Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.

Haohao Yang

Wei Xu

Ping Yan

Wenbin Zhou

Pan Huang

Enbo Wang

Zongliang Huo

Li Hong Xiao

Qian Tao

Jun Chen

Zhenyu Lu

Yushi Hu

Jifeng Zhu

Si Ping Hu

Xiaowang Dai

Lan Yao

Kun Bao

A Man Zheng

Ruo Fang Zhang

Qianbing Xu

Yu Huang

Fushan Zhang

Yong Zhang

Qianbin Xu

Jin Wen Dong

Wenxiang Xu

Jialan He

Jian Xu

ZongLiang Huo

Zhaosong Li

Yue Qiang Pu

Sha Sha Liu

Feng Lu

Xiao Tian Cheng

Ruofang Zhang

In a three-dimensional memory device, an interconnect structure is formed over a substrate and a first deck is formed over the interconnect structure. The first deck includes alternating first insulating layers and first word line layers, and a first channel structure extending through the first stack. The first channel structure has a first channel dielectric region and a first channel layer. The first channel dielectric region is formed along sidewalls of the first channel structure, positioned over a top surface of the interconnect structure, and in contact with the first insulating layers and the first word line layers. The first channel layer is formed along the first channel dielectric region, and includes a rounded projection that extends away from the top surface of the interconnect structure, extends outwards into the first stack at an interface of the interconnect structure, the first channel structure and the first stack.

3D NAND memory device and method of forming the same

A semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a staircase structure disposed over a substrate. The staircase structure includes a plurality of layer stacks, where each layer stack is made of a first material layer over a portion of a second material layer. The staircase structure further includes a plurality of landing pads, where each landing pad is disposed over another portion of the second material layer of a respective layer stack.

Staircase structure for memory device

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices and fabricating methods thereof are disclosed. The method includes: forming an alternating dielectric stack on a substrate; forming a structure strengthen plug in an upper portion of the alternating dielectric stack, wherein the structure strengthen plug has a narrow support body and two enlarged connecting portions; forming a gate line silt in the alternating dielectric stack to expose a sidewall of one enlarged connecting portion of the structure strengthen plug; and forming a gate line slit structure in the gate line slit including an enlarged end portion connected to the one enlarged connecting portion of the structure strengthen plug.

Three-dimensional memory devices and fabricating methods thereof

Embodiments of structure and methods for forming a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a stack structure including a memory block including a plurality of memory cells. The 3D memory device also includes a first top select structure and a bottom select structure in the memory block and aligned with each other vertically; and a second top select structure in the memory block is separated from the first top select structure by at least one of the plurality of memory cells. The first top select structure, the bottom select structure, and the second top select structure each includes an insulating material.

Three-dimensional memory device without gate line slits and method for forming the same

Aspects of the disclosure provide methods for manufacturing semiconductor devices. One of the methods forms a string of transistors in a semiconductor device over a substrate of the semiconductor device. The method includes forming a first substring of transistors having a first channel structure that includes a first channel layer and a first gate dielectric structure that extend along a vertical direction over the substrate. The method includes forming a channel connector over the first substring and forming the second substring above the channel connector. The second substring has a second channel structure. The second channel structure includes the second channel layer and a second gate dielectric structure that extend along the vertical direction. The second gate dielectric structure is formed above the channel connector. The channel connector electrically couples the first channel layer and the second channel layer.

Method of fabrication thereof a multi-level vertical memory device including inter-level channel connector

Embodiments of structure and methods for forming a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, a method for forming a 3D memory device includes forming a bottom select structure extending along a vertical direction through a bottom conductor layer over a substrate and along a horizontal direction to divide the bottom conductor layer into a pair of bottom select conductor layers, forming a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of insulating layers interleaved on the pair of bottom select conductor layers and the bottom select structure, and forming a plurality of channel structures extending along the vertical direction through the pair of bottom select conductor layers, the plurality of conductor layers, and the plurality of insulating layers and into the substrate. The method may further include forming a first top select structure extending along the vertical direction through a top conductor layer of the plurality of conductor layers and along the horizontal direction to divide the top conductor layer into a pair of top select conductor layers. The first top select structure and the bottom select structure may be aligned along the vertical direction and may divide a plurality of memory cells formed by the plurality of conductor layers and the plurality of channel structures into a pair of memory blocks.

