Patent ID: 7091089

Claim:
A method of forming a nanocluster charge storage device, comprising: identifying a first region of a semiconductor device for locating one or more non-charge storage devices; identifying a second region of the semiconductor device for locating one or more charge storage devices; forming a gate oxide to be used as a gate insulator of the one or more non-charge storage devices in the first region of the semiconductor device; subsequently forming a nanocluster charge storage layer in the second region of the semiconductor device forming a gate electrode layer and an overlying barrier layer over the non-charge storage devices after formation of the gate oxide and prior to forming the nanocluster charge storage layer in both the first region of the semiconductor device and the second region of the semiconductor device; and removing the nanocluster charge storage layer from the first region of the semiconductor device by using the barrier layer to protect the gate electrode layer in the first region of the semiconductor device.