Patent ID: 7902022

Claim:
A method of making a semiconductor device over a semiconductor layer, comprising: forming a layer of silicon nitride over the semiconductor layer; patterning the layer of silicon nitride to form a first opening and a second opening in the layer of silicon nitride separated by a first portion of the layer of silicon nitride; depositing gate material in the first opening and the second opening to form a first select gate structure in the first opening and a second select gate structure in the second opening; removing a second portion and a third portion of the layer of silicon nitride while leaving the first portion between the first and second select gate structure, wherein the second portion is adjacent to the first select gate structure and the third portion is adjacent to the second select gate structure; forming a charge storage layer over the semiconductor device after removing the second and third portions; forming a first sidewall spacer of gate material on the charge storage layer and adjacent to the first select gate structure and a second sidewall spacer of gate material on the charge storage layer and adjacent to the second select gate structure; etching the charge storage layer using the first sidewall spacer and the second sidewall spacer as a mask; and removing the first portion; and forming a drain region in the semiconductor layer between the first and second select gate structures.