Semiconductor device having field shield element isolating structure and

Abstract

A field shield isolating structure forms a structure for isolating elements of a semiconductor device. The field shield isolating structure includes a field shield gate insulating film and field shield electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate in separate processes to constitute a quasi-MOS transistor using impurity regions of adjacent MOS transistors. The film thickness of the field shield gate insulating film is set arbitrarily, the threshold voltage of the quasi-MOS transistor is set high, and then elements are insulated and isolated, so that the transistor is operated in the off state. The upper surface of the field shield electrode is also covered with the upper insulating film. The thicknesses of the upper insulating film and of the field shield gate insulating film is adjusted to have such values that prevent turning ON of the MOS transistor by the capacitance divided voltage. The voltage may be applied from upper conductive layers such as word lines formed above the upper insulating film.