Memory structure
View Patent ↗A memory structure includes a substrate, a source region, a drain region, a gate insulating layer, a floating gate and a control gate. The substrate has a surface and a well extended from the surface to the interior of the substrate. The source region and the drain region are formed in the well and a channel region is formed between the source region and the drain region. The gate insulating layer is formed on the surface of the substrate between the source region and the drain region and covers the channel region. The floating gate disposed on the gate insulating layer to store a bit data. The control gate is disposed near lateral sides of the floating gate.
1. A memory structure, comprising:
a substrate having a surface and a well extended downward from the surface;
a source region and a drain region formed in the substrate respectively, and a channel region formed between the source region and the drain region;
a gate insulating layer formed on the surface of the substrate between the source region and the drain region and covering the channel region;
a floating gate disposed on the gate insulating layer to store a bit data;
a control gate disposed near lateral sides of the floating gate;
a dielectric layer formed on sidewalls of the floating gate and separating the control gate from the floating gate; and
an interlayer dielectric layer covering the surface of the substrate and the floating gate, wherein the control gate penetrates through the interlayer dielectric layer which covers the floating in gate and contacts the dielectric layer.
2. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer stacked to the first dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer is in contact with the sidewalls of the floating gate, and the second dielectric layer is in contact with the control gate.
3. The memory structure according to claim 2 , wherein the first dielectric layer is made from silicon oxide, and the second dielectric layer is made from silicon nitride.
4. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the interlayer dielectric layer is made from silicon oxide.
5. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate has an isolation region extended downward from the surface of the substrate and surrounding a periphery of the well.
6. The memory structure according to claim 5 , wherein the control gate is a conductive plug and a bottom of the conductive plug is plugged into the isolation region from the interlayer dielectric layer.
7. The memory structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a word line formed on the interlayer dielectric layer and electrically connected to the control gate; and
a bit line formed on the interlayer dielectric layer and electrically connected to the drain region.
8. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the floating gate is made from doped polysilicon, silicon-germanium material or a conductive metal, and the control gate is made from metal.
9. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the gate insulating layer is a tunnel oxide layer, which is made from silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride or metal oxide.
10. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the control gate is disposed near two opposite sides and/or two neighboring sides of the floating gate.
11. The memory structure according to claim 1 , wherein the floating gate has a first side and a second side connected to each other, and the control gate includes at least one first control gate corresponding to the first side and at least one second control gate corresponding to the second side.
12. The memory structure according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the second control gates are formed at two opposite sides of the source region and two opposite sides of the drain region, respectively.
13. The memory structure according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the first control gates and the second control gates are disposed in a ring form around the floating gate.