Patent Abstract:
A nonvolatile memory device includes a gate structure including a select gate formed over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate and having a P-type channel, a drain region formed in the substrate at one sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, and a source region formed in the substrate at the other sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate. The memory gates include a grid of rows and columns with bits of 1&#39;s and 0&#39;s selectively forming a memory in a nonvolatile memory device.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0038041, filed on Apr. 8, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor device fabrication technology, and more particularly, to a nonvolatile memory device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Digital media devices have recently emerged that conveniently use desired information anytime and anywhere. A variety of digital devices that are gaining acceptance require a storage medium that will keep taken images, recorded music, and various data in storage. Thus, much attention has been paid to a system on chip (SoC) technology in the non-memory semiconductor field according to a high integration tendency, and the world semiconductor companies are competing with each other to improve the SoC technology. The SoC technology refers to a technology for integrating all system techniques into one semiconductor. When the system design technology is not isolated, it will become difficult to develop a non-memory semiconductor portion. 
         [0006]    One of main products in the SoC field where complex techniques are integrated is an embedded memory, and much attention is paid to a flash memory among the embedded memories. The flash memory may be divided into a floating gate type and a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) control gate type. Recently, research has been rapidly conducted on the SONOS type. For reference, the SONOS-type flash memory is a nonvolatile memory device using a mechanism of trapping and de-trapping electrons or holes in or from a trap site of a material layer (for example, nitride). 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a conventional nonvolatile memory device. 
         [0008]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the conventional SONOS-type flash memory device will be described as follows. A memory gate MG in which a memory layer  105  and a gate electrode  106  are stacked is formed over a substrate  101 . A spacer  107  is formed on both sidewalls of the memory gate MG. Source and drain regions  108  are formed in the substrate  101  at both sides of the memory gate MG. The memory layer  105  includes a tunnel insulating layer  102 , a charge trap layer  103 , and a charge blocking layer  104 , which are sequentially stacked. The gate electrode  106  serves as a control gate. 
         [0009]    However, the conventional nonvolatile memory device, that is, the SONOS-type flash memory device has a concern that an over-erase occurs during an erase operation. In order to solve this concern, an additional operation, such as recovery, other than basic operations (for example, program/read/erase operations) and a peripheral circuit for the additional operation may be needed. Thus, there is a limitation in reducing the size of the nonvolatile memory device. For reference, the embedded memory occupies a relatively small area in comparison to a standalone memory having a several-GB capacity. Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the embedded memory, it is more important to reduce the area (or size) of peripheral circuits such as a decoder, a charge pump, a control logic and the like rather than the size of the embedded memory. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, the conventional nonvolatile memory device uses hot carrier injection (HCI) during a program operation. However, the HCI has a concern in that the distribution of charges trapped in the charge trap layer  103  is wide, and non-uniform distribution of electrons and holes within the charge trap layer  103 , that is, charge trap mismatch, occurs. Thus, reliability including endurance may be degraded. 
         [0011]    Furthermore, the HCI consumes a large amount of current during a program operation, and requires a large-sized charge pump to supply the current. Thus, the HCI may not be suitable for being applied to the embedded memory. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a nonvolatile memory device that may reduce the area of a peripheral circuit, thereby reducing the entire area. 
         [0013]    Also, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a nonvolatile memory device that may perform a low-power operation while improving reliability. 
         [0014]    In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a nonvolatile memory device includes a gate structure including a select gate formed over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate and having a P-type channel, a drain region formed in the substrate at one sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, and a source region formed in the substrate at the other sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate. 
         [0015]    In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a nonvolatile memory device includes a gate structure including a select gate formed over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate, a drain region formed in the substrate at one sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, a source region formed in the substrate at the other sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate, and a contact structure formed over the gate structure and electrically merging the select gate and the memory gate. 
         [0016]    In accordance with still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a nonvolatile memory device includes a gate structure including a select gate formed over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate and having a P-type channel, a drain region formed in the substrate at one sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, a source region formed in the substrate at the other sidewall of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate, and a contact structure formed over the gate structure and electrically merging the select gate and the memory gate, wherein a contact area between the contact structure and the memory gate is substantially equal to a contact area between the contact structure and the select gate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a conventional nonvolatile memory device. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 2A to 2C  illustrate a nonvolatile memory device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 3A to 3E ,  FIGS. 4A to 4E , and  FIGS. 5A to 5E  illustrate a method for fabricating a unit cell of the nonvolatile memory device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a configuration diagram of a microprocessor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a configuration diagram of a processor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Various embodiments will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Throughout the disclosure, reference numerals correspond directly to the like numbered parts in the various figures and embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0023]    The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances, proportions may have been exaggerated in order to clearly illustrate features of the embodiments. It should be readily understood that the meaning of “on” and “over” in the present disclosure should be interpreted in the broadest manner such that “on” means not only “directly on” but also “on” something with an intermediate feature(s) or a layer(s) therebetween, and that “over” means not only directly on top but also on top of something with an intermediate feature(s) or a layer(s) therebetween. 
