Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Jia-Rong Chiou

Yu-Wei Jiang

Chih-Hao Wang

Kuang-Wen Liu

Hsin-Huei Chen

Chong-Jen Huang

Chong-Mu Chen

Teng-Hao Yeh

Chih-Wei Hu

Chieh-Fang Chen

Min-Feng Hung

A memory device includes a channel element, a memory element, and an electrode element. The channel element includes a first channel portion, a second channel portion, and a middle channel portion between the first channel portion and the second channel portion. The first channel portion has a first sidewall channel surface and a second sidewall channel surface opposing to the first sidewall channel surface. The middle channel portion has a third sidewall channel surface and a fourth sidewall channel surface opposing to the third sidewall channel surface. The first sidewall channel surface and the second sidewall channel surface of the first channel portion are outside the third sidewall channel surface and the fourth sidewall channel surface of the middle channel portion respectively. A memory cell is defined in the memory element between the channel element and the electrode element.

Memory device

A memory device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. A memory device includes a drain pillar structure, a source pillar structure, a charge trapping structure, a vertical channel structure and a gate structure. The drain pillar structure is formed in a first opening. The source pillar structure is formed in a second opening. The vertical channel structure and the vertical channel structure are formed in a hole partially overlapping the first opening and the second opening. The vertical channel structure is divided into two arc channel parts by the drain pillar structure and the source pillar structure. The gate structure surrounds the drain pillar structure, the source pillar structure and the vertical channel structure.

Memory device and method for manufacturing the same

A memory device includes a channel element, a memory element, and an electrode element. The channel element has an open ring shape. A memory cell is defined in the memory element between the channel element and the electrode element.

A stack of sacrificial layers is formed in a set of N levels. A first etch-trim mask having spaced apart first and second open etch regions is formed over the set. Two levels are etched through using the first etch-trim mask in each of M etch-trim cycles, where M is (N&#x2212;1)/2 when N is odd and (N/2)&#x2212;1 when N is even. One level is etched through using the first etch-trim mask in one etch-trim cycle when N is even. The first etch-trim mask is trimmed to increase the size of the first and second open etch regions, in each of etch-trim cycles C(i) for i going from 1 to T&#x2212;1, where T is (N&#x2212;1)/2 when N is odd and N/2 when N is even. A second etch mask is formed over the set, covering one of the open etch regions. One level is etched through using the second etch mask.

Stairstep structures in multilevel circuitry, and method for forming the same

A 3D memory device includes a substrate, a plurality of conductive layers, a plurality of insulating layers, a memory layer and a channel layer. The insulating layers are alternately stacked with the conductive layers on the substrate to form a multi-layers stacking structure, wherein the multi-layers stacking structure has at least one trench penetrating through the insulating layers and the conductive layers. The memory layer covers on the multi-layers stacking structure and at least extends onto a sidewall of the trench. The cannel layer covers on the memory layer and includes an upper portion adjacent to an opening of the trench, a lower portion adjacent to a bottom of the trench and a string portion disposed on the sidewall, wherein the string portion connects the upper portion with the lower portion and has a doping concentration substantially lower than that of the upper portion and lower portion.

Three dimensional memory device and method for fabricating the same

A 3D memory device includes a substrate, a multi-layers stack and a dielectric material. The substrate has a concave portion extending along a first direction into the substrate from a surface thereof. The multi-layers stack includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers alternatively stacked along the first direction on a bottom of the concave portion. The multi-layers stack also has at least one recess passing through the conductive layers and the insulating layers along the first direction, wherein the recess has a cross-sectional bottom profile and a cross-sectional opening profile perpendicular to the first direction and the cross-sectional bottom profile has a size substantially greater than that of the cross-sectional opening profile. The dielectric material is at least partially filled in the recess.

A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device is provided, comprising a substrate having an array area and a staircase area adjacent to the array area, wherein the staircase area comprises N steps, N is an integer one or greater; a stack having multi-layers on the substrate, and the multi-layers comprising active layers alternating with insulating layers on the substrate, the stack comprising sub-stacks formed on the substrate and the sub-stacks disposed in relation to the N steps of the staircase area to form respective contact regions, wherein an uppermost active layer of each of the sub-stacks in the respective contact regions comprises a silicide layer; and multilayered connectors, formed in the respective contact regions and extending downwardly to electrically connect the silicide layer in each of the sub-stacks.

Three-dimensional semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. First, a preliminary structure is provided. The preliminary structure has an array region. The preliminary structure includes a plurality of first stacks in the array region. Then, a first dielectric layer is formed on the first stacks. A first hard mask layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. An insulating material is formed on the first hard mask layer. Then, a planarization process stopped on the first hard mask layer is conducted. Thereafter, the first hard mask layer is removed. A second hard mask layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is formed on the second hard mask layer. A plurality of contacts are formed through the second dielectric layer, the second hard mask layer and the first dielectric layer to the preliminary structure.

Method for forming a 3-D memory device and the 3-D memory device formed thereby

A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a plurality of first stacked structures and two second stacked structures disposed on the substrate. Each of the first stacked structures includes alternately stacked metal layers and oxide layers. Each of the second stacked structures includes alternately stacked silicon nitride layers and oxide layers. The first stacked structures are disposed between the two second stacked structures.

Semiconductor structure having gate replacement and method for manufacturing the same

A method is described for forming a circuit that comprises forming a layer of semiconductor material on the substrate and an interlayer conductor contacting the layer. The layer can be a thin film layer. An opening is etched in an interlayer insulator over a layer of semiconductor material, to expose a landing area on the layer of semiconductor material. The semiconductor material exposed by the opening is thickened by adding some of the semiconductor material within the opening. The process for adding the semiconductor material can include a blanket deposition, or a selective growth only within the landing area. A reaction precursor, such as a silicide precursor is deposited on the landing area in the opening. A reaction of the precursor with the semiconductor material in the opening is induced. An interlayer conductor is formed within the opening.

Contact structure for thin film semiconductor

A semiconductor device having a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide ('ONO') structure is formed by providing a first silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer over a substrate having a memory region and a logic device region; patterning the first silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer to define bottom oxide and silicon nitride portions of partially completed ONO stacks and to expose the substrate in the logic device regions; performing a rapid thermal annealing process in the presence of a radical oxidizing agent to form concurrently a second silicon oxide layer on the exposed surface of the silicon nitride layer and a gate oxide layer over the substrate; and depositing a conductive layer over the completed ONO stacks and the gate oxide. The invention is employed in manufacture of, for example, memory devices having and peripheral logic devices and memory cells including ONO structures. Exposing the patterned silicon nitride to the oxygen radical during the RTO according to the invention significantly reduces the processing time, and reduces the thermal budget. Moreover, because according to the invention the upper surface and the sidewalls of the silicon nitride layer are covered by the top oxide layer, the silicon nitride is not exposed during a subsequent cleaning process. As a result of increased contact area between the polysilicon gate and the top oxide layer, the coupling ratio of the gate is increased.

Method for forming oxide on ONO structure

Stabilization of photolithography process parameters, the photomask being used, and the manufacturing method thereof is provided where a formal pattern layout is combined with a dummy pattern. A photomask is manufactured by utilizing the combined pattern layout so that density changes between the pattern structure layers of the multi-layer semiconductor integrated circuits are minimized.

Multi-layer semiconductor integrated circuits enabling stabilizing photolithography process parameters, the photomask being used, and the manufacturing method thereof

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Zhubei, Taiwan

Jia-Rong Chiou