The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a flash memory structure. The method includes forming a sacrificial material over a substrate, and forming a plurality of trenches extending through the sacrificial material to within the substrate. A dielectric material is formed within the plurality of trenches. The dielectric material is selectively etched, according to a mask that is directly over the dielectric material, to form depressions along edges of the plurality of trenches. The sacrificial material between neighboring ones of the depressions is removed to form a floating gate recess. A floating gate material is formed within the floating gate recess and the neighboring ones of the depressions.

A semiconductor patterning process includes the following steps. A substrate is provided, wherein the substrate has a first region, a second region, and a third region, and the second region is located between the first region and the third region. A plurality of initial mask patterns are formed on the substrate. A first mask material layer is conformally formed on the substrate. A first mask pattern is formed above at least two adjacent initial mask patterns in the second region and on the first mask material layer in between, and a second mask pattern is formed on the first mask material layer on sidewalls of remaining initial mask patterns. A portion of the first mask material layer is removed using the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern as a mask to form a final mask pattern on the substrate.

A memory device includes a semiconductor substrate with memory cell and logic regions. A floating gate is disposed over the memory cell region and has an upper surface terminating in opposing front and back edges and opposing first and second side edges. An oxide layer has a first portion extending along the logic region and a first thickness, a second portion extending along the memory cell region and has the first thickness, and a third portion extending along the front edge with the first thickness and extending along a tunnel region portion of the first side edge with a second thickness less than the first thickness. A control gate has a first portion disposed on the oxide layer second portion and a second portion vertically over the front edge and the tunnel region portion of the first side edge. A logic gate is disposed on the oxide layer first portion.

A non-volatile memory device includes a substrate, a stacked structure, an anti-fuse gate, a gate dielectric layer, a first doping region, and a second doping region. The stacked structure is formed on the substrate and includes a floating gate, a select logic gate, a logic gate dielectric layer, and an inter-polysilicon layer dielectric layer. The select logic gate is disposed on the floating gate, the logic gate dielectric layer is disposed between the floating gate and the substrate, and the inter-polysilicon layer dielectric layer is disposed between the floating gate and the select logic gate. The anti-fuse gate is disposed on the substrate, and the gate dielectric layer is disposed between the anti-fuse gate and the substrate. The first doping region is formed in the substrate at one side of the floating gate. The second doping region is formed in the substrate between the floating gate and the anti-fuse gate.

A method for forming a gate structure of a 3D memory device is provided. The method comprises forming an array wafer including a periphery region and a staircase and array region. A process of forming the array wafer comprises forming an etch stop layer on a first substrate in the periphery region, forming an array device on the first substrate in the staircase and array region, and forming at least one first vertical through in the periphery region and in contact with the etch stop layer. The method further comprises forming a CMOS wafer, and bonding the array wafer and the CMOS wafer. The method further comprises forming at least one through substrate contact penetrating the first substrate and the etch stop layer, and in contact with the at least one first vertical through contact.

A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of first interconnections extending in a first direction and spaced from one another in a second direction crossing the first direction; a channel adjacent to the first interconnections in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction and extending in the second direction; and a plurality of first charge storage sections, each of the first charge storage sections provided between a corresponding one of the first interconnections and the channel. The first interconnections each include a first portion relatively farther from the channel and a second portion relatively closer to the channel, wherein the first portion includes a first thickness in the second direction and the second portion includes a second thickness in the second direction, and wherein the second thickness is substantially greater than the first thickness.

A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of first interconnections extending in a first direction and spaced from one another in a second direction crossing the first direction; a channel adjacent to the first interconnections in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction and extending in the second direction; and a plurality of first charge storage sections, each of the first charge storage sections provided between a corresponding one of the first interconnections and the channel. The first interconnections each include a first portion relatively farther from the channel and a second portion relatively closer to the channel, wherein the first portion includes a first thickness in the second direction and the second portion includes a second thickness in the second direction, and wherein the second thickness is substantially greater than the first thickness.

A method for forming a gate structure of a 3D memory device is provided. The method comprises forming an array wafer including a periphery region and a staircase and array region. A process of forming the array wafer comprises forming an array well structure in a first substrate in the periphery region, forming an array device on the first substrate in the staircase and array region, and forming at least one vertical through contact in the periphery region and in contact with the array well structure. The method further comprises forming a CMOS wafer, and bonding the array wafer and the CMOS wafer. The method further comprises forming at least one through substrate contact penetrating the first substrate and the array well structure, and in contact with the at least one vertical through contact.

A semiconductor substrate has a front face with a first dielectric region. A capacitive element includes, on a surface of the first dielectric region at the front face, a stack of layers which include a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a third conductive region. The second conductive region is electrically insulated from the first conductive region by a second dielectric region. The second conductive region is further electrically insulated from the third conductive region by a third dielectric region. The first and third conductive regions form one plate of the capacitive element, and the second conductive region forms another plate of the capacitive element.

A flash memory device is provided. The flash memory device includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, a third dielectric layer, a first polycrystalline silicon layer and a second polycrystalline silicon layer. The first dielectric layer is formed on the substrate located in a first region of a peripheral region, the second dielectric layer is formed on the substrate located in a second region of the peripheral region, and the third dielectric layer is formed on the substrate located in an array region. A bottom surface of the third dielectric layer is lower than a bottom surface of the second dielectric layer. The first polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the first and the second dielectric layers. The second polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the third dielectric layer.