         [0024]    The embodiments of the present invention provide a nonvolatile memory device that is easily applied to an embedded memory. In particular, the embodiments of the present invention provide a SONOS-type flash memory to which is most applicable to embedded memories. When the nonvolatile memory device is applied, the size (or area) of peripheral circuits may be reduced, and the size of the entire device may be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve reliability and implement a low-power operation. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2A to 2C  illustrate a nonvolatile memory device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 2A  is a plan view, and  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A′ and B-B′ of  FIG. 2A , respectively. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A to 2C , the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes an N-type well  202  formed in a substrate  201 . The substrate  201  may include a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may have a single-crystal state, and may include a single-crystal silicon containing material. For example, the substrate  201  may include a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate in which a bulk silicon substrate or support substrate, a buried insulation layer, and a single-crystal silicon layer are sequentially stacked. The N-type well  202  provides a base in which a nonvolatile memory device, particularly, a nonvolatile memory device having a P-type channel, may operate. The N-type well  202  may include an impurity region formed by implanting N-type impurities, for example, phosphorous (P) and/or arsenic (As). 
         [0027]    The nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes an isolation layer  203  that is formed in the substrate  201  having the N-type well  202  formed therein so as to define an active region  204 . The isolation layer  203  may be formed through a shallow trench isolation (STI) process, and may include an insulator. The bottom surface of the N-type well  202  may be positioned under the bottom surface of the isolation layer  203 . Depending on cases, the bottom surface of the N-type well  202  may be positioned over the bottom surface of the isolation layer  203  which separates the individual select gates. A part of the N-type well  202  may be opened by the isolation layer  203  and defined as an active region  204 . The active region  204  may be formed in a bar type or a line type, having major and minor axes. 
         [0028]    The nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a gate structure  200  including a select gate SG formed over the substrate  201  and a memory gate MG formed on one sidewall of the select gate SG and a spacer  212  formed on each sidewall of the gate structure  200 . The gate structure  200  may have a bar-type pattern or a line-type pattern, crossing the active region  204  and the isolation layer  203  at the same time. The memory gate MG may be formed at one side of the select gate SG and have a spacer shape. Depending on characteristic requirements of the nonvolatile memory device, the memory gate MG and the select gate SG may have different channel lengths. Accordingly, the memory gate MG may have a critical dimension (CD) smaller than the select gate SG. Specifically, a control electrode  211  of the memory gate MG may have a smaller CD than a gate electrode  206  of the select gate SG. At this time, the CD of the memory gate MG and the CD of the select gate SG indicate CDs in the major-axis direction of the active region  204 . The spacer  212  formed on each sidewall of the gate structure  200  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. 
         [0029]    The select gate SG serves to prevent an over-erase. That is, as the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes the select gate SG, the nonvolatile memory device does not require an additional operation such as recovery and a peripheral circuit for the additional operation. The select gate SG may include a bar-type pattern or a line-type pattern, crossing the active region  204  and the isolation layer  203  at the same time. When seen from the plane, the sidewall of the select gate SG, contacted with the memory gate MG, may be partially recessed. That is, the select gate SG includes a concave portion having a relatively small CD. The concave portion of the select gate SG may be positioned over the isolation layer  203 . The concave portion of the select gate SG serves to provide a uniform contact area between a contact structure to be described below, that is, a contact plug  216 , and the select gate SG and the memory gate MG. 
         [0030]    The select gate SG includes a gate dielectric layer  205  and a gate electrode  206  over the gate dielectric layer  205 . The gate dielectric layer  205  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. The gate electrode  206  may include a silicon containing material or metal containing material. 
         [0031]    The memory gate MG operates as a storage to store data, and may include a bar-type pattern or a line-type pattern, crossing the active region  204  and the isolation layer  203  at the same time. When seen from the plane, the sidewall of the memory gate MG, contacted with the select gate SG, may be partially projected in correspondence to the concave portion of the select gate SG. That is, the memory gate MG may include a convex portion having a relatively large CD. The convex portion of the memory gate MG may be coupled to the concave portion on each side of the contact plug  216  of the select gate SG. Although the memory gate MG and the select gate SG have different CDs, the convex portion of the memory gate MG and the concave portion of the select gate SG may have the same CD. This is in order to provide a uniform contact area between the contact plug  216  and the select gate SG and the memory gate MG. The convex portion of the memory gate MG may be positioned over the isolation layer  203  like the concave portion of the select gate SG. This is in order to stably form the contact plug  216  contacted with the convex portion of the memory gate MG and the concave portion of the select gate SG and to prevent characteristic degradation caused by process variables occurring when the contact plug  216  is formed. 