A method for forming a 3D memory device is provided. The method includes forming a dielectric stack including interleaved initial insulating layers and initial sacrificial layers over a substrate, and forming at least one slit structure extending vertically and laterally in the dielectric stack and dividing the dielectric stack into block regions. The at least one slit structure each includes slit openings exposing the substrate and an initial support structure between adjacent slit openings. Each block region may include interleaved insulating layers and sacrificial layers, and the initial support structure may include interleaved insulating portions and sacrificial portions. Each insulating portion and sacrificial portion may be in contact with respective insulating layers and sacrificial layers of a same level from adjacent block regions. The method also includes forming channel structures extending vertically through the dielectric stack, replacing the sacrificial layers and sacrificial portions with conductor layers and conductor portions through the at least one slit structure, and forming a source structure in each slit structure. The source structure may include an insulating spacer in each slit opening and a source contact in a respective insulating spacer.

Three-dimensional memory device with support structures in gate line slits and methods for forming the same

A semiconductor device includes a string of transistors stacked along a vertical direction above a substrate of the semiconductor device. The string can include a first substring, a channel connector disposed above the first substring, and a second substring. The first substring includes a first channel structure having a first channel layer and a first gate dielectric structure that extend along the vertical direction. The second substring is stacked above the channel connector, and has a second channel structure that includes a second channel layer and a second gate dielectric structure that extend along the vertical direction. The channel connector, electrically coupling the first and the second channel layer, is disposed below the second gate dielectric structure to enable formation of a conductive path in a bottom region of the second channel layer. The bottom region is associated with a lowermost transistor in the second substring.

Multi-level vertical memory device including inter-level channel connector

A method for forming a three-dimensional memory device includes disposing a material layer over a substrate, forming a plurality of channel-forming holes and a plurality of sacrificial holes around the plurality of channel-forming holes in an array-forming region of the material layer, and forming a plurality of semiconductor channels based on the channel-forming holes and at least one gate line slit (GLS) based on at least one of the plurality of sacrificial holes. A location of the at least one GLS overlaps with the at least one of the plurality of sacrificial holes.

Method for improving channel hole uniformity of a three-dimensional memory device

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices and fabricating methods thereof are disclosed. The method includes: forming an alternating dielectric stack on a substrate; forming a top selective gate cut and two structure strengthen plugs in an upper portion of the alternating dielectric stack, wherein each structure strengthen plug has a narrow support body and two enlarged connecting portions; forming a plurality of channel structures in the alternating dielectric stack; forming a plurality of gate line silts in the alternating dielectric stack, wherein each gate line slit exposes a sidewall of one enlarged connecting portion of a corresponding structure strengthen plug; transforming the alternating dielectric stack into an alternating conductive/dielectric stack; and forming a gate line slit structure in each gate line slit including an enlarged end portion connected to one enlarged connecting portion of a corresponding structure strengthen plug.

Embodiments of structure and methods for forming a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, the 3D memory device includes a stack structure. The stack structure includes a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of insulating layers interleaved over a substrate. The plurality of conductor layers include a pair of top select conductor layers divided by a first top select structure and a pair of bottom select conductor layers divided by a bottom select structure. The first top select structure and the bottom select structure extend along a horizontal direction and are aligned along a vertical direction. A plurality of channel structures extend along a vertical direction and into the substrate and are distributed on both sides of the top select structure and the bottom select structure.

Embodiments of structure and methods for forming a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack, a plurality of channel structures, a slit structure, and a source structure. The memory stack may be over a substrate and may include interleaved a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of insulating layers extending laterally in the memory stack. The plurality of channel structures may extend vertically through the memory stack into the substrate. The slit structure may extend vertically and laterally in the memory stack and divide the plurality of memory cells into at least one memory block. The slit structure may include a plurality of protruding portions and a plurality of recessed portions arranged vertically along a sidewall of the slit structure.

Methods for forming three-dimensional memory device with support structure and resulting three-dimensional memory device

In a memory device, a lower memory cell string is formed over a substrate to include a first channel structure, a plurality of first word line layers and first insulating layers. The first channel structure protrudes from the substrate and passes through the first word line layers and first insulating layers. An inter deck contact is formed over the lower memory cell string and connected with the first channel structure. An upper memory cell string is formed over the inter deck contact. The upper memory cell string includes a second channel structure, a plurality of second word lines and second insulating layers. The second channel structure passes through the second word lines and second insulating layers, and extends to the inter deck contact, and further extends laterally into the second insulating layers. A channel dielectric region of the second channel structure is above the inter deck contact.

Growing community of inventors

Wuhan, China

Haohao Yang