Embodiments are generally related to a non-volatile memory device and a method for manufacturing the same.
The NAND memory device is one of non-volatile memory devices, which includes a plurality of memory transistors and select transistors sharing one semiconductor layer. Such a memory transistor includes a floating gate that acts as a charge storing part provided between the semiconductor layer and a word line. Each select transistor includes a gate structure similar to the memory transistor, but a floating gate provided between the semiconductor layer and a select gate is electrically connected to the select gate in order to suppress a change of the threshold voltage thereof. In the highly integrated NAND memory device, however, it is difficult to provide the electrical connection between the select gate and the floating gate.
According to an embodiment, a non-volatile memory device comprises a first semiconductor layer extending in a first direction, a first electrode extending over the first semiconductor layer in a second direction crossing the first direction, a second electrode extending over the first semiconductor layer in the second direction, the second electrode being adjacent to the first electrode, a first insulating layer covering the first electrode and the second electrode, and a first interconnection provided on the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer. A first insulating layer includes a first portion extending between the first electrode and the second electrode; and the first interconnection has a first opening provided above a first part of the first semiconductor layer located below the first portion of the first insulating layer.
Embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. The same portions inside the drawings are marked with the same numerals; a detailed description is omitted as appropriate; and the different portions are described. The drawings are schematic or conceptual; and the relationships between the thicknesses and widths of portions, the proportions of sizes between portions, etc., are not necessarily the same as the actual values thereof. The dimensions and/or the proportions may be illustrated differently between the drawings, even in the case where the same portion is illustrated.
There are cases where the dispositions of the components are described using the directions of XYZ axes shown in the drawings. The X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. Hereinbelow, the directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are described as an X-direction, a Y-direction, and a Z-direction. Also, there are cases where the Z-direction is described as upward and the direction opposite to the Z-direction is described as downward.
The non-volatile memory device 1 is provided, for example, on a silicon substrate. As shown in
A memory transistor MTr is provided at a portion where the word line 30 intersects a semiconductor layer 20. A select transistor STS is provided at a portion where the select gate 40s intersects the semiconductor layer 20. A select transistor STD is provided at a portion where the select gate 40d intersects the semiconductor layer 20.
The non-volatile memory device 1 further includes a source contact body 50 and drain contact bodies 60. The plurality of word lines 30 and the select gates 40 are provided between the source contact body 50 and a drain contact body 60. The source contact body 50 extends in the Y-direction on the semiconductor layer 20. The drain contact body 60 is connected to the semiconductor layer 20.
In the specification, there are a case where each select gate is distinguished as the select gate 40s or 40d, and another case where the select gates are collectively described as the select gates 40. Other elements are also described in the same manner.
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An insulating layer 13, a conductive layer 15, a metal layer 17, and an insulating layer 21 are sequentially provided on the semiconductor layer 20. The insulating layer 13 is, for example, a silicon oxide layer. The conductive layer 15 is, for example, a polysilicon layer. The metal layer 17 is, for example, made of ruthenium (Ru). The insulating layer 21 is a metal oxide layer such as hafnium oxide.
Furthermore, an insulating layer 23 is provided on the insulating layer 21 and the STIs 25. The insulating layer 23 extends in the Y-direction. The insulating layer 23 includes, for example, a metal oxide layer. The insulating layer 23 may have a multilayer structure, for example, including a silicon oxide layer provided on the insulating layer 21 and a metal oxide layer of hafnium oxide provided thereon. The word line 30 is provided on the insulating layer 23.
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The memory transistor MTr includes an insulating layer 13, a floating gate 70 (first conductive layer) and an insulative blocking layer 80 between the semiconductor layer 20 and the word line 30. The insulating layer 13 acts as a tunnel insulating layer. The floating gate 70 includes a conductive layer 15 and a metal layer 17, and acts as a charge storing layer.
The select transistor STS includes an insulating layer 13, a floating gate 70s (second conductive layer) and an insulative blocking layer 80 between the semiconductor layer 20 and the select gate 40s. The insulating layer 13 acts as a gate insulating layer. The floating gate 70s includes a conductive layer 15 and a metal layer 17. The floating gate 70s is electrically insulated from the select gate 40s by the insulative blocking layer 80.
The select transistor STD includes an insulating layer 13, a floating gate 70d, and an insulative blocking layer 80 between the semiconductor layer 20 and the select gate 40d. The insulating layer 13 acts as a gate insulating layer. The floating gate 70d includes a conductive layer 15 and a metal layer 17. The floating gate 70d is electrically insulated from the select gate 40d by the insulative blocking layer 80.
The non-volatile memory device 1 includes a first insulating layer (hereinafter, an interlayer insulating layer 35) covering the memory transistors MTr and the select transistors STS and STD. The interlayer insulating layer 35 includes a first portion 35a, a second portion 35b and a third portion 35c.
The first portion 35a extends between the select transistor STS and the adjacent memory transistor MTr. The first portion 35a is provided between the word line 30s and the select gate 40s. The word line 30s is located at an end on the select gate 40s side.
The second portion 35b extends between the select transistor STS and the source contact body 50. The second portion 35b is provided between the select gate 40s and the source contact body 50.
The third portion 35c extends between the select transistor STD and the adjacent memory transistor MTr. The third portion 35c is provided between the word line 30d and the select gate 40d. The word line 30d is located at the other end on the select gate 40d side.
The source contact body 50 extends in the −Z-direction in the interlayer insulating layer 35 from the upper surface 35s of the interlayer insulating layer 35. The source contact body 50 is in contact with a source region 55 at the bottom surface thereof. The source region 55 is provided in the surface of the semiconductor layer 20 on the source side of the select transistor STS. The source region 55 contains, for example, an n-type impurity with a concentration higher than the concentration of the p-type impurity in the semiconductor layer 20.