         [0032]    The memory gate MG includes a memory layer  210  and a control electrode  211  over the memory layer  210 . The memory layer  210  not only may be interposed between the substrate  201  and the control electrode  211 , but may be interposed between the control electrode  211  and the select gate SG. That is, the memory layer  210  may have an L-shape, as shown in  FIG. 2A . The memory layer  210  includes a stacked layer in which a tunnel insulation layer  207 , a charge trap layer  208 , and a charge blocking layer  209  are sequentially stacked. Each of the tunnel insulation layer  207 , the charge trap layer  208 , and the charge blocking layer  209  may include a single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. For example, the tunnel insulation layer  207  and the charge blocking layer  209  may be formed of oxide, and the charge trap layer  209  may be formed of nitride. That is, the memory layer  210  may have an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure. The control electrode  211  over the memory layer  210  serves as a control gate for the memory layer  210 . Thus, the control electrode  211  may trap electrons or holes in the charge trap layer  208  of the memory layer  210  or de-trap electrons or holes from the charge trap layer  208  of the memory layer  210 , in response to a bias applied to the control electrode  211 . The control electrode  211  may include a silicon containing material or a metal containing material. 
         [0033]    The nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a drain region D formed in the active region  204  at one side of the gate structure  200  and a source region S formed in the active region  204  at the other side of the gate structure  200 . The drain region D may be formed in the active region  204  adjacent to the memory gate MG so as to overlap a part of the memory gate MG, and the source region S may be formed in the active region  204  adjacent to the select gate SG so as to overlap a part of the select gate SG. As described below in an operation of a unit cell, a bend-to-bent tunneling (BTBT) may be used instead of the HCI during a program operation, because the memory gate MG and the drain region D overlap each other. Thus, the current consumption may be significantly reduced during a program operation, and the area of the charge pump may be significantly reduced. 
         [0034]    Since the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention has a P-type channel, the source region S and the drain region D may have a P-type conductivity, and may include a P-type impurity formed in the N-type well  202 . At this time, the source area S and the drain region D may have an asymmetrical structure. Specifically, the source region S may have a lightly doped drain (LDD) structure including a first impurity region  213  and a second impurity region  214  having a larger impurity doping concentration than the first impurity region  213 , and the drain region D may include, for example, only the second impurity region  214 . When the drain region D overlapping underneath the memory gate MG is formed with a high-concentration impurity region including, for example, only the second impurity region  214  instead of the LDD structure including the first and second impurity regions  213  and  214 , a program operation may be more easily performed, and resistance may be decreased to thereby reduce current consumption during the program operation. 
         [0035]    The nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a contact structure that electrically connects the select gate SG and the memory gate MG. The contact structure includes a contact plug  216  contacted with both of the select gate SG and the memory gate MG through the interlayer dielectric layer  215  that is formed over the substrate  201  so as to cover the gate structure  200 . The contact structure, that is, the contact plug  216 , serves to electrically merge the select gate SG and the memory gate MG such that the same signal as a signal applied to the select signal SG is applied to the memory gate MG at the same time. When the select gate SG and the memory gate MG are electrically merged, the operation may be simplified more than when a signal is applied from each of the select gate SG and the memory gate MG. Furthermore, since a select-gate decoder and a memory-gate decoder may be merged into one decoder, the size of the peripheral circuit including the decoder may be significantly reduced. 
         [0036]    The contact plug  216  may be formed in a rectangular-pillar shape or an elliptical-pillar shape, having major and minor axes. This is in order to not only easily merge the select gate SG and the memory gate MG using the contact plug  216 , but also stably deal with overlay change during a photolithography process. 
         [0037]    The contact area between the contact plug  216  and the select gate SG may be equal to the contact area between the contact plug  216  and the memory gate MG. Specifically, the contact area between the contact plug  216  and the gate electrode  206  of the select gate SG may be equal to the contact area between the contact plug  216  and the control electrode  211  of the memory gate MG. Therefore, the contact plug  216  may be disposed at a position corresponding to the concave portion of the select gate SG and the convex portion of the memory gate MG where the CD of the select gate SG is equal to the CD of the memory gate MG. This is in order to uniformly maintain resistance between the contact plug  216  and the select gate SG and the memory gate MG although the select gate SG and the memory gate MG have different CDs depending on characteristic requirements of the device (for example, channel length), thereby preventing characteristic degradation. 
