Patent ID: 8013380

Claim:
A floating gate type non-volatile semiconductor memory device which is capable of electrically writing, erasing, reading and retaining data, the memory device comprising: source/drain regions formed in a semiconductor substrate; a first gate insulating layer formed on a channel region located between the source/drain regions; a floating gate electrode functioning as a first charge trapping layer and formed on the first gate insulating layer; a second gate insulating layer including a first silicon nitride film formed on the first charge trapping layer and a first silicon oxide film formed on the first silicon nitride film; a second charge trapping layer formed on the second gate insulating layer, and including an insulating film containing Al and O as major elements, said insulating film having Al vacancy, interstitial O atom, N atom substituting for O atom, or divalent cationic atom substituting for Al atom, said insulating film also having electron unoccupied levels within a range of 2 eV from the valence band maximum of Al 2 O 3 ; a third gate insulating layer including a second silicon oxide film formed on the second charge trapping layer and a second silicon nitride film formed on the second silicon oxide film; and a controlling electrode formed on the third gate insulating layer.