Systems, methods, and techniques described here provide for a hybrid electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) that functions as both a single polysilicon EEPROM and a double polysilicon EEPROM. The two-in-one hybrid EEPROM can be programmed and/or erased as a single polysilicon EEPROM and/or as a double polysilicon EEPROM. The hybrid EEPROM memory cell includes a programmable capacitor disposed on a substrate. The programmable capacitor includes a floating gate forming a first polysilicon layer, an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) layer having disposed over a first surface of the floating gate, and a control gate forming a second polysilicon layer with the control gate formed over a first surface of the ONO layer to form a hybrid EEPROM having a single polysilicon layer and a double polysilicon EEPROM. The single polysilicon EEPROM includes the first polysilicon layer and the double polysilicon EEPROM includes the first and second polysilicon layers.

A memory system for low power consumption and high speed read operation in the memory system includes a source line, a string select line having i layers, a first word line having i layers, a second word line having i layers, a select gate line having 1 layer which is divided into 2n, a plurality of memory pillars and a control circuit. Each of the plurality of memory pillars includes a first string and a second string. The first string includes a first transistor, i first memory cells and j second memory cells. The first transistor, the i first memory cells, and the j second memory cells are electrically connected in series. The second string includes a second transistor, i third memory cells, and j fourth memory cells. The second transistor, the i third memory cells, and the j fourth memory cells are electrically connected in series.

A memory system for low power consumption and high speed read operation in the memory system includes a source line, a string select line having i layers, a first word line having i layers, a second word line having i layers, a select gate line having 1 layer which is divided into 2n, a plurality of memory pillars and a control circuit. Each of the plurality of memory pillars includes a first string and a second string. The first string includes a first transistor, i first memory cells and j second memory cells. The first transistor, the i first memory cells, and the j second memory cells are electrically connected in series. The second string includes a second transistor, i third memory cells, and j fourth memory cells. The second transistor, the i third memory cells, and the j fourth memory cells are electrically connected in series.

A non-volatile memory includes a first memory cell. The first memory cell includes five transistors and a first capacitor. The first transistor includes a first gate, a first terminal and a second terminal. The second transistor includes a second gate, a third terminal and a fourth terminal. The third transistor includes a third gate, a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal. The fourth transistor includes a fourth gate, a seventh terminal and an eighth terminal. The fifth transistor includes a fifth gate, a ninth terminal and a tenth terminal. The first capacitor is connected between the third gate and a control line. The third gate is a floating gate. The second terminal is connected with the third terminal. The fourth terminal is connected with the fifth terminal. The sixth terminal is connected with the seventh terminal. The eighth terminal is connected with the ninth terminal.

A semiconductor device structure that comprises tiers of alternating dielectric levels and conductive levels and a carbon-doped silicon nitride over the tiers of the staircase structure. The carbon-doped silicon nitride excludes silicon carbon nitride. A method of forming the semiconductor device structure comprises forming stairs in a staircase structure comprising alternating dielectric levels and conductive levels. A carbon-doped silicon nitride is formed over the stairs, an oxide material is formed over the carbon-doped silicon nitride, and openings are formed in the oxide material. The openings extend to the carbon-doped silicon nitride. The carbon-doped silicon nitride is removed to extend the openings into the conductive levels of the staircase structure. Additional methods are disclosed.

A semiconductor device including a logic transistor, a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell and a contact etching stop layer (CESL) is shown. The CESL includes a first silicon nitride layer on the logic transistor but not on the NVM cell, a silicon oxide layer on the first silicon nitride layer and on the NVM cell, and a second silicon nitride layer disposed on the silicon oxide layer over the logic transistor and disposed on the silicon oxide layer on the NVM cell.

An integrated circuit contains a flash cell in which the top gate of the sense transistor is a metal sense gate over the floating gate. The source/drain regions of the sense transistor extend under the floating gate so that the source region is separated from the drain region by a sense channel length less than 200 nanometers. The floating gate is at least 400 nanometers wide, so the source/drain regions of the sense transistor extend under the floating gate at least 100 nanometers on each side. The integrated circuit is formed by forming the sense transistor source and drain regions before forming the floating gate.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a core region and a peripheral region, and prior to forming a metal silicide in the core region, forming a sidewall layer on opposite sides of a gate structure of a core region device. The sidewall layer includes sequentially, from the inside out, a silicon oxide layer, a first silicon nitride layer, a first silicon nitride layer, a second silicon oxide layer, and a second silicon nitride layer, or the sidewall layer includes, from inside out, a first silicon nitride layer and a second silicon nitride layer. The sidewall layer having such structure ensures that the formed metal silicide has a good morphology in the core region to achieve good device performance.

A method for forming flash memory units is provided. After a logic gate in a select gate PMOS transistor area is separated from a logic gate in a control gate PMOS transistor area, P-type impurities implanted into the logic gate in the select gate PMOS transistor area are diffused into an N-type floating gate polysilicon layer to convert the N-type floating gate into a P-type floating gate by a subsequent high temperature heating process, so that it is possible to successfully form a select gate PMOS transistor having a small surface channel threshold value in a 55 nm process flash memory unit, and achieve mass production. Further, a two-step growth process of the logic gate and a process for separating the logic gate can form a surface channel of the select gate PMOS transistor having a smaller threshold value without affecting the floating gate doping of the control gate PMOS transistor.

Systems, methods, and techniques described here provide for a hybrid electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) that functions as both a single polysilicon EEPROM and a double polysilicon EEPROM. The two-in-one hybrid EEPROM can be programmed and/or erased as a single polysilicon EEPROM and/or as a double polysilicon EEPROM. The hybrid EEPROM memory cell includes a programmable capacitor disposed on a substrate. The programmable capacitor includes a floating gate forming a first polysilicon layer, an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) layer having disposed over a first surface of the floating gate, and a control gate forming a second polysilicon layer with the control gate formed over a first surface of the ONO layer to form a hybrid EEPROM having a single polysilicon layer and a double polysilicon EEPROM. The single polysilicon EEPROM includes the first polysilicon layer and the double polysilicon EEPROM includes the first and second polysilicon layers.