US 12,266,521 B2
Oxide-nitride-oxide stack having multiple oxynitride layers
Sagy Charel Levy, Zichron Yaakov (IL); Krishnaswamy Ramkumar, San Jose, CA (US); Fredrick Jenne, Mountain House, CA (US); and Sam G. Geha, Cupertino, CA (US)
Assigned to LONGITUDE FLASH MEMORY SOLUTIONS LTD., Dublin (IE)
Filed by LONGITUDE FLASH MEMORY SOLUTIONS LTD., Dublin (IE)
Filed on Sep. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/945,793.
Application 17/945,793 is a division of application No. 17/157,704, filed on Jan. 25, 2021, abandoned.
Application 17/157,704 is a continuation of application No. 15/099,025, filed on Apr. 14, 2016, granted, now 10,903,068, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Application 15/099,025 is a continuation of application No. 13/917,500, filed on Jun. 13, 2013, granted, now 9,355,849, issued on May 31, 2016.
Application 13/917,500 is a continuation of application No. 11/811,958, filed on Jun. 13, 2007, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/931,947, filed on May 25, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017648 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/02 (2006.01); C23C 16/02 (2006.01); C23C 16/30 (2006.01); G11C 16/04 (2006.01); H01L 21/28 (2006.01); H01L 21/314 (2006.01); H01L 29/51 (2006.01); H01L 29/792 (2006.01); H10B 43/30 (2023.01); H01L 29/78 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/0214 (2013.01) [C23C 16/0272 (2013.01); C23C 16/308 (2013.01); G11C 16/0466 (2013.01); H01L 21/02148 (2013.01); H01L 21/022 (2013.01); H01L 21/02211 (2013.01); H01L 21/02271 (2013.01); H01L 21/3145 (2013.01); H01L 29/40117 (2019.08); H01L 29/518 (2013.01); H01L 29/792 (2013.01); H10B 43/30 (2023.02); H01L 21/02164 (2013.01); H01L 21/02238 (2013.01); H01L 21/02255 (2013.01); H01L 29/7833 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A semiconductor memory device
comprising: a semiconductor substrate;
an oxide-nitride-oxide structure formed over the substrate, the oxide-nitride-oxide structure having a first oxide layer, a nitride layer and a second oxide layer, the nitride layer having multiple charge storing layers that includes a first layer and a second layer, the first and the second layers being silicon oxynitride layers that have different stoichiometric compositions; and
a gate coupled to the oxide-nitride-oxide structure;
wherein the first layer of the nitride layer has a higher oxygen concentration than the second layer of the nitride layer.
 
9. A semiconductor memory device including a semiconductor substrate, the memory device comprising:
an oxide-nitride-oxide structure having a first oxide layer, a nitride layer and a second oxide layer, the nitride layer having a multi-layer charge storing layer that includes a first layer and a second layer, the first and the second layers being silicon oxynitride layers that have different stoichiometric compositions; and
a gate coupled to the oxide-nitride-oxide structure;
wherein the first layer of the multi-layer charge storing layer of the nitride layer has a higher oxygen concentration than the second layer of the multi-layer charge storing layer.
 
16. A semiconductor memory device,
comprising: a semiconductor substrate;
an oxide-nitride-oxide structure formed over the substrate, the oxide-nitride-oxide structure having a tunnel oxide layer as part of a first oxide layer, a blocking oxide layer as part of a second oxide layer and a multi-layer charge storing layer as part of a nitride layer and formed between the tunnel oxide layer and the blocking oxide layer;
the multi-layer charge storing layer including a first layer and a second layer, the first and the second layers being silicon oxynitride layers that have different stoichiometric compositions of silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen; and
a gate coupled to the oxide-nitride-oxide structure;
wherein the first layer of the multi-layer charge storing layer of the nitride layer has a higher oxygen concentration than the second layer of the multi-layer charge storing layer.