A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate; a laminated body formed by laminating a plurality of electrode layers on the semiconductor substrate; a memory film provided in the laminated body and including a first block insulation film disposed in a direction perpendicular to the electrode layer, a charge storage film facing the first block insulation film, a tunnel insulation film facing the charge storage film, and a channel film facing the tunnel insulation film; and a barrier layer provided at at least one of interface between the plurality of electrode layers and the memory film and an interface in the memory film and mainly composed of carbon.

A quantum nano-tip (QNT) thin film, such as a silicon nano-tip (SiNT) thin film, for flash memory cells is provided to increase erase speed. The QNT thin film includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer arranged over the first dielectric layer. Further, the QNT thin film includes QNTs arranged over the first dielectric layer and extending into the second dielectric layer. A ratio of height to width of the QNTs is greater than 50 percent. A QNT based flash memory cell and a method for manufacture a SiNT based flash memory cell are also provided.

Three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor devices include an electrode structure with sequentially-stacked electrodes disposed on a substrate, semiconductor patterns penetrating the electrode structure, and memory elements including a first pattern and a second pattern interposed between the semiconductor patterns and the electrode structure, the first pattern vertically extending to cross the electrodes and the second pattern horizontally extending to cross the semiconductor patterns.

Characteristics of a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory are improved. A high dielectric constant film is provided on an insulating film between a memory gate electrode and a fin as components of a nonvolatile memory. The high dielectric constant film is provided over the top of the fin and the top of an element isolation region, but is not provided over a side surface of the fin. In this way, since the high dielectric constant film is provided over the top of the fin and the top of the element isolation region, it is possible to relax an electric field in the vicinity of each of the upper and lower corner portions of the fin, leading to an improvement in disturbance characteristics.

A memory device includes plural electrode layers stacked in a first direction, a semiconductor layer interacting with the plural electrode layers and extending in the first direction, a first insulating film provided between the semiconductor layer and at least one electrode layer and extending along the semiconductor layer in the first direction, and a charge trapping film provided between the electrode layer and the first insulating film. The memory device further includes a second insulating film provided between the charge trapping film and the first insulating film and in contact with the first insulating film. In a flat band state, the charge trapping film has a first trap level located at a level deeper than a conduction band of the semiconductor layer and the second insulating film has a second trap level that is closer to the conduction band of the semiconductor layer than the first trap level.

The present disclosure includes multifunctional memory cells. A number of embodiments include a gate element, a charge transport element, a first charge storage element configured to store a first charge transported from the gate element and through the charge transport element, wherein the first charge storage element includes a nitride material, and a second charge storage element configured to store a second charge transported from the gate element and through the charge transport element, wherein the second charge storage element includes a gallium nitride material.

A vertical memory device and method of manufacture thereof are provided. The vertical memory device includes gate electrode layers stacked on a substrate; a channel layer penetrating through the gate electrode layers; and a first epitaxial layer in contact with a lower portion of the channel layer and including a region having a diameter smaller than an external diameter of the channel layer.

The present disclosure relates to a flash memory having a plurality of control gates, including: a substrate. An oxide layer disposed on the substrate. A fin-shaped channel layer disposed on the oxide layer, and includes a first end portion, a second end portion, a top surface and two side surfaces, wherein the top surface and the two side surfaces are located between the first end portion and the second end portion, the top surface faces away from the oxide layer and separates the two sides. The two charge storage structures are respectively disposed on the two sides of the fin channel layer. The two gates are disposed on the oxide layer and respectively contact with the two charge storage structures. Two word conductive pillars are connected to the two gates respectively and extending from the two gates in a direction leaving the oxide layer.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of forming a memory cell. The method may be performed by forming a sacrificial spacer over a substrate and forming a select gate along a side of the sacrificial spacer. An inter-gate dielectric is formed over the select gate and the sacrificial spacer. A memory gate layer is formed over the inter-gate dielectric and the sacrificial spacer. The memory gate layer is laterally separated from the sacrificial spacer by the select gate. The memory gate layer is etched to define a memory gate having a topmost point below a top of the sacrificial spacer.

The present invention provides a semiconductor device that has a shorter distance between the bit lines and easily achieves higher storage capacity and density. The semiconductor device includes: first bit lines formed on a substrate; an insulating layer that is provided between the first bit lines and in a groove in the substrate, and has a higher upper face than the first bit lines; channel layers that are provided on both side faces of the insulating layer, and are coupled to the respective first bit lines; and charge storage layers that are provided on the opposite side faces of the channel layers from the side faces on which the insulating layers are formed.