         [0038]    As the nonvolatile memory device having the above-described structure includes the select gate SG, the nonvolatile memory device may prevent an over-erase without an additional operation such as recovery and a peripheral circuit for the additional operation. Thus, it is possible to reduce the size of the peripheral circuit. Furthermore, the memory gate MG and the drain region D partially overlap each other such that the program operation may be performed without using the HCI. Thus, it is possible to reduce current consumption during the program operation, thereby reducing the size of the peripheral circuit including the charge pump. Furthermore, as the nonvolatile memory device includes the contact structure to electrically merge the select gate SG and the memory gate MG, it is possible to reduce the size of the peripheral circuit including a decoder while simplifying the operation. 
         [0039]    Since the charge trapping and de-trapping is limited to the region where the memory gate MG and the drain region D overlap each other during the program operation and the erase operation, the nonvolatile memory device may easily control the distribution of charges trapped in the charge trap layer  208 , thereby preventing characteristic degradation caused by charge trap mismatch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the degradation of reliability including endurance. 
         [0040]    Hereafter, the operation of the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 2A to 2C  and Table 1. Table 1 shows an example of operation conditions of the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Oper- 
                   
                 Select gate &amp; 
                 Drain 
                 Source 
                 N-type 
               
               
                 ation 
                 Scheme 
                 memory gate 
                 region 
                 region 
                 well 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Program 
                 BTBT 
                  VPP 
                 −VPP 
                 VSS 
                 VSS 
               
               
                 Erase 
                 FN 
                 −VPP 
                  VPP 
                 VPP 
                 VPP 
               
               
                   
                 tunnel- 
               
               
                   
                 ing 
               
               
                 Read 
                 Forward 
                 −VCC 
                 Vread(~−1 V) 
                 VSS 
                 VSS 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0041]    The program operation may use a bend-to-bent tunneling (BTBT). Specifically, since the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention has a P-type channel, the program operation may be performed through BTBT-induced hot electron injection. The BTBT has lower current consumption than the HCI. When the BTBT is used, the program operation may be performed at a lower voltage than when the HCI is used. Thus, the size of the charge pump to supply a current may be significantly reduced in comparison to the HCI. 
         [0042]    More specifically, when a first program voltage is applied to the select gate SG and the memory gate MG through the contact structure, that is, the contact plug  216 , a second program voltage having the opposite polarity of the first program voltage may be simultaneously applied to the drain region D, in order to perform the program operation. At this time, the first program voltage may include a positive voltage, and the second program voltage may include a negative voltage. For example, the first program voltage may include a pumping voltage VPP, and the second program voltage may include a negative pumping voltage −VPP. Furthermore, a ground voltage VSS may be applied to the source area S and the N-type well  202 . 
         [0043]    When the pumping voltage VPP is applied to the memory gate MG and the negative pumping voltage −VPP is applied to the drain region D overlapping the memory gate MG, BTBT occurs in an area where the memory gate MG and the drain region D overlap each other, due to a potential difference between the memory gate MG and the drain region D, and hot electrons generated by the occurrence of BTBT between the memory gate MG and the drain region D are trapped in the charge trap layer  208  of the memory gate MG. According to the series of mechanisms, the program operation may be performed. During the program operation, electrons trapped in the charge trap layer  208  are limited to the area where BTBT occurs, that is, the area where the memory gate MG and the drain region D overlap each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the degradation in reliability of the nonvolatile memory device, caused by non-uniform charge distribution and charge trap mismatch within the charge trap layer  208 . Furthermore, since the drain region D includes, for example, only the second impurity region  214  having a relatively high impurity doping concentration, hot electrons may be easily generated through the occurrence of BTBT, and resistance of the drain region D to which a voltage for the program operation is applied may be reduced. 
         [0044]    The erase operation may use FN tunneling. Specifically, the erase operation may be performed by applying a first erase voltage to the select gate SG and the memory gate MG and applying a second erase voltage having the opposite polarity of the first erase voltage to the source region S, the drain region D, and the N-type well  202 . At this time, the first erase voltage may include a negative voltage, and the second erase voltage may include a positive voltage. For example, the first erase voltage may include a negative pumping voltage −VPP, and the second erase voltage may include a pumping voltage VPP. Since the nonvolatile memory device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a P-type channel, the nonvolatile memory device may easily apply a positive voltage to the N-type well  202 . When the negative pumping voltage −VPP is applied to the memory gate MG and the pumping voltage VPP is applied to the N-type well  202  including the source region S and the drain region D, the erase operation may be performed through FN tunneling caused by a potential difference therebetween. 
