The present disclosure describes a patterning process for a strap region in a memory cell for the removal of material between polysilicon lines. The patterning process includes depositing a first hard mask layer in a divot formed on a top portion of a polysilicon layer interposed between a first polysilicon gate structure and a second polysilicon gate; depositing a second hard mask layer on the first hard mask layer. The patterning process also includes performing a first etch to remove the second hard mask layer and a portion of the second hard mask layer from the divot; performing a second etch to remove the second hard mask layer from the divot; and performing a third etch to remove the polysilicon layer not covered by the first and second hard mask layers to form a separation between the first polysilicon gate structure and the second polysilicon structure.

A neuromorphic device for the analog computation of a linear combination of input signals, for use, for example, in an artificial neuron. The neuromorphic device provides non-volatile programming of the weights, and fast evaluation and programming, and is suitable for fabrication at high density as part of a plurality of neuromorphic devices. The neuromorphic device is implemented as a vertical stack of flash-like cells with a common control gate contact and individually contacted source-drain (SD) regions. The vertical stacking of the cells enables efficient use of layout resources.

A stacked-gate non-volatile memory cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a floating gate, a first spacer, a control gate, a second spacer, a first doped region and a second doped region. The floating gate is formed over the semiconductor substrate. The first spacer is contacted with a sidewall of the floating gate. The control gate is formed on a top side and a lateral side of the floating gate. The control gate is not contacted with the floating gate. The second spacer is contacted with a sidewall of the control gate. The first doped region and the second doped region are formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and respectively located at two sides of the floating gate.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method comprises: providing a substrate comprising a storage region, forming stacked gates of storage transistors on the substrate; forming side walls on two sides of each stacked gate wherein the top surfaces of side walls are arranged to be lower than the top surfaces of the stacked gates; performing ion implantation in the storage region defined by the side walls; and performing an ashing process and a wet cleaning process using the side walls as protective layers of the stacked gates to remove a photoresist remaining after the ion implantation. The present disclosure further provides a semiconductor device formed according to the manufacturing method. According to the semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof, the problem of stacked gate collapse from the ion implantation process can be solved, thereby improving the yield.

An integrated circuit device includes a channel layer in a channel hole penetrating a conductive line and an insulating layer, a charge trap pattern inside the channel hole between the conductive line and the channel layer, and a dummy charge trap pattern inside the channel hole between the insulating layer and the channel layer. In order to manufacture the integrated circuit device, a channel hole penetrating an insulating layer and a mold layer is formed. A mold indent connected to the channel hole is formed. A preliminary dielectric pattern is formed in the mold indent. The preliminary dielectric pattern is oxidized to form a first blocking dielectric pattern. A charge trap layer is formed in the channel hole. The mold layer is removed to form a conductive space. A portion of the charge trap layer is removed to form charge trap patterns and dummy charge trap patterns.

Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cells each having a floating body for storing, reading and writing data as volatile memory. The device includes a floating gate or trapping layer for storing data as non-volatile memory, the device operating as volatile memory when power is applied to the device, and the device storing data from the volatile memory as non-volatile memory when power to the device is interrupted.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a ferroelectric layer disposed on the substrate, a gate insulation layer disposed on the ferroelectric layer, metal particles disposed in the gate insulation layer, and a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate insulation layer.

Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cells each having a floating body for storing, reading and writing data as volatile memory. The device includes a floating gate or trapping layer for storing data as non-volatile memory, the device operating as volatile memory when power is applied to the device, and the device storing data from the volatile memory as non-volatile memory when power to the device is interrupted.

A manufacturing method of a non-volatile memory device, includes forming a floating gate on a substrate, depositing a first insulating layer on the floating gate, depositing a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, depositing a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer, performing a first etch-back process on the third insulating layer to form a spacer-shaped third insulating layer on the second insulating layer, performing a second etch-back process on the second insulating layer to form a spacer-shaped second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, and performing a wet etching to remove the spacer-shaped third insulating layer to form a spacer-shaped first insulating layer and the spacer-shaped second insulating layer on the floating gate.

A normally-off vertical nitride semiconductor transistor device with low threshold voltage variation includes a drift layer containing a nitride semiconductor, a channel region electrically connected to the drift layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode. The gate insulating film includes at least a first insulating film located at the channel region side, a second insulating film located at the gate electrode side, and a third insulating film between the second insulating film and the gate electrode, wherein the second insulating film has charge traps with energy levels located inside the band gaps of both the first and third insulating films, and the threshold voltage is adjusted by charges accumulated in the charge traps. The threshold voltage is used to block flowing current by substantially eliminating conduction carriers of the channel region by voltage applied to the gate electrode.