Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Spansion LLC.

Other

King Wai Kelwin Ko

Hao Fang

Mark S Chang

Minh Van Ngo

Lu You

Michael K Templeton

Simon S Chan

Robert A Huertas

Maria Chow Chan

Pei-Yuan Gao

Anne E Sanderfer

Hiroyuki Ogawa

Angela Tai Hui

Yu Nan Sun

Hiroyuki Kinoshita

John JianShi Wang

A method and system for providing at least one contact in a flash memory device is disclosed. The flash memory device includes a plurality of gate stacks and at lease one component including a polysilicon layer as a top surface. The method and system further include forming a silicide on the top surface of the polysilicon layer and providing an insulating layer covering the plurality of gate stacks, the at least one component and the silicide. The method and system also include etching the insulating layer to provide at least one contact hole. The insulating layer etching step uses the silicide as an etch stop layer to ensure that the insulating etching step does not etch through the polysilicon layer. The method and system also include filling the at least one contact hole with a conductor.

Method and system for providing contact to a first polysilicon layer in a flash memory device

A method and system for improving the topography of a memory array is disclosed. In one embodiment, a dummy bitline is formed over a field oxide region at an interface between a memory array and interface circuitry. In addition, a poly-2 layer is applied above the dummy bitline on the field oxide region wherein the utilization of the field oxide region for placement of the dummy bitline provides a uniform surface between an actual bitline and the periphery of the memory array. Furthermore, a landing pad is formed at the end of the dummy bitline on the field oxide region, wherein the dummy bitline does not cause erroneous operation of the landing pad.

Method and system for improving the topography of a memory array

A method of eliminating voids in the interlayer dielectric material of 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor devices and a semiconductor device formed by the method. The present invention provides a method for eliminating voids in the interlayer dielectric of a 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor device by providing a first BPTEOS layer, using a very low deposition rate and having a thickness in a range of approximately 3 k&angst;; and providing a second BPTEOS layer, using a standard deposition rate and having a thickness in a range of approximately 13 k&angst;, wherein both layers have an atomic dopant concentration of approximately 4.5% B and approximately 5% P. This two-step deposition process completely eliminates voids in the ILD for a 0.5-&mgr;m distance (gate-to-gate) as well as 0.38-&mgr;m distance (gate-to-gate) which is the future flash technology. A low dopant/TEOS flow performed at a higher pressure during the deposition of the first layer provides an excellent gap-filling capability which eliminates voiding. Further, the present invention has the advantage of in-situ deposition of the void-free ILD layer of the 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor device having a sound dopant concentration.

Void-free interlayer dielectric (ILD0) for 0.18-micron flash memory semiconductor device

A method and system for providing an alignment mark for a thin layer in a semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes at least one alternative part having a first thickness greater than a second thickness of the thin layer. The method and system include providing the thin layer and providing the alignment mark for the thin layer in the at least one alternative part. The alignment mark has a depth that is greater than the second thickness of the thin layer. In one aspect, the method and system include providing a mask for the thin layer. The mask includes an alignment mark portion that covers the at least one alternative part and that is for providing the alignment mark. In this aspect, the method and system also include removing a portion of the at least one alternative part to provide the alignment mark in the at least one alternative part.

Method and system for providing a robust alignment mark at thin oxide layers

A method of eliminating voids in the interlayer dielectric material of 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor devices and a semiconductor device formed by the method. The present invention provides a method for eliminating voids in the interlayer dielectric of a 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor device by providing a first BPTEOS layer, using a very low deposition rate and having a thickness in a range of approximately 3 k&angst;; and providing a second BPTEOS layer, using a standard deposition rate and having a thickness in a range of approximately 13 k&angst;, wherein both layers have an atomic dopant concentration of approximately 4.5% B and approximately 5% P. This two-step deposition process completely eliminates voids in the ILD for a 0.5-&mgr;m distance (gate-to-gate) as well as 0.38-&mgr;m distance (gate-to-gate) which is the future flash technology. A low dopant/TEOS flow performed at a higher pressure during the deposition of the first layer provides an excellent gap-filling capability which eliminates voiding. Further, the present invention has the advantage of in-situ deposition of the void-free ILD0 layer of the 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory semiconductor device having a sound dopant concentration.

Method of forming a void-free interlayer dielectric (ILD0) for 0.18-&mgr;m flash memory technology and semiconductor device thereby formed

A method and system for etching gate oxide during transistor fabrication is disclosed. The method and system begin by depositing a gate oxide on a substrate, followed by a deposition of a tunnel oxide mask over a portion of the gate oxide. The method and system further include performing a combination dry/wet-etch to remove the gate oxide uncovered by the tunnel oxide mask, which minimizes tunnel oxide undercut.

Method and system for etching tunnel oxide to reduce undercutting during memory array fabrication

In a first aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device comprises at least two gate stacks, each gate stack having two sides and oxide spacers on each of the two sides of each of the at least two gate stacks, wherein at least one of the oxide spacers is triangular shaped. In a second aspect of the present invention, a method and system for processing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method and system for processing a semiconductor comprise forming at least two gate stacks over a semiconductor substrate, depositing an oxide layer over the at least two gate stacks, and etching the oxide layer to form at least one oxide spacer in between the at least two gate stacks, wherein the at least one oxide spacer is triangular shape. Through the use the present invention, the voids that are created in the semiconductor device during conventional semiconductor processing are eliminated. This is accomplished by creating oxide spacers having a triangular shape when etching the oxide layer to form the oxide spacer. By creating a triangular shaped oxide spacer, subsequent layers of material can be deposited over the oxide spacer without creating voids in the semiconductor device. Accordingly, as a result of the use of the present invention, the oxide spacers are strengthened, which increases the reliability of the semiconductor device.

Method and system for processing a semiconductor device

A method and system for providing a plurality of contacts in a flash memory device is disclosed. The flash memory device includes a plurality of gate stacks and a plurality of field insulating regions adjacent to a portion of the plurality of gate stacks. The method and system include providing an etch stop layer covering the plurality of field insulating regions. The etch stop layer has an etch selectivity different from a field insulating region etch selectivity of the plurality of field insulating regions. The method and system also include providing an insulating layer covering the plurality of gate stacks, the plurality of field insulating regions and the etch stop layer. The method and system further include etching the insulating layer to provide a plurality of contact holes. The insulating layer etching step uses the etch stop layer to ensure that the insulating etching step does not etch through the plurality of field insulating regions. The method and system also include filling the plurality of contact holes with a conductor.

Method and system for providing contacts with greater tolerance for misalignment in a flash memory

Stress corrosion induced voiding of patterned metal layers is avoided or substantially reduced by removing etching residues before gap filling. Embodiments include etching an Al or Al alloy layer employing fluorine and/or chlorine chemistry, wet cleaning, treating with a nitrogen-containing plasma at a temperature of at least about 400&deg; C. and gap filling with a dielectric material, e.g. HDP oxide by HDPCVD.

Method of reducing stress corrosion induced voiding of patterned metal layers

Stress corrosion induced voiding of patterned metal layers is avoided or substantially reduced by removing etching residues before gap filling. Embodiments include etching an Al or Al alloy layer employing fluorine and/or chlorine chemistry, wet cleaning, treating with a plasma containing ammonia or ammonia and oxygen at a temperature of at least about 400&deg; C. and gap filling with a dielectric material, e.g. HDP oxide by HDP CVD.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

King Wai Kelwin Ko