IP Library Granted Patent US 8,501,562
Granted Patent B1
US 8,501,562 · App. 12/717,966 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Fabricating a gate oxide

Inventor: Andrew E. Horch (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,501,562
App. No.
12/717,966
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B1
Abstract

An example of a method of fabricating a gate oxide of a floating gate transistor includes forming a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in a silicon wafer. The method also includes selectively filling the STI regions with oxide. Further, the method includes forming sacrificial oxide regions on the silicon wafer. Furthermore, the method includes forming implant regions in the silicon wafer. In addition, the method includes selectively removing the sacrificial oxide regions. The method further includes forming the gate oxide.

Claims (58)

1. A method of fabricating a gate oxide of a floating gate transistor, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in a silicon wafer;

selectively filling the STI regions with oxide;

forming sacrificial oxide regions in the silicon wafer;

forming implant regions in the silicon wafer;

selectively removing the sacrificial oxide regions; and

forming the gate oxide, wherein forming the gate oxide comprises:

forming a gate dielectric having a first portion and a second portion, wherein implantation is performed on the first portion without a material covering the first portion, and the second portion is free of implants.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the STI regions comprises:

depositing an oxide layer;

depositing a nitride layer;

developing a photo resist; and

etching the oxide layer, the nitride layer and the silicon wafer.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein selectively filling the STI regions comprises:

removing the photo resist; and

filling the STI regions with the oxide up to the nitride layer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the implant regions in the silicon wafer comprises:

developing n-well regions;

developing p-well regions;

removing nitride; and

selectively removing the oxide.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising selectively depositing a conductive gate material.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the conductive gate material is poly silicon.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the floating gate transistor is used in non-volatile memory device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

preventing leakage current in the floating gate transistor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

forming a first portion of a gate dielectric, wherein the first portion is formed prior to forming of doped wells; and

forming a second portion of the gate dielectric, wherein the second portion is formed by one of:

forming the second portion after forming at least one well in a bulk semiconductor process; and

forming the second portion after forming at least one body region in a Silicon-on-Insulator process.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial oxide region layer is partially selectively removed.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

forming a first portion of a gate dielectric, wherein heat does not affect transistor performance during the forming of the first portion; and

forming a second portion of the gate dielectric, wherein heat affects the transistor performance during the forming of the second portion.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

forming two or more gate dielectrics, wherein at least one portion of one of the gate dielectrics are formed before heat affects transistor performance and at least one portion is formed after the heat affects the transistor performance.

13. A method of fabricating a gate oxide in a transistor, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in a silicon wafer by at least one of depositing an oxide layer, depositing a nitride layer, developing a photo resist, etching the oxide layer, etching the nitride layer, and etching the silicon wafer;

selectively filling the STI regions with oxide by at least one of removing the photo resist, and filling the STI regions with the oxide up to the nitride layer;

forming sacrificial oxide regions in the silicon wafer;

forming implant regions in the silicon wafer by at least one of developing n-well regions, developing p-well regions, removing nitride, and selectively removing the oxide;

selectively removing the sacrificial oxide regions; and

forming the gate oxide, wherein forming the gate oxide comprises:

forming a gate dielectric having a first portion and a second portion, wherein implantation is performed on the first portion without a material covering the first portion, and the second portion is free of implants.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the transistor comprising the gate oxide is used in non-volatile memory device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the transistor comprising the gate oxide is used in floating gate memory device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the transistor comprising the gate oxide is used in dielectric rupture memory device.

17. A transistor in a non-volatile memory prepared by a process, the process comprising:

forming a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in a silicon wafer by at least one of depositing an oxide layer, depositing a nitride layer, developing a photo resist, etching the oxide layer, etching the nitride layer, and etching the silicon wafer;

selectively filling the STI regions with oxide by at least one of removing the photo resist, and filling the STI regions with the oxide up to the nitride layer;

forming sacrificial oxide regions in the silicon wafer;

forming implant regions in the silicon wafer by at least one of developing n-well regions, developing p-well regions, removing nitride, and selectively removing the oxide;

selectively removing the sacrificial oxide regions; and

forming a gate oxide, wherein forming the gate oxide comprises:

forming a gate dielectric having a first portion and a second portion, wherein implantation is performed on the first portion without a material covering the first portion, and the second portion is free of implants.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the transistor comprising the gate oxide is used in floating gate memory device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the transistor comprising the gate oxide is used in gate dielectric rupture memory device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 8, 2010
From: VIRAGE LOGIC CORPORATION; VL C.V.; ARC CORES LIMITED; ARC INTERNATIONAL I.P., INC.; ARC INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.; ARC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, FORMERLY ARC INTERNATIONAL PLC; ARC INTERNATIONAL (UK) LIMITED
To: SYNOPSYS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025105/0907 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2010
From: E. HORCH, ANDREW
To: VIRAGE LOGIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024032/0568 →