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. 23, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 09, 2002
Mark A. Good, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Amit S. Kelkar, Castle Rock, CO (US);
Atmel Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for fabricating a silicon dioxide/silicon nitride/silicon dioxide (ONO) stacked composite having a thin silicon nitride layer for providing a high capacitance interpoly dielectric structure. In the formation of the ONO composite, a bottom silicon dioxide layer is formed on a substrate such as polysilicon. A silicon nitride layer is formed on the silicon dioxide layer and is thinned by oxidation. The oxidation of the silicon nitride film consumes some of the silicon nitride by a reaction that produces a silicon dioxide layer. This silicon dioxide layer is removed with a hydrofluoric acid dilution. The silicon nitride layer is again thinned by re-oxidization as a top silicon dioxide layer is formed on the silicon nitride layer. A second layer of polysilicon is deposited over the silicon nitride, forming an interpoly dielectric.