A flash memory device and method of making the same are disclosed. The flash memory device is located on a substrate and includes a floating gate electrode, a tunnel dielectric layer located between the substrate and the floating gate electrode, a smaller length control gate electrode and a control gate dielectric layer located between the floating gate electrode and the smaller length control gate electrode. The length of a major axis of the smaller length control gate electrode is less than a length of a major axis of the floating gate electrode.

Device architectures based on trapping and de-trapping holes or electrons and/or recombination of both types of carriers are obtained by carrier trapping either in near-interface deep ambipolar states or in quantum wells/dots, either serving as ambipolar traps in semiconductor layers or in gate dielectric/barrier layers. In either case, the potential barrier for trapping is small and retention is provided by carrier confinement in the deep trap states and/or quantum wells/dots. The device architectures are usable as three terminal or two terminal devices.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to method of forming a memory device. In some embodiments, the method may be performed by forming a floating gate over a first dielectric on a substrate. A control gate is formed over the floating gate and first and second spacers are formed along sidewalls of the control gate. The first and second spacers extend past outer edges of an upper surface of the floating gate. An etching process is performed on the first and second spacers to remove a portion of the first and second spacers that extends past the outer edges of the upper surface of the floating gate along an interface between the first and second spacers and the floating gate.

A semiconductor device having good characteristics without variation and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A part of a conductive layer for a floating gate is removed by using a spacer insulating film, a first insulating film, and a second insulating film as a mask. A floating gate having a tip portion is formed from the conductive layer for the floating gate, and a part of an insulating layer for a gate insulating film is exposed from the floating gate. The tip portion of the floating gate is further exposed by selectively removing the second insulating film among the second insulating film, the insulating layer for the gate insulating film, and the spacer insulating film.

Various embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the same. One such apparatus can include a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material, and a conductive material between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material. A charge storage element, such as a floating gate or charge trap, is between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material and adjacent to the conductive material. The charge storage element has a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are substantially separated from. the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material, respectively, by a first air gap and a second air gap. Additional apparatuses and methods are disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a tunnel insulation pattern on the substrate, a charge storage pattern on the tunnel insulation pattern, a dielectric pattern having a width smaller than a width of the charge storage pattern on the charge storage pattern, a control gate having a width greater than the width of the dielectric pattern on the dielectric pattern, and a metal-containing gate on the control gate.

A method of manufacturing a flash memory cell is provided including forming a plurality of semiconductor fins on a semiconductor substrate, forming floating gates for a sub-set of the plurality of semiconductor fins and forming a first insulating layer between the plurality of semiconductor fins. The first insulating layer is recessed to a height less than the height of the plurality of semiconductor fins and sacrificial gates are formed over the sub-set of the plurality of semiconductor fins. A second insulating layer is formed between the sacrificial gates and, after that, the sacrificial gates are removed. Recesses are formed in the first insulating layer and sense gates and control gates are formed in the recesses for the sub-set of the plurality of semiconductor fins. The first and second insulating layers may be oxide layers.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor layer, a first electrode, first and second oxide layers, and a storage layer. The first oxide layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and the first electrode. The second oxide layer is provided between the first oxide layer and the first electrode. The storage layer is provided between the first and second oxide layers. The storage layer includes a first region including silicon nitride, a second region provided between the first region and the second oxide layer and including silicon nitride, and a third region provided between the first and second regions. The third region includes a plurality of first metal atoms. A first density of bond of the first metal atoms in the third region is lower than a second density of bond of the first metal atom and a nitrogen atom in the third region.

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 method includes patterning a substrate to form a nanowire over the substrate, applying a plurality of doping processes to the nanowire to form a first drain/source region at a lower portion of the nanowire, a second drain/source region at an upper portion of the nanowire and a channel region, wherein the channel region is between the first drain/source region and the second drain/source region, depositing a first dielectric layer along sidewalls of the channel region, depositing a control gate layer over the first dielectric layer, wherein the control gate layer surrounds a lower portion of the channel region, depositing a second dielectric layer along the sidewalls of the channel region and over the control gate layer and forming a floating gate region surrounding an upper portion of the channel region.