Semiconductor memory devices including an air gap and methods of fabricating the same

{
  "publication_number": "US9166012B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Semiconductor memory devices including an air gap and methods of fabricating the same",
  "abstract": "Provided are a semiconductor memory device and a method of fabricating the same, the semiconductor memory device may include a semiconductor substrate with a first trench defining active regions in a first region and a second trench provided in a second region around the first region, a gate electrode provided on the first region to cross the active regions, a charge storing pattern disposed between the gate electrode and the active regions, a blocking insulating layer provided between the gate electrode and the charge storing pattern and extending over the first trench to define a first air gap in the first trench, and an insulating pattern provided spaced apart from a bottom surface of the second trench to define a second air gap in the second trench.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A semiconductor memory device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate including a first trench that defines active regions in a first region and a second trench in a second region around the first region; a gate electrode on the first region that crosses the active regions; a data storing pattern that is between the gate electrode and the active regions; a blocking insulating layer that is between the gate electrode and the data storing pattern and that extends over the first trench to define a first air gap in the first trench; and an insulating pattern that is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the second trench to define a second air gap in the second trench; wherein the first and second trenches have substantially a same depth, wherein the first air gap includes a first vertical height and the second air gap includes a second vertical height, and wherein the first vertical height is greater than the second vertical height.",
    "2. The device of claim 1, wherein an uppermost position of the first air gap is located between a bottom surface of the data storing pattern and a top surface of the data storing pattern, and wherein an uppermost position of the second air gap is located below a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.",
    "3. The device of claim 1, wherein the blocking insulating layer conformally covers top and upper side surfaces of the data storing pattern, and wherein a bottom surface of the blocking insulating layer on the first trench is located between a bottom surface of the data storing pattern and the top surface of the data storing pattern.",
    "4. The device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the blocking insulating layer is smaller on the first trench than on a top surface of the data storing pattern.",
    "5. The device of claim 1, wherein the insulating pattern comprises: a top surface that is positioned on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a rounded bottom surface that is positioned below the top surface of the semiconductor substrate.",
    "6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a contact plug that is adjacent the second trench in the second region and connected to the semiconductor substrate.",
    "7. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storing pattern comprises a tunnel insulating layer and a floating gate electrode that are sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate.",
    "8. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storing pattern comprises a charge tunneling layer, a charge trap insulating layer, and a charge blocking layer that are sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate.",
    "9. The device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate has a first conductivity type and comprises: a well region formed in the semiconductor substrate to have a second conductivity type; and a pocket well region formed in the well region to have the first conductivity type, and wherein the first trench is formed at a central portion of the pocket well region and the second trench is formed at an edge portion of the a pocket well region.",
    "10. The device of claim 9, further comprising: a well pick-up region locally formed in the pocket well region to have an impurity concentration higher than that of the pocket well region and to have the first conductivity type; and a well contact plug that is adjacent the second trench in the second region and connected to the semiconductor substrate.",
    "11. The device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a third trench formed on the second region to have a bottom surface that is lower than that of the second trench, the device further comprising a peripheral insulating pattern spaced apart from the bottom surface of the third trench to define a third air gap in the third trench.",
    "12. The device of claim 11, wherein an uppermost position of the third air gap is located below an uppermost position of the first air gap, and a lowermost position of the third air gap is located below a lowermost position of the first air gap.",
    "13. The device of claim 11, wherein the third air gap includes a third vertical height that is greater than the second vertical height.",
    "14. A semiconductor memory device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate including active regions defined by a trench; a gate electrode that crosses the active regions and the trench; a data storing pattern that is between the gate electrode and the active regions; a blocking insulating layer that is between the data storing pattern and the gate electrode and that extends over the trench; and an air gap that is below the blocking insulating layer and that is in the trench, wherein an uppermost position of the air gap is positioned between a top surface of the data storing pattern and a bottom surface of the data storing pattern, and wherein the blocking insulating layer is partially exposed by the air gap.",
    "15. The device of claim 14, wherein the blocking insulating layer conformally covers top and upper side surfaces of the data storing pattern, and wherein a thickness of the blocking insulating layer is smaller on the trench than on the top surface of the data storing pattern.",
    "16. The device of claim 14, wherein the blocking insulating layer comprises a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer that are sequentially stacked, and wherein the air gap exposes a portion of the second dielectric layer.",
    "17. The device of claim 14, further comprising an insulating liner that conformally covers an inner surface of the trench and that is exposed by the air gap.",
    "18. The device of claim 14, further comprising an insulating pattern having a curved surface that is exposed by the air gap and that covers a lower side surface of the data storing pattern below the blocking insulating layer.",
    "19. The device of claim 14, wherein the data storing pattern comprises a tunnel insulating layer and a floating gate electrode that are sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate.",
    "20. The device of claim 14, wherein the data storing pattern comprises a charge tunneling layer, a charge trap insulating layer, and a charge blocking layer that are sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Some embodiments of the inventive concept relate to semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same, and in particular, to semiconductor memory devices with an air gap and a method of fabricating the same.\n\nDue to their small-size, multifunctionality, and/or low-cost characteristics, semiconductor memory devices are considered important elements in the electronic industry. Some semiconductor memory devices may include a memory device for storing data, a logic device for processing data, and a hybrid device capable of performing various memory storage and data processing functions simultaneously.\n\nAs the electronics industry has advanced, the required level for the performance characteristics of semiconductor memory devices has increased. For example, the requirement for semiconductor memory devices of high speed may be increasing, and/or the requirement for high reliability of semiconductor memory devices may be increasing. However, patterns in semiconductor memory devices may be increasingly made smaller (finer) due to the trend of increasing the integration density of semiconductor memory devices. Decreasing the pattern size (line width) of semiconductor memory devices has made it more and more difficult to realize semiconductor memory devices having high operating speeds and/or excellent reliability.\n\nSome embodiments of the inventive concept provide semiconductor memory devices with improved electric characteristics.\n\nOther example embodiments of the inventive concept provide methods of fabricating a semiconductor memory device with improved electric characteristics.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10W 10/021",
    "H01L 21/764",
    "H01L 27/11524",
    "H01L 29/42324",
    "H10B 41/35",
    "H10D 30/6891",
    "H10D 84/80",
    "H10W 10/20"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01L 29/788",
    "H10B 12/00",
    "H10B 69/00",
    "H10P 14/60",
    "H10W 10/20",
    "H01L 29/423"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Samsung Electronics Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jae-Hwang Sim",
    "Jinhyun Shin",
    "Jong-Min Lee"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-12-04",
  "publication_date": "2015-10-20",
  "grant_date": "2015-10-20",
  "priority_date": "2012-12-04",
  "application_number": "US-201314096195-A",
  "family_id": "50824619",
  "cited_by_count": 482,
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}