A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment comprises a memory cell, the memory cell comprising: a semiconductor layer; a control gate electrode; a charge accumulation layer disposed between the semiconductor layer and the control gate electrode; a first insulating layer disposed between the semiconductor layer and the charge accumulation layer; and a second insulating layer disposed between the charge accumulation layer and the control gate electrode, the charge accumulation layer including an insulator that includes silicon and nitrogen, and the insulator further including: a first element or a second element, the second element being different from the first element; and a third element different from the first element and the second element.

A method comprises forming a memory gate structure adjacent to a control gate structure over a substrate, wherein a charge storage layer is between the memory gate structure and the control gate structure and a top surface of the memory gate structure is covered by a gate mask layer, forming a first spacer along sidewalls of the memory gate structure and the gate mask layer, wherein a sidewall of the memory gate structure is fully covered by the first spacer, applying an etching process to the charge storage layer to form an L-shaped charge storage layer and forming a first drain/source region adjacent to the memory gate structure and a second drain/source region adjacent to the control gate structure.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer; an electrode layer; a first insulating film; a charge storage film; and a second insulating film. The first insulating film is provided between the electrode layer and the semiconductor layer. The charge storage film is provided between the first insulating film and the electrode layer. The charge storage film includes a charge trapping layer and a floating electrode layer. The floating electrode layer includes doped silicon. The second insulating film is provided between the floating electrode layer and the electrode layer.

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a charge storage layer on a first insulating film, a second insulating film which is provided on the charge storage layer, formed of layers, and a control gate electrode on the second insulating film. The second insulating film includes a bottom layer (A) provided just above the charge storage layer, a top layer (C) provided just below the control gate electrode, and a middle layer (B) provided between the bottom layer (A) and the top layer (C). The middle layer (B) has higher barrier height and lower dielectric constant than both the bottom layer (A) and the top layer (C). The average coordination number of the middle layer (B) is smaller than both the average coordination number of the top layer (C) and the average coordination number of the bottom layer (A).

A memory device is described, which includes a block of memory cells comprising a plurality of stacks of horizontal active lines such as NAND string channel lines, with a plurality of vertical slices penetrated by, and surrounding, the horizontal active lines to provide a gate-all-around structure. A memory film is disposed between the horizontal active lines in the plurality of stacks and the vertical slices in the plurality of vertical slices. A 3D, horizontal channel, gate-all-around NAND flash memory is provided. A method for manufacturing a memory involves a buttress process. The buttress process enables horizontal channel, gate-all-around structures.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor substrate including, a first silicon layer comprising an upper surface with protrusions extending vertically with respect to the upper surface. An isolation layer is arranged over the upper surface meeting the first silicon layer at an interface, and a second silicon layer is arranged over the isolation layer. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor substrate is also provided.

A semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The device may include a stack including gate electrodes stacked on a substrate in a vertical direction and insulating patterns interposed between the gate electrodes, vertical channels passing through the stack and connected to the substrate, a tunnel insulating layer enclosing each of the vertical channels, charge storing patterns provided between the tunnel insulating layer and the gate electrodes and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, blocking insulating patterns provided between the charge storing patterns and the gate electrodes and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a bit line crossing the stack and connected to the vertical channels. The blocking insulating patterns may have a vertical thickness that is greater than that of the gate electrodes.

A memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, a memory opening vertically extending through the alternating stack, and a memory opening fill structure located in the memory opening and comprising a vertical semiconductor channel and a memory film. The memory film includes a contoured blocking dielectric layer including sac-shaped lateral protrusions located at levels of the electrically conductive layers, a tunneling dielectric layer in contact with the vertical semiconductor channel, and a vertical stack of charge storage material portions located within volumes enclosed by the sac-shaped lateral protrusions.

A method of forming an electronic device comprising forming an initial dielectric material comprising silicon-hydrogen bonds. A deuterium source gas and an oxygen source gas are reacted to produce deuterium species, and the initial dielectric material is exposed to the deuterium species. Deuterium of the deuterium species is incorporated into the initial dielectric material to form a deuterium-containing dielectric material. Additional methods are also disclosed, as are electronic devices and systems comprising the deuterium-containing dielectric material.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor structure that includes a substrate having a first region and a second region, gate electrodes stacked and spaced apart from each other in a first direction, extend at different lengths in a second direction on the second region, and include pad regions, interlayer insulating layers alternately stacked with the gate electrodes, channel structures penetrating the gate electrodes, extending in the first direction, and each including a channel layer, contact plugs penetrating the pad regions and extending in the first direction on the second region, and contact insulating layers between the gate electrodes and between ones of the contact plugs below the pad regions. The pad regions and the contact insulating layers protrude from the interlayer insulating layers toward the contact plugs in a horizontal direction.