         [0045]    The read operation may use the forward read scheme in which the read operation is performed through charge migration in the same direction as the migration direction of charges during the program operation. Specifically, the read operation may be performed by applying an enable voltage to the select gate SG and the memory gate MG and applying a read voltage Vread and a ground voltage VSS to the drain region D and the source region S, respectively. The enable voltage and the read voltage Vread may include a negative voltage. The enable voltage may include, for example, a negative power supply voltage −VCC, that is, a voltage that may induce a channel under the select gate SG and control a channel under the memory gate MG according to whether or not charges are trapped in the charge trap layer  208 . The read voltage Vread may be used to determine whether or not a channel is formed under the memory gate MG according to whether or not charges exist in the charge trap layer  208 . The read voltage Vread may have a magnitude of ˜−1V. 
         [0046]    Hereafter, a method for fabricating the nonvolatile memory device having the above-described structure will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3A to 3E ,  FIGS. 4A to 4E , and  FIGS. 5A to 5E . In the following descriptions, components represented by the same terms correspond to the same components as those described with reference to  FIGS. 2A to 2C  even though they are represented by different reference numerals. Thus, the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. 
         [0047]      FIGS. 3A to 3E ,  FIGS. 4A to 4E , and  FIGS. 5A to 5E  are diagrams illustrating a method for fabricating a unit cell of the nonvolatile memory device according to the embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 3A to 3E  are plan views showing progressive buildup from substrate to top of gate surfaces and contact plugs.  FIGS. 4A to 4E  and  FIGS. 5A to 5E  are cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A′ and B-B′ of right half of  FIGS. 3A to 3E , respectively. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIGS. 3A ,  4 A, and  5 A, a substrate  11  is prepared. The substrate  11  may include a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device may have a single crystal state, and may include a single-crystal silicon containing material. For example, the substrate  11  may include a bulk silicon substrate or SOI substrate. 
         [0049]    Then, a mask pattern (not illustrated) is formed over the substrate  11 , and an N-type well  12  is formed by implanting N-type impurities into the substrate  11  using the mask pattern as an ion implant barrier. The N-type well  12  is a component for providing a nonvolatile memory device having a P-type channel, and may be formed by implanting P and/or As. 
         [0050]    Then, an isolation layer  13  is formed in the substrate  11  so as to define an active region  14 . The active region  14  may be defined by opening a part of the N-type well  12  formed in the substrate  11  through the isolation layer  13 , and a plurality of unit cells may be formed to share one active region  14 . The isolation layer  13  may be formed through an STI process. The STI process indicates a series of processes of forming a trench for isolation and gap-filling the trench with an insulator to form the isolation layer  13 . 
         [0051]    Referring to  FIGS. 3B ,  4 B, and  5 B, a pre-select gate Pre-SG is formed over the substrate  11 . The pre-select gate Pre-SG may be formed in a bar-type pattern or a line-type pattern, crossing the active region  14  and the isolation layer  13  at the same time The pre-select gate Pre-SG may be formed to include a concave portion having a relatively small CD. At this time, the concave portion may be positioned over the isolation layer  13 . 
         [0052]    The pre-select gate Pre-SG is formed with a stacked structure including a gate dielectric layer  15  and a gate electrode  16  over the gate dielectric layer  15 . The gate dielectric layer  15  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. The gate electrode  16  may be formed of a silicon containing material and/or a metal containing material. The pre-select gate Pre-SG may be formed through a series of processes of sequentially forming a gate conductive layer (not illustrated) and a mask pattern (not illustrated) and etching the gate conductive layer and the gate dielectric layer  15  using the mask pattern as an etch barrier. 
         [0053]    Referring to  FIGS. 3C ,  4 C, and  5 C, a memory layer  20  is formed along the surface of the structure including the pre-select gate Pre-SG. The memory layer  20  may be formed to maintain the profile of the pre-select gate Pre-SG including the concave portion. The memory layer  20  is formed with a stacked layer in which a tunnel insulating layer  17 , a charge trap layer  18 , and a charge blocking layer  19  are sequentially stacked. The tunnel insulating layer  17 , the charge trap layer  18 , and the charge blocking layer  19  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. For example, the tunnel insulating layer  17  and the charge blocking layer  19  may be formed of oxide, and the charge blocking layer  19  may be formed of nitride. That is, the memory layer  20  may be formed of an ONO layer. 
