The reliability of a semiconductor device is improved. A first insulating film and a protective film are formed on a semiconductor substrate. The first insulating film and the protective film of a first region are selectively removed, and an insulating film is formed on the exposed semiconductor substrate. In a state where the first insulating film in a second region, a third region, and a fourth region is covered with the protective film, the semiconductor substrate is heat-treated in an atmosphere containing nitrogen, thereby introducing nitrogen to the interface between the semiconductor substrate and the second insulating film in the first region. In other words, a nitrogen introduction point is formed on the interface between the semiconductor substrate and the second insulating film. In this configuration, the protective film acts as an anti-nitriding film.

According to one embodiment, a method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a first film on a substrate. A second film is formed on the first film. A recess is formed in the second film. First processing by which a third film is formed on the second film to form a side face of the recess with the second film and second processing by which the first film exposed in the recess is processed by using the second and third films, are executed one or more times. In relation to an N-th (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1) first processing, before the third film is formed on the second film, a surface inclined with respect to the side face of the recess is formed above the side face of the recess.

A vertical memory device structure can include a vertical channel structure that vertically penetrates through an upper structure and a lower structure of a stack structure in a cell array region of the device. The vertical channel structure can have a side wall with a stepped profile at a level in the vertical channel structure where the upper structure meets the lower structure. A vertical dummy structure can vertically penetrate through a staircase structure that is defined by the upper structure and the lower structure in a connection region of the device, and the vertical dummy structure can have a side wall with a planar profile at the level where the upper structure meets the lower structure.

Described herein is an apparatus comprising a plurality of silicon-containing layers wherein the silicon-containing layers are selected from a silicon oxide and a silicon nitride layer or film. Also described herein are methods for forming the apparatus to be used, for example, as 3D vertical NAND flash memory stacks. In one particular aspect or the apparatus, the silicon oxide layer comprises slightly compressive stress and good thermal stability. In this or other aspects of the apparatus, the silicon nitride layer comprises slightly tensile stress and less than 300 MPa stress change after up to about 800 C. thermal treatment. In this or other aspects of the apparatus, the silicon nitride layer etches much faster than the silicon oxide layer in hot H.sub.3PO.sub.4, showing good etch selectivity.

A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same are provided. In one embodiment, method includes forming a first oxide layer over a substrate, forming a silicon-rich, oxygen-rich, oxynitride layer on the first oxide layer, forming a silicon-rich, nitrogen-rich, and oxygen-lean nitride layer over the oxynitride layer, and forming a second oxide layer on the nitride layer. Generally, the nitride layer includes a majority of charge traps distributed in the oxynitride layer and the nitride layer. Optionally, the method further includes forming a middle oxide layer between the oxynitride layer and the nitride layer. Other embodiments are also described.

Semiconductor devices including non-volatile memory devices and methods of fabricating the same are provided. Generally, the memory device includes a gate structure, a channel positioned between and electrically connecting a first diffusion region and a second diffusion region, and a tunnel dielectric layer, a multi-layer charge trapping layer, and a blocking dielectric layer disposed between the gate structure and the channel. In one embodiment, the multi-layer charge trapping layer includes a first dielectric layer disposed abutting a second dielectric layer and an anti-tunneling layer disposed between the first and second dielectric layers. The anti-tunneling layer includes an oxide, and the first and the second dielectric layers include a nitride. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

The performances of a semiconductor device are improved. A plurality of first gate patterns are formed over a fin of a part of a semiconductor substrate. A gate insulation film including a metal oxide film is formed between the adjacent first gate patterns. Then, a memory gate electrode is formed over the gate insulation film to fill between the adjacent first gate patterns. Then, the first gate patterns are selectively removed, to form a second gate pattern at the side surface of the memory gate electrode via the gate insulation film. Then, ions are implanted into the fin exposed from the memory gate electrode and the second gate pattern, to form an extension region in the fin. During formation of the extension region, the gate insulation film is not formed at the side surface of the fin, and hence ion implantation is not inhibited.

A method of controlling the thickness of gate oxides in an integrated CMOS process which includes performing a two-step gate oxidation process to concurrently oxidize and therefore consume at least a first portion of the cap layer of the NV gate stack to form a blocking oxide and form a gate oxide of at least one metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor in the second region, wherein the gate oxide of the at least one MOS transistor is formed during both a first oxidation step and a second oxidation step of the gate oxidation process.

An embedded flash memory device includes a gate stack, which includes a bottom dielectric layer extending into a recess in a semiconductor substrate, and a charge storage layer over the bottom dielectric layer. The charge storage layer includes a portion in the recess. The gate stack further includes a top dielectric layer over the charge storage layer, and a metal gate over the top dielectric layer. Source and drain regions are in the semiconductor substrate, and are on opposite sides of the gate stack.

According to an embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of control gate electrodes, a semiconductor layer, and a charge accumulation layer. The plurality of control gate electrodes are provided as a stack above a substrate. The semiconductor layer has as its longitudinal direction a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and faces the plurality of control gate electrodes. The charge accumulation layer is positioned between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor layer. A lower end of the charge accumulation layer is positioned more upwardly than a lower end of a lowermost layer-positioned one of the control gate electrodes.