GATE STRUCTURE OF INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MEMORY DEVICE HAVING CHARGE STORING NANO CRYSTALS IN METAL OXIDE DIELECTRIC FILM AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gate structure of an integrated circuit memory device having charge storing nano crystals in a metal oxide dielectric film and a method of forming the gate structure. SOLUTION: The method of forming a gate structure of an integrated circuit memory device includes forming a metal oxide dielectric film 150 on an integrated circuit substrate 100. Ions of an element selected from group IV of the periodic table and having a thermal diffusivity no larger than 0.5 cm2/s, such as Ge, are injected into the dielectric film to form a charge storing region in the dielectric film with a tunnel dielectric film 135 formed under the charge storing region and a capping dielectric film 140 formed on the charge storing region. The substrate 100 including the dielectric film 150 is thermally treated to form a plurality of discrete charge storing nano crystals 130_NC in the charge storing region. A gate electrode layer 160 is formed on the dielectric film 150. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT