Appeal 2007-3958
Application 10/611,229
Appellant’s invention relates to an electrically erasable nonvolatile
semiconductor memory device. Representative independent claim 1, as
presented in the Brief, appears below:
1. An electrically erasable nonvolatile semiconductor memory device,
comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a trench and first and second
projecting portions separated by the trench, each of the first and second
projecting portions having a first side surface and a second side surface
parallel to the first side surface, the first side surface of the first projecting
portion and the second side surface of the second projecting portion being
opposed to each other and defined by the trench;
first and second gate structures respectively formed on the first and
second projecting portions, each of the first and second gate structures
comprising a first insulating film formed on a corresponding one of the first
and second projecting portions, a first conductive film formed on the first
insulating film, a second insulating film formed on the first conductive film,
and a second conductive film formed on the second insulating film, the first
insulating film being formed of a tunnel insulating film, the first conductive
film storing a charge supplied from the semiconductor substrate through the
first insulating film, the second insulating film including a dielectric film
having a dielectric constant higher than that of the first insulating film;
each of the first and second gate structures having a first side surface
and a second side surface, the first side surface of the first gate structure and
the second side surface of the second gate structure being opposed to each
other, the first side surface of the first gate structure being aligned with the
first side surface of the first projecting portion and the second side surface of
the second gate structure being aligned with the second side surface of the
second projecting portion; and
a third insulating film including a first portion formed within the
trench and a second portion formed between the first side surface of the first
gate structure and the second side surface of the second gate structure.
The Examiner relies on the following references in rejecting the
appealed subject matter:
Sato JP 08-017948 Jan. 19, 1996
Gardner US 6,210,999 B1 Apr. 3, 2001
Kim US 6,475,857 B1 Nov. 5, 2002
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