Non-volatile storage element with suspended charge storage region

摘要

Suspended charge storage regions are utilized for non-volatile storage to decrease parasitic interferences and increase charge retention in memory devices. Charge storage regions are suspended from an overlying intermediate dielectric material. The charge storage regions include an upper surface and a lower surface that extend in the row and column directions. The upper surface of the charge storage region is coupled to the overlying intermediate dielectric material. The lower surface faces the substrate surface and is separated from the substrate surface by a void. The charge storage region includes a first vertical sidewall and a second vertical sidewall that extend in the column direction and a third vertical sidewall and fourth vertical sidewall that extend in the row direction. The first, second, third, and fourth vertical sidewall are separated from neighboring features of the non-volatile memory by the void. The void may include a vacuum, air, gas, or a liquid.

主权项

1. A non-volatile semiconductor memory, comprising:
a string of non-volatile storage elements, each non-volatile storage element of the string including a suspended charge storage region having a bottom surface separated from a surface of a substrate by a void; a dielectric material overlying the suspended charge storage region of each non-volatile storage element; and a plurality of control gates extending in the row direction, each non-volatile storage element of the string underlying one control gate of the plurality of control gates; wherein the suspended charge storage region of each non-volatile storage element includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall extending in a row direction, the first sidewall and the second sidewall are separated from one or more adjacent suspended charge regions of the string by the void; and wherein the suspended charge storage region of each non-volatile storage element includes a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall extending in a column direction, the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall are separated from one or more suspended charge storage regions of one or more adjacent strings of non-volatile storage elements by the void; wherein the void extends continuously in the column direction along the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall of each suspended charge storage region.