The non-volatile memory device 1 further includes a second insulating layer (hereinafter, an interlayer insulating layer 45), a source interconnection 110, and a bit line 120. The interlayer insulating layer 45 is, for example, a silicon oxide layer. The interlayer insulating layer 45 is provided on the interlayer insulating layer 35. The source interconnection 110 is provided between the interlayer insulating layer 35 and the interlayer insulating layer 45, and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer 20 through the source contact body 50. The bit line 120 is provided on the interlayer insulating layer 45 and extends in the X-direction.
The drain contact body 60 extends in the −Z-direction in the interlayer insulating layers 45 and 35. The drain contact body 60 includes a first portion 60a extending through the interlayer insulating layer 35 and a second portion 60b extending through the interlayer insulating layer 45. The drain contact body 60 is in contact with a drain region 65 at the bottom surface thereof. The drain region 65 is provided in the surface of the semiconductor layer 20 on the drain side of the select transistor STD. The drain region 65 contains, for example, an n-type impurity with a concentration higher than the concentration of the p-type impurity in the semiconductor layer 20.
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That is, the first portion 20c and the part close to the select gate 40s of the second portion 20d in the semiconductor layer 20 are provided so as to be located inside the opening 110a as viewed in the −Z-direction. Thus, the floating gate 70s below the select gate 40s can be irradiated, for example, with ultraviolet light. The irradiation using the ultraviolet light may remove the excess charges from the floating gate 70s, and suppress a threshold voltage change of the select transistor STS.
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The third portions 110d each extend in the X-direction and are located above the STIs 25. The third portions 110d electrically connect the first portion 110b and the second portion 110c. For example, a first portion 110b is preferably provided to have a width in the X-direction comparable to a width of the source contact body 50 in the X-direction in order to provide the opening 110a above the select gate 40s, but such a width of the first portion 110b may enlarge the electrical resistance thereof. Thus, the second portions 110c are electrically connected to the first portion 110b via the third portions 110d for reducing the electrical resistance of the source line.
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A space between the adjacent bit line 120a and bit line 120b has a width WBS preferably equal to or wider than a width WS of a space between the adjacent semiconductor layer 20a and semiconductor layer 20b (see
Next, a method for manufacturing the non-volatile memory device 1 according to the embodiment is described with reference to
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N-type impurities are ion-implanted in the semiconductor layer 20 through the grooves 135, for example, and activated by the heat treatment. Thus, a source region 55 is formed on the source side of the select gate 40s. A drain region 65 is formed on the drain side of the select gate 40d. Source/drain regions 67 are formed below a space between the word lines 30 and below a space between each select gate 40 and the word line 30.
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The ultraviolet light passing through the space between the bit lines 120 includes not only the light propagating straight down, but also the diffracted light, making it possible to irradiate the select transistors STS and STD located below the bit lines 120.
A part of the ultraviolet light passes through the opening 110a of the source interconnection 110 and reaches the select gate 40s and its neighborhood. Furthermore, a part of the ultraviolet light propagates between the select gate 40s and the adjacent word line 30s, and reaches the floating gate 70s below the select gate 40s. That is, the ultraviolet light propagating between the select gate 40s and the adjacent word line 30s may be diffracted and reach the floating gate 70s. Then, the excess charges stored in the floating gate 70s is excited by the ultraviolet light and moves to the semiconductor layer 20 beyond the insulating layer 13. As a result, the threshold voltage of the select transistor STS may be returned, for example, to a value corresponding to the thermal equilibrium state.
Another part of the ultraviolet light propagates between the bit lines 120; then passes through a space between the select gate 40d and the adjacent word line 30; and reaches the floating gate 70d below the select gate 40d. Thus, the threshold voltage of the select transistor STD is also return, for example, to a value corresponding to the thermal equilibrium state.
For example, a space between the select gate 40 and the adjacent word line 30 is preferably formed to have a width WSM wider than a width WMM of a space between the word lines 30. Thus, the floating gate 70 located below the select gate 40 may be irradiated with more amount of the ultraviolet light.
The ultraviolet light also includes a light passing through a space between the select gate 40s and the source contact body 50, and reaching the floating gate 70s. The ultraviolet light also includes a light passing through a space between the select gate 40d and the drain contact body 60, and reaching the floating gate 70d.
Thus, the floating gates of the select transistors STS and STD are irradiated with ultraviolet light to suppress the variations of the threshold voltages thereof. Such irradiation with ultraviolet light is applied, for example, after completing the wafer process of the non-volatile memory device 1 and before the characteristic inspection, and improves the accuracy of the characteristic inspection.
In the non-volatile memory device 1, the source interconnection 110 has the openings 110a, which makes it possible to irradiate the space between the select gate 40s and the adjacent word line 30s with ultraviolet light, and effectively suppress the change of the threshold voltage in the select transistor STS. That is, the source interconnection 110 is formed so that a part of the semiconductor layer 20 between the select gate 40s and the adjacent word line 30s is located inside the opening 110a as viewed from above.
An upper interconnection having an opening similar to that of the source interconnection 110 may be further formed above the bit line 120. The ultraviolet radiation passes, for example, through the opening of the upper interconnection, the space between the bit lines 120 and the opening 110a of the source interconnection 110; and the floating gate 70s is irradiated therewith.
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While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/212,831 filed on Sep. 1, 2015; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62212831 | Sep 2015 | US |