Micron Technology Incorporated

United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of the Navy

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC

Jordan D Greenlee

John David Hopkins

Rita J Klein

Everett Allen McTeer

John Mark Meldrim

Alyssa N Scarbrough

Yongjun Jeff Hu

Daniel Billingsley

Nancy M Lomeli

Collin Howder

Lifang Xu

Xiao Li

David Ross Economy

Yiping Wang

Jiewei Chen

Tom George

Indra V Chary

Christian George Emor

Shyam Surthi

Shuangqiang Luo

Brenda D Kraus

Chet E Carter

Swapnil Lengade

E Allen McTeer

Francis J Kub

David A Daycock

Matthew J King

Travis J Anderson

Christopher W Petz

Boris N Feigelson

Minsoo Lee

Purnima Narayanan

Vinayak Shamanna

Andrew Li

Sidhartha Gupta

Luca Fumagalli

Marko Milojevic

Justin D Shepherdson

Kyle A Ritter

Benben Li

Jun Fang

Rithu K Bhonsle

Tao D Nguyen

Aaron Kenneth Belsher

Narula Bilik

Liu Liu

Rajesh Balachandran

Brian S Beatty

Kaiming Luo

Scott M Pook

