Silicide Profile Optimization on Active Area in 4XNM ETOX NOR Flash Memory

Silicide overgrowth along active area corner results in undesired charge accumulation and electric field distribution in silicide, especially in advanced tech-node. An optimized silicide profile on 4Xnm ETOX (EPROM tunnel oxide) Nor flash has been obtained with the decrease of self-aligned-silicide aligned block (SAB) dry etch time and thick NiPt film deposition. The better anti-breakdown capability of the adjusted device is attributed to the uniform distribution of electric field in the silicide. This study presents an effective method to boost breakdown resistance for advanced technology nodes devices.