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:
Mar. 16, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 19, 2003
Hung-Hsin Liu, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Kwang-Chen Wu, Taipei, TW;
How-Cheng Tsai, Kaoshiung, TW;
Yuan-Ko Hwang, Huantien, TW;
Shih-Shun Chen, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A method of forming very small silicon nitride spacers in split-gate flash EPROMs is disclosed which prevent the occurrence of “write disturb”, unwanted reverse tunneling, or erasing. This is accomplished by forming spacers with well controlled dimensions and well defined shapes through a judicious combination of dry etch with wet over-etch technique. The wet etch along with the dry etch widens the process window from a few seconds to several minutes so that the small dimensioned silicon nitride spacers can be better controlled than it has been possible in the past. In a second embodiment, the step of over-etching of the spacers is combined with the step of stripping off of an implant photomask, thus, shortening the manufacturing product cycle.