Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Jongoh Kim

Yider Wu

Kent Kuohua Chang

Cheng-Jye Liu

Kent-Kuohua Chang

Yi-Jin Kwon

Jen-Chuan Pan

Yi Hung Li

Yi-Hung Li

Jen Chuan Pan

A memory device and peripheral circuitry on a substrate are described, made by a process that includes forming a charge trapping structure having a first thickness over a first area. A first gate dielectric layer having a second thickness is formed for low-voltage transistors. A second gate dielectric layer having a third thickness, greater than the second thickness, is formed for high-voltage transistors. Polysilicon is deposited and patterned to define word lines and transistor gates. The thickness of the second gate dielectric layer in regions adjacent the gates, and over a source and drain regions, is reduced to a thickness that is close to that of the second thickness.

Structures for and method of silicide formation on memory array and peripheral logic devices

A system for operating a memory device includes a memory array having a number of memory cells and a set of dynamic reference cells coupled to the memory cells in word lines. Each of the dynamic reference provides the associated memory cells with a dynamic reference value for determining a status of at least one of the associated memory cells. The dynamic reference value is capable of reflecting a variation in a threshold value of at least one of the associated memory cells.

Memory system with dynamic reference cell and method of operating the same

A read operation method is provided for a flash memory array having a plurality of memory cells, wordlines, even bitlines, odd bitlines and a plurality of bitline transistors. The method includes pre-charging the plurality of even bitlines to about Vcc/n and pre-charging the plurality of odd bitlines to ground. The current flowing to/from a first bit location in each of the memory cells is selectively sensed. A logical state is determined from the sensed current for the first bit location in each of the memory cells. The method also includes pre-charging the plurality of odd bitlines to about Vcc/n and pre-charging the plurality of even bitlines to ground. The current flowing to/from a second bit location in each of the memory cells is selectively sensed. A logical state is determined from the sensed current for the second bit location in each of the memory cells.

Decoding method in an NROM flash memory array

A memory device and peripheral circuitry on a substrate are described, made by a process that includes forming a charge trapping structure having a first thickness over a first area. A first gate dielectric layer having a second thickness is formed for low-voltage transistors. A second gate dielectric layer having a third thickness, greater than the second thickness, is formed for high-voltage transistors. Polysilicon is deposited and patterned to define word lines and transistor gates. The thickness of the second gate dielectric layer in regions adjacent the gates, and over a source and drain regions, is reduced to a thickness that is close to that of the second thickness. Dopants are implanted for formation of source and drain regions in the second and third areas. A silicon nitride spacer material is deposited over the word lines and gates, and etched to form sidewall spacers on the gates. Dopants are implanted aligned with the sidewall spacers in the second and third areas. The gate dielectric layers are selectively etched to expose the substrate adjacent the sidewall spacers, and to expose word lines and gates without exposing the substrate in the bit line contract regions. A self-aligned silicide formation is then applied. A portion of the charge trapping structure in the bit line contact regions acts as a mask to prevent silicide formation. An interlayer dielectric and bit line contacts are formed in the bit line contact regions. Patterned conductor layers are formed over the interlayer dielectric.

A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory is provided. A plurality of columns of isolation structures are formed on a substrate. A plurality of rows of stacked gate structures crossing over the isolation structures are formed on the substrate. A plurality of doping regions are formed in the substrate between two neighboring stacked gate structures. A plurality of stripes of spacers are formed on the sidewalls of stacked gate structures. A plurality of first dielectric layers are formed on a portion of the isolation structures adjacent to two rows of stacked gate structures. Also, one isolation structure is disposed between two neighboring first dielectric layers in the same row, while two neighboring rows comprising the first dielectric layer and the isolation structure are arranged in an interlacing manner. A plurality of first conductive layers are formed between two neighboring first dielectric layers in the same row.

Non-volatile memory and fabricating method thereof

A method of fabricating a memory device is described. During the process of forming the memory cell area and the periphery area of a semiconductor device a photoresist layer is formed on the memory cell area before the spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the gates. Therefore, the memory cell area is prevented from being damaged to mitigate the leakage current problem during the process of forming spacers in the periphery circuit area.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Jongoh Kim