Micron Technology Incorporated

Intel Corporation

James Mathew

Gordon A Haller

Luan C Tran

Kunal Shrotri

Minsoo Lee

Jie Li

Yunjun Ho

Hongpeng Yu

Yangda Zhang

John David Hopkins

H Montgomery Manning

Jie Sun

H Jim Fulford

Ronald Allen Weimer

Sanjeev Sapra

Brett D Lowe

Vinayak Shamanna

Zhiqiang Xie

Hyun Sik Kim

Zhaoli Sun

Kevin G Duesman

Michael P Violette

Hongbin Zhu

James E Davis

Merri Lyn Carlson

Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a first opening extending through a stack of alternating insulative levels and conductive levels. A nitride structure is within the first opening and narrows the first opening to form a second opening. Detectable oxide is between the nitride structure and one or more of the conductive levels. Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a conductive material, a select device gate material over the conductive material, and vertically-stacked conductive levels over the select device gate material. A first opening extends through the vertically-stacked levels to the conductive material and has opposing sidewalls along a cross-section. Nitride liners are along the sidewalls of the first opening. Detectable oxide is between at least one of the nitride liners and one or more of the vertically-stacked conductive levels. Some embodiments include methods for forming integrated structures.

Integrated structures and methods of forming integrated structures

A disclosed example to modulate slit stress in a semiconductor substrate includes a first controller to, after obtaining a wafer stress measurement of the semiconductor substrate, control a first process to apply a first material to the semiconductor substrate based on the wafer stress measurement, the semiconductor substrate including a slit between adjacent stacked transistor layers, the first material coating walls of the slit to reduce a first width of the slit between the adjacent stacked transistor layers to a second width; and a second controller to control a second process to apply a second material to the semiconductor substrate, the second material to be deposited in the second width of the slit, the first material and the second material to form a solid structure in the slit between the adjacent stacked transistor layers.

Slit stress modulation in semiconductor substrates

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a tier comprising alternating first and second layers, wherein the first layers comprise a first conductive material and the second layers comprise a first dielectric material; a lower metal layer below the tier; a bond pad above the tier, the bond pad coupled to the lower metal layer by a via extending through the tier; and a first channel formed through a portion of the tier, the first channel surrounding the via, the first channel comprising a second dielectric material.

Method and apparatus for reducing capacitance of input/output pins of memory device

A disclosed example to modulate slit stress in a semiconductor substrate includes controlling a first process to apply a first material to a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a slit between adjacent stacked transistor layers. The first material coats walls of the slit to reduce a first width of the slit between the adjacent stacked transistor layers to a second width. A second process is controlled to apply a second material to the semiconductor substrate. The second material is to be deposited in the second width of the slit. The first material and the second material are to form a solid structure in the slit between the adjacent stacked transistor layers.

A memory array has first and second memory cells over a semiconductor and an isolation region extending into the semiconductor. The isolation region includes an air gap between charge-storage structures of the first and second memory cells and a thickness of dielectric over the air gap and contained between the first and second memory cells.

Forming air gaps in memory arrays and memory arrays with air gaps thus formed

Devices, memory arrays, and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, one such device has a source/drain zone that has first and second active regions, and an isolation region and a dielectric plug between the first and second active regions. The dielectric plug may extend below upper surfaces of the first and second active regions and may be formed of a dielectric material having a lower removal rate than a dielectric material of the isolation region for a particular isotropic removal chemistry.

Source/drain zones with a delectric plug over an isolation region between active regions and methods

A method of forming memory array and peripheral circuitry isolation includes chemical vapor depositing a silicon dioxide-comprising liner over sidewalls of memory array circuitry isolation trenches and peripheral circuitry isolation trenches formed in semiconductor material. Dielectric material is flowed over the silicon dioxide-comprising liner to fill remaining volume of the array isolation trenches and to form a dielectric liner over the silicon dioxide-comprising liner in at least some of the peripheral isolation trenches. The dielectric material is furnace annealed at a temperature no greater than about 500&#xb0; C. The annealed dielectric material is rapid thermal processed to a temperature no less than about 800&#xb0; C. A silicon dioxide-comprising material is chemical vapor deposited over the rapid thermal processed dielectric material to fill remaining volume of said at least some peripheral isolation trenches. Other aspects are disclosed, including integrated circuitry resulting from the disclosed methods and integrated circuitry independent of method of manufacture.

Integrated circuit devices and methods of forming memory array and peripheral circuitry isolation

Methods of forming air gaps in memory arrays and memory arrays with air gaps thus formed are disclosed. One such method may include forming an isolation region, having a first dielectric, through a charge-storage structure that is over a semiconductor, the isolation region extending into the semiconductor; forming a second dielectric over the isolation region and charge-storage structure; and forming an air gap in the isolation region so that the air gap passes through the charge-storage structure and so that a thickness of the first dielectric is between the air gap and the second dielectric.

The present disclosure includes various methods of contact embodiments. One such method embodiment includes forming a trench in an insulator stack material of a particular thickness. This method includes forming a filler material in the trench and removing the filler material to a particular depth that is less than the particular thickness of the insulator stack material. This method also includes forming a spacer material on at least one side surface of the trench to the particular depth of the filler material and forming a conductive material in the trench over the filler material.

Contact formation

The present disclosure includes various method of contact embodiments. One such method embodiment includes creating a trench in an insulator stack material of a particular thickness and having a portion of the trench positioned between two of a number of gates. This method includes depositing a filler material in the trench and etching the filler material to a particular depth that is less than the particular thickness of the insulator stack material. This method also includes depositing a spacer material to at least one side surface of the trench to the particular depth of the filler material and depositing a conductive material into the trench over the filler material.

The present disclosure includes various method, circuit, device, and system embodiments. One such method embodiment includes creating a trench in an insulator stack material having a portion of the trench positioned between two of a number of gates and depositing a spacer material to at least one side surface of the trench. This method also includes depositing a conductive material into the trench and depositing a cap material into the trench.

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

James Mathew