Micron Technology Incorporated

Other

Eric Higgins Freeman

Michael A Smith

Luan C Tran

John K Lee

Russell Nielsen

Zengtao “Tony” Liu

Justin B Dorhout

Paolo Tessariol

Zengtao T Liu

Michele Piccardi

Kenneth William Marr

Marco-Domenico Tiburzi

Chiara Cerafogli

Joshua Daniel Tomayer

John Lee

A microelectronic chip device includes a semiconductor substrate and multiple on-chip strain sensors (OCSSs) constructed on the substrate at various locations of the substrate. The OCSSs may each include multiple piezoresistive devices configured to sense a strain at a location of the various locations and produce a strain signal representing the strain at that location. A strain measurement circuit may also be constructed on the semiconductor substrate and configured to measure strain parameters from the strain signals produced by the OCSSs. The strain parameters represent the strains at the various location. Values of the strain parameters can be used for analysis of mechanical stress on the chip device.

Method and apparatus for on-chip stress detection

Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a semiconductor base and an insulative frame over the semiconductor base. The insulative frame has vertically-spaced sheets of first insulative material, and pillars of second insulative material between the vertically-spaced sheets. The first and second insulative materials are different from one another. Conductive plates are between the vertically-spaced sheets and are directly against the insulative pillars. Some embodiments include capacitors, and some embodiments include methods of forming capacitors.

Integrated structures, capacitors and methods of forming capacitors

Conductive structures include a plurality of conductive steps and a contact extending at least partially therethrough in communication with at least one of the plurality of conductive steps and insulated from at least another one of the conductive steps. Devices may include such conductive structures. Systems may include a semiconductor device and a stair step conductive structure having a plurality of contacts extending through a step of the stair step conductive structure. Methods of forming conductive structures include forming contacts in contact holes formed through at least one conductive step of a conductive structure. Methods of forming electrical connections in stair step conductive structures include forming contacts in contact holes formed through each step of the stair step conductive structure.

Memory devices, semiconductor devices and related methods

A semiconductor device includes a capacitor structure. The capacitor structure comprises conductive vias extending through openings in a stack of alternating dielectric materials and first conductive materials, each conductive via comprising a second conductive material extending through the openings and another dielectric material on sidewalls of the openings, first conductive lines in electrical communication with a first group of the conductive vias, and second conductive lines in electrical communication with a second group of the conductive vias. Related semiconductor device, electronic systems, and methods are disclosed.

Devices including vias extending through alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials, and related electronic devices

Methods for forming semiconductor structures are disclosed, including a method that involves forming sets of conductive material and insulating material, forming a first mask over the sets, forming a first number of contact regions, forming a second mask over a first region of the sets, and removing material from the sets in a second, exposed region laterally adjacent the first region to form a second number of contact regions. Another method includes forming first and second contact regions on portions of sets of conductive materials and insulating materials, each of the second contact regions more proximal to an underlying substrate than each of the first contact regions. Apparatuses such as memory devices including laterally adjacent first and second regions each of which including contact regions of a different portion of a plurality of conductive materials and related methods of forming such devices are also disclosed.

Methods of forming semiconductor devices

Vertical memory blocks for semiconductor devices include a memory cell region including an array of memory cell pillars and at least one via region including a dielectric stack of alternating dielectric materials and at least one conductive via extending through the dielectric stack. Semiconductor devices including a vertical memory block include at least one vertical memory block, which includes slots extending between adjacent memory cells of a three-dimensional array. The slots are separated by a first distance in a first portion of the block, and by a second, greater distance in a second portion of the block. Methods of forming vertical memory blocks include forming slots separated by a first distance in a memory array region and by a second, greater distance in a via region. At least one conductive via is formed through a stack of alternating first and second dielectric materials in the via region.

Microelectronic devices and related methods

Semiconductor structures including a plurality of conductive structures having a dielectric material therebetween are disclosed. The thickness of the dielectric material spacing apart the conductive structures may be adjusted to provide optimization of capacitance and voltage threshold. The semiconductor structures may be used as capacitors, for example, in memory devices. Various methods may be used to form such semiconductor structures and capacitors including such semiconductor structures. Memory devices including such capacitors are also disclosed.

Semiconductor devices including capacitor structures having improved area efficiency

Devices including vias extending through alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials, and related methods

Semiconductor devices including capacitors, related electronic systems, and related methods

Semiconductor devices including stair-step structures

Memory devices including capacitor structures having improved area efficiency

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

Eric Higgins Freeman