         [0054]    Then, a gate conductive layer (not illustrated) is formed over the memory layer  20 , and a blanket process, for example, an etch-back process is performed to form a memory gate MG including a memory layer  20  and a control electrode  21 , on each sidewall of the pre-select gate Pre-SG. The memory gate MG may be formed to have a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion of the select gate SG, while the outer profile thereof has a straight profile. This structure may be implemented by adjusting the deposition thickness during the formation process of the gate conductive layer. 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIGS. 3D ,  4 D, and  5 D, the pre-select gate Pre-SG is selectively etched to form a selecting gate SG corresponding to each unit cell. That is, as the pre-select gate Pre-SG is selectively etched to isolate adjacent select gates SG, a plurality of gate structures  10  may be formed. Each of the gate structures  10  includes the select gate SG and the memory gate MG formed on one sidewall of the select gate SG. 
         [0056]    Then, a spacer  22  is formed on each sidewall of the gate structure  10 , and a source region S and a drain region D are formed in the active region  14  at both sides of the gate structure  10 . At this time, depending on the shapes of the source region S and the drain region D, the formation sequence of the spacer  22  may be controlled, and adjacent unit cells may share the source region S,  FIG. 4D . 
         [0057]    The spacer  22  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. The source region S and the drain region D may be formed by, for example, implanting P-type impurities into the N-type well  12 . The source region S may be formed to partially overlap the select gate SG, and the drain region D may be formed to partially overlap the memory gate MG. The source region S may be formed with a LDD structure including a first impurity region  23  and a second impurity region  24  having a higher impurity doping concentration than the first impurity region  23 , and the drain region D may be formed with the second impurity region  24 . That is, the source region S and the drain region D may have an asymmetrical structure. 
         [0058]    Referring to  FIGS. 3E ,  4 E, and  5 E, an interlayer dielectric layer  25  is formed on the entire surface of the substrate  11  so as to cover the gate structure  10 . The interlayer dielectric layer  25  may include any one single layer or a stacked layer of two or more layers selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride. 
         [0059]    Then, a mask pattern (not illustrated) is formed over the interlayer dielectric layer  25 . As the mask pattern is used as an etch barrier to etch the Interlayer dielectric layer  25 , a contact hole  26  is formed to expose the select gate SG and the memory gate MG at the same time. At this time, the contact hole  26  may be formed in a rectangular shape or an elliptical shape, having major and minor axes, and the area of the select gate SG exposed through the contact hole  26  may be set to be equal to the area of the memory gate MG exposed through the contact hole  26 . Specifically, the area of the gate electrode  16  of the select gate SG exposed through the contact hole  26  may be set to be equal to the area of the control electrode  21  of the memory gate MG exposed through the contact hole  26 . For this structure, the interlayer dielectric layer  25  over the isolation layer  13  may be etched to form the contact hole  26  at a position corresponding to the concave portion of the select gate SG and the convex portion of the memory gate MG. 
         [0060]    The contact hole  26  is filled with a conductive material to form a contact plug  27 ,  FIG. 4E . At this time, the contact plug  27  serves as a contact structure to electrically merge the select gate SG and the memory gate MG. 
         [0061]    Then, although not illustrated, a plug structure, a conductive line and the like, which are connected to the contact plug  27 , the source region S, and the drain region D are formed through known semiconductor fabrication techniques. Then, the nonvolatile memory device is completed. 
         [0062]    Hereafter, an example of application fields of the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention will be described briefly with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
         [0063]      FIG. 6  is a configuration diagram of a microprocessor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0064]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , the microprocessor  1000  may control a series of processes of receiving data from various external devices, processing the received data, and then transmitting the processed data to the external devices. The microprocessor  1000  may include a memory unit  1010 , an arithmetic unit  1020 , and a control unit  1030 . In addition, the microprocessor  1000  may include various processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application processor (AP) and the like. 
         [0065]    The memory unit  1010  is configured to store data as a processor register or register in the microprocessor  1000 . The memory unit  1010  may include a data register, an address register, and a floating-point register. In addition, the memory unit  1010  may include various registers. The memory unit  1010  may serve to temporarily store data calculated by the arithmetic unit  1020  or result data and an address at which the data are stored. 
         [0066]    The memory unit  1010  may include the above-described nonvolatile memory device. The memory unit  1010  including the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a gate structure including a select gate over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate and having a P-type channel. In addition, the memory unit  1010  includes a drain region formed in a substrate at one side of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, a source region formed in the substrate at the other side of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate, and a contact structure electrically merging the select gate and the memory gate and having the same contact area with the memory gate as a contact area with the select gate. The memory unit  1010  may reduce the size of a peripheral circuit to thereby reduce the size of the device, and may prevent the degradation of reliability including endurance. Through this structure, the size of the memory unit  1010  may be minimized, and the capacity of the memory unit  1010  may be maximized within the same area. In order to reduce the size of the microprocessor  1000 , a small-sized memory unit  1010  is required. Furthermore, in order to increase the performance of the microprocessor  1000 , the reliability of the memory unit  1010  may need to be improved. Since the memory unit  1010  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may improve the reliability while minimizing the size, it is possible to not only reduce the size of the microprocessor  1000  but also improve the performance of the microprocessor  1000 . 
