Dielectric charge-trapping materials having doped metal sites

摘要

Dielectric materials having implanted metal sites and methods of their fabrication have been described. Such materials are suitable for use as charge-trapping nodes of non-volatile memory cells for memory devices. By incorporating metal sites into dielectric charge-trapping materials using an ammonia plasma and a metal source in contact with the plasma, improved programming and erase voltages may be facilitated.

主权项

1. A method of forming a memory cell, comprising:
forming a gate dielectric over an active area of a semiconductor substrate; forming a dielectric charge-trapping material over the gate dielectric; generating a plasma from component gases comprising at least ammonia, nitrogen, argon, helium, or hydrogen; contacting the plasma concurrently with a solid metal source and a surface of the dielectric charge-trapping material, thereby implanting metal sites from the solid metal source into the surface of the dielectric charge-trapping material; forming an intergate dielectric over the dielectric charge-trapping material after implanting the metal sites into the surface of the dielectric charge-trapping material; and forming a control gate over the intergate dielectric.