Patent ID: 8158480

Claim:
A method of forming a charge storage pattern for a non-volatile memory device, comprising: forming a trench by partially etching a substrate; forming a mold pattern on a substrate, wherein forming the mold pattern includes forming a device isolation pattern in the trench such that the device isolation pattern protrudes from a surface of the substrate in order to form an opening exposing the surface of the substrate and forming a tunnel oxide layer on the substrate in the opening; selectively forming a preliminary pattern on the mold pattern and on the substrate exposed through the mold pattern, wherein selectively forming the preliminary pattern includes forming a preliminary charge storage pattern by selectively depositing a conductive material on the tunnel oxide layer and on the device isolation pattern, and forming a protective layer on the preliminary charge storage pattern and a sidewall of the device isolation pattern; removing the preliminary pattern from the mold pattern such that the preliminary pattern only remains on the substrate to form the pattern on the substrate, wherein removing the preliminary pattern includes removing the preliminary charge storage pattern from the device isolation pattern such that the preliminary charge storage pattern only remains on the tunnel oxide layer to form the charge storage pattern on the substrate, and wherein prior to removal of the preliminary pattern from the mold pattern, a thickness of the preliminary pattern is less than a protrusion thickness of the mold pattern measured from a surface of the substrate; forming a sacrificial layer to fill up the opening; removing the sacrificial layer until the protective layer on the device isolation pattern is exposed; removing the protective layer and the preliminary charge storage pattern under the protective layer from the device isolation pattern; removing the sacrificial layer in the opening; and removing the protective layer from the preliminary charge storage pattern at a bottom portion of the opening such that the preliminary charge storage pattern on the tunnel oxide layer is exposed through the opening, after forming the protective layer.