         [0067]    The arithmetic unit  1020  is configured to perform an arithmetic operation inside the microprocessor  1000 . The arithmetic unit  1020  performs the four fundamental arithmetic operations or logic operations according to a result obtained by decoding a command through the control unit  1030 . The arithmetic unit  1020  may include one or more arithmetic and logic units (ALU). 
         [0068]    The control unit  1030  is configured to receive a signal from an external device such as the memory unit  1010 , the arithmetic unit  1020 , or the microprocessor  1000 , extract or decode a command, control input/output, and execute a programmed process. 
         [0069]    The microprocessor  1000  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may additionally include a cache memory unit  1040  configured to temporarily store data to be inputted to or outputted from an external device, in addition to the memory unit  1010 . In this case, the cache memory unit  1040  may exchange data with the memory unit  1010 , the arithmetic unit  1020 , and the control unit  1030  through a bus interface  1050 . 
         [0070]      FIG. 7  is a configuration diagram of a processor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0071]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the processor  1100  may include various functions other than the functions of the microprocessor to control a series of processes of receiving data from various external devices, processing the received data, and then transmitting the processed data to the external devices, thereby improving performance and implementing multiple functions. The processor  1100  includes a core unit  1110 , a cache memory unit  1120 , and a bus interface  1130 . The core unit  1110  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention is configured to perform arithmetic and logic operations on data inputted from an external device, and may include a memory section  1111 , an arithmetic section  1112 , and a control section  1113 . The processor  1100  may include a multi-core processor, a GPU, an application processor (AP), various systems on chip (SoC) and the like. 
         [0072]    The memory section  1111  is configured to store data as a processor register or register inside the processor  1100 , and include a data register, an address register, and a floating-point register. In addition, the memory section  1111  may include various registers. The memory section  1111  may serve to temporarily store data calculated by the arithmetic section  1112  or result data and an address at which the data are stored. The arithmetic section  1112  is configured to perform an operation inside the processor  1100 , and performs the four fundamental arithmetic operations or logic operations according to a result obtained by decoding a command through the control section  1113 . The arithmetic section  1112  may include one or more arithmetic and logic units (ALU). The control section  1113  is configured to receive a signal from the memory section  1111 , the arithmetic section  1112 , or an external device of the microprocessor  1100 , extract or decode a command, control input/output, and execute a programmed process. 
         [0073]    The cache memory unit  1120  is configured to temporarily store data in order to compensate for a difference in data processing speed of a low-speed external device, unlike the core unit  1110  operating at high speed, and may include a primary storage section  1121 , a secondary storage section  1122 , and a tertiary storage section  1123 . The cache memory unit  1120  basically includes the primary and secondary storage sections  1121  and  1122 . When a high capacity is required, the cache memory unit  1120  may further include the tertiary storage section  1123 . That is, the number of storage sections included in the cache memory unit  1102  may differ depending on design. The primary to tertiary storage sections  1121  to  1123  may store and determine data at the same speed or different speeds. When the respective storage sections have different processing speeds, the first storage section may have the highest processing speed.  FIG. 8  illustrates a case in which all of the primary to tertiary storage sections  1121  to  1123  are provided inside the cache memory unit  1120 . However, all of the first to third storage sections  1121  to  1123  may be provided outside the core unit  1110 , and may compensate for a difference in processing speed between the core unit  1110  and the external device. Furthermore, the primary storage section  1121  of the cache memory unit  1120  may be positioned inside the core unit  1110 , and the secondary and tertiary storage sections  1122  and  1123  may be positioned outside the core unit  1110  so as to strengthen the function of improving the processing speed. 
         [0074]    The bus interface  1130  is configured to connect the core unit  1110  and the cache memory unit  1120  so as to effectively transmit data. 
         [0075]    The processor  1100  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of core units  1110 , and the plurality of core units  1110  may share the cache memory unit  1120 . The plurality of core units  1110  and the cache memory unit  1120  may be connected through the bus interface  1130 . The plurality of core units  1110  may be configured in the same manner as the above-described core unit. When the processor  1100  includes the plurality of core units  1110 , an equal number of primary storage sections  1121  may be provided in the respective core units  1110 , and the secondary and tertiary storage sections  1122  and  1123  may be provided as one storage section outside the plurality of core units  1110  and shared through the bus interface  1130 . The primary storage section  1121  may have a higher processing speed than the secondary and tertiary storage sections  1122  and  1123 . 
