The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1999
Boaz Eitan, Ra'anana, IL;
Israel Rotstein, Haifa, IL;
Saifun Semiconductors Ltd., , IL;
Tower Semiconductors Ltd., , IL;
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a memory array having a plurality of memory cells thereon and diffusion areas therebetween includes the steps of laying down a layer of silicon nitride, defining the diffusion areas and creating diffusion oxides over the diffusion areas. Both steps of laying down and defining occur without etching any part of the layer of silicon nitride. The step of creating diffusion oxides includes the steps of creating porous silicon nitride from portions of the silicon nitride layer wherever diffusion oxides are desired (typically by laying down photoresist in a desired pattern and bombarding the silicon nitride layer with ions) and oxidizing both the porous silicon nitride and the silicon substrate through the porous silicon nitride thereby to create silicon oxy-nitride and silicon dioxide, respectively. The present invention also includes a semiconductor chip having diffusion or bit line oxides formed of at least silicon oxy-nitride.