Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method thereof

{
  "publication_number": "US6452226B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method thereof",
  "abstract": "A non-volatile semiconductor memory device and a manufacturing method of the same where an etching residue generating short-circuit between gates is made harmless or a device is miniaturized are obtained. The method includes the steps of forming on a semiconductor substrate, a first gate layer and a second gate layer, forming a second gate electrode by etching the second gate layer, forming a first gate electrode by etching the first gate layer using the second gate electrode as a mask, and removing a residue left on a step portion by isotropic etching.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a first gate insulation film formed on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; a first gate electrode formed thereon; a second gate electrode formed on said first gate electrode with a second gate insulation film posed therebetween; and a protective film on a side wall of said second gate electrode but not on a sidewall of the first gate electrode.",
    "2. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising: a first gate lower electrode having a width, formed on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate with a first gate insulation film posed therebetween; a first interlayer insulation film, formed over an isolation film, thicker than the first gate lower electrode and defining the width of said first gate lower electrode; a second interlayer insulation film formed on said first interlayer insulation film; a first gate fin electrode formed on said first gate lower electrode, having a fin portion extending in the periphery of the first interlayer insulation film and along a side wall of the second interlayer insulation film, and making up a first gate electrode together with said first gate lower electrode; and a second gate electrode formed on said first gate fin electrode with a second gate insulation film posed therebetween.",
    "3. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 2, further comprising silicon compound formed by turning polycrystalline silicon into an insulation on a side wall of one of a step formed by an insulation film in contact with a side wall of said first gate lower electrode and said first gate insulation film, and a step formed by the first interlayer insulation film and the second interlayer insulation film.",
    "4. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 2, wherein an angle formed by the side wall of the insulation film in contact with the side wall of said first gate lower electrode and said first gate insulation film is more than 90° with respect to said first gate lower electrode in a section perpendicular to extension of said first gate lower electrode, and each of opposing side walls of the insulation film in contact with opposing side walls of said first gate lower electrode is tapered so as to widen width of said first gate lower electrode upwards.",
    "5. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 4, wherein an angle formed by an upper surface of said first interlayer insulation film and the side wall of said second interlayer insulation film is more than 90° with respect to the upper surface of the first interlayer insulation film in contact with said fin portion, and each of opposing side walls of said second interlayer insulation film is tapered so as to widen the widths of said first gate fin electrode and said second gate electrode upwards.",
    "6. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 2 wherein at least a surface of the fin portion in the first gate fin electrode is roughened."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 09/286,421 filed Apr. 6, 1999.\n\n1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to non-volatile semiconductor memory devices employed in various computing devices, control equipment or the like, and a manufacturing method thereof\n\n2. Description of the Background Art\n\nA non-volatile semiconductor memory device is used for writing/reading a piece of information, based on change in electric field effect to a channel portion caused by the electric charge in the floating gate, by applying a high voltage between a floating gate and a source or a drain, and injecting/pulling electric charge into/out from the floating gate. As the electric charge in the floating gate is isolated by an insulation film, it can be retained for a long time as non-volatile information even after the power-off.\n\nA conventional non-volatile semiconductor memory device will be described with reference to FIG. 53.\n\nOn a floating gate fin electrode 509, a second gate insulation film 512 is formed and a control gate lower electrode 513 of polycrystalline silicon and a control gate upper electrode 514 of a metal silicide film are formed thereon. A control gate electrode 517 is formed of control gate lower electrode 513 and control gate upper electrode 514. Further on control gate upper electrode 514 of the metal silicide film, a hard mask 515 which selves as a mask at etching is formed of a silicon oxide film.\n\nBit lines are arranged among sources/drains from the back to the front and word lines. are arranged from the right to the left in the drawing.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10D 30/6891",
    "H10B 41/30",
    "H10B 69/00",
    "H10D 64/035"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01L 21/28",
    "H01L 21/302",
    "H01L 21/3065",
    "H01L 21/8247",
    "H01L 29/423",
    "H01L 29/788",
    "H01L 29/792",
    "H10B 69/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Mitsubishi Electric Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kenji Kawai",
    "Hajime Kimura",
    "Kazuyuki Ohmi"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2001-02-23",
  "publication_date": "2002-09-17",
  "grant_date": "2002-09-17",
  "priority_date": "1998-11-10",
  "application_number": "US-79070001-A",
  "family_id": "18109947",
  "cited_by_count": 6,
  "citations": [
    "US5430313A",
    "US5342801A",
    "US5637895A",
    "JPH08148584A",
    "JPH10107163A",
    "US5973353A"
  ]
}