         [0076]    The processor  1100  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may further include an embedded memory unit  1140  configured to store data, a communication module unit  1150  configured to transmit/receive data to and from an external device in a wired or wireless manner, a memory control unit  1160  configured to drive an external memory device, and a media processing unit  1170  configured to process data processed by the processor  1100  or data inputted from the external input device and output the processed data to an external interface device. In this case, the additional modules may exchange data with the core unit  1110  and the cache memory unit  1120  through the bus interface  1130 , and may exchange data with each other through the bus interface  1130 . 
         [0077]    The embedded memory unit  1140  may include a nonvolatile memory device as well as a volatile memory device. The volatile memory may include DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), mobile DRAM, SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and the like, and the nonvolatile memory device may include ROM (Read Only Memory), Nor Flash Memory, NAND Flash Memory, PRAM (Phase Change Random Access Memory), ReRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory), STTRAM (Spin Transfer Torque Random Access Memory), MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory) and the like. In particular, the nonvolatile memory may include the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. The embedded memory unit  1140  including the nonvolatile memory device in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a gate structure including a select gate over a substrate and a memory gate formed on one sidewall of the select gate and having a P-type channel. In addition, the embedded memory unit  1140  includes a drain region formed in a substrate at one side of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the memory gate, a source region formed in the substrate at the other side of the gate structure and overlapping a part of the select gate, and a contact structure electrically merging the select gate and the memory gate and having the same contact area with the memory gate as a contact area with the select gate. The embedded memory unit  1140  may reduce the size of a peripheral circuit to thereby reduce the size of the device, and may prevent the degradation of reliability including endurance. Through this structure, the size of the embedded memory unit  1140  may be minimized, and the capacity of the embedded memory unit  1140  may be maximized within the same area. In order to reduce the size of the processor  1100 , a small-sized embedded memory unit  1140  is required. Furthermore, in order to increase the performance of the processor  1100 , the reliability of the embedded memory unit  1140  may need to be improved. Since the embedded memory unit  1140  in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may improve the reliability while minimizing the size, it is possible to not only reduce the size the processor  1100 , but also improve the performance of the processor  1100 . 
         [0078]    The communication module unit  1150  may include a module that may be connected to a wired network and a module that may be connected to a wireless network. The wired network module may include LAN (Local Area Network), USB (Universal Serial Bus), Ethernet, PLC (Power Line Communication) and the like. The wireless network module may include IrDA (Infrared Data Association), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access), Wireless LAN, Zigbee, USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network), Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification), LTE (Long Term Evolution), NFC (Near Field Communication), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), UWB (Ultra WideBand) and the like. 
         [0079]    The memory control unit  1160  is configured to manage data transmitted between the processor  1100  and external storage devices operating according to different communication specifications, and may include various memory controllers to control IDE (Integrated Device Electronics), STAT (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment), SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), SSD (Solid State Disk), eSATA (External SATA), PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association), USB (Universal Serial Bus), an SD (Secure Digital) card, a mini SD (mSD) card, a micro SD card, an SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card, a memory stick card, a smart media card, MMC (multimedia card), eMMC (embedded MMC), a CF (Compact Flash) card and the like. 
         [0080]    The media processing unit  1170  is configured to process data processed by the processor  1100  or data inputted from an external input device and output the processed data to an external interface device such that the data are transmitted in the form of image, voice and the like. The media processing unit  1170  may include a GPU, a digital signal processor (DSP), a high definition (HD) audio, a high definition multimedia Interface (HDMI) controller and the like. 
         [0081]    In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, as the nonvolatile memory device includes the select gates, an over-erase may be prevented without an additional operation such as recovery and an additional circuit for the operation. Thus, it is possible to reduce the size of the peripheral circuit. Furthermore, since the memory gate and the drain region partially overlap each other, the program operation may be performed without using HCI. Therefore, since current consumption during the program operation may be reduced, it is possible to reduce the size of the peripheral circuit including a charge pump. Furthermore, as the nonvolatile memory device includes the connection unit to electrically merge the select gate and the memory gate, it is possible to reduce the size of the peripheral circuit including the decoder while simplifying the operation. 
         [0082]    Furthermore, since the charge trapping and de-trapping are limited to the area where the memory gate and the drain region overlap each other, the distribution of trapped charges may be easily controlled, and characteristic degradation caused by charge trap mismatch may be prevented. Thus, it is possible to prevent the degradation of reliability including endurance. 
         [0083]    Although various embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7