or rounded profile.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each groove is in a center portion of the active region.

19. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including a plurality of active regions and a plurality of isolation regions between adjacent active regions, each active region including a groove, a bottom surface of the groove being below an upper surface of the active region;

a gate structure crossing over the plurality of grooves and including a charge storage layer and a control gate; and

a spacer and a pad oxide between the control gate and the isolation regions, wherein major axes of the active regions and major axes of the plurality of grooves are in the same direction, wherein the groove extends along a direction perpendicular to a running direction of the gate structure, such that a source and a drain region adjacent to the gate structure have a “U” shape.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of grooves extend along a source, a channel, and a drain.

21. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including a plurality of active regions and a plurality of isolation regions between adjacent active regions, each active region including a groove, a bottom surface of the groove being below an upper surface of the active region and a sidewall of the groove being apart from the isolation regions;

a gate structure crossing over the plurality of grooves and including a charge storage layer and a control gate, wherein the groove extends along a direction perpendicular to a running direction of the gate structure, such that a source and a drain region adjacent to the gate structure have a “U”-shape, wherein the charge storage layer is formed on an inner surface of the groove and has a substantially uniform thickness; and

a spacer and a pad oxide between the control gate and the isolation regions.

22. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the gate structure includes

a tunneling insulation layer between the charge storage layer and the substrate, and

a blocking insulation layer between the charge storage layer and the control gate.

23. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the control gate is a multilayer.

24. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the control gate is a poly or poly to metal layer.

25. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the spacer and the pad oxide are made of silicon oxide.

26. The semiconductor device of claim 22 , wherein the tunneling insulation layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, and hafnium oxide.

27. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the gate structure includes a charge trap gate structure.

28. The semiconductor device of claim 27 , wherein the charge trap gate structure includes

an ONO layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions, and

a control gate on the ONO layer.

29. The semiconductor device of claim 28 , wherein the ONO layer includes

a first oxide layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions,

a nitride layer on the first oxide layer, and

a second oxide layer on the nitride layer.

30. The semiconductor device of claim 27 , wherein the charge trap gate structure includes

a tunnel insulating layer in each of the plurality of grooves and on each of the plurality of isolation regions,

a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer,

a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer, the blocking insulating layer having a second dielectric constant which is greater than the first dielectric constant of the tunnel insulating layer; and

a gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer, wherein the gate electrode includes a metal layer.

31. The semiconductor device of claim 30 , wherein the tunnel insulating layer includes at least one of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, and silicon nitride.

32. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein the charge storage layer includes at least one of silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon-rich oxide, metallic oxynitride, and metallic oxide.

33. The semiconductor device of claim 30 , wherein the blocking insulating layer includes a metal oxide doped with a group IV element.

34. The semiconductor device of claim 30 , wherein the blocking insulating layer includes at least one of HfO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , La 2 O 3 , Hf 1-X Al X O Y , Hf X Si 1-X O 2 , Hf—Si-oxynitride, ZrO 2 , Zr X Si 1-X O 2 , and Zr—Si-oxynitride.

35. The semiconductor device of claim 30 , wherein the gate electrode includes a metal layer having a work-function of at least 4 eV.

36. The semiconductor device of claim 30 , wherein metal layer is one of titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, tantalum, tungsten, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium dioxide, molybdenum nitride, iridium, platinum, cobalt, chrome, ruthenium monoxide, titanium aluminide(Ti 3 Al), Ti 2 AlN, palladium, tungsten nitride(WN x ), tungsten silicide (WSi), nickel silicide, or combinations thereof.

37. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein a shape of a bottom portion of each of the plurality of grooves has an obtuse or rounded profile.

38. The semiconductor device of claim 21 , wherein each groove is in a center portion of the active region.

Assignments (9)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 053654 FRAME: 0254. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 15, 2021
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 058134/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 052853 FRAME: 0153. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Nov 15, 2021
From: UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058223/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP
To: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 053654/0254 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC; AMERICAN VEHICULAR SCIENCES LLC; BONUTTI SKELETAL INNOVATIONS LLC; CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT LLC; INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; LIFEPORT SCIENCES LLC; LIMESTONE MEMORY SYSTEMS LLC; MERTON ACQUISITION HOLDCO LLC; MOBILE ENHANCEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC; MONARCH NETWORKING SOLUTIONS LLC; NEXUS DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PARTHENON UNIFIED MEMORY ARCHITECTURE LLC; R2 SOLUTIONS LLC; SAINT LAWRENCE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; STINGRAY IP SOLUTIONS LLC; SUPER INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES LLC; TELECONFERENCE SYSTEMS LLC; UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: STARBOARD VALUE INTERMEDIATE FUND LP, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052853/0153 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2020
From: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC
To: UNIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 052096/0225 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2020
From: FIO SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: ACACIA RESEARCH GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 052095/0903 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT DOCUMENT ATTACHED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 047702 FRAME 0815. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 16, 2019
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: FIO SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 048917/0927 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2018
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: FIO SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 047702/0815 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2007
From: JOO, KYUNG JOONG; KIM, HAN SOO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 019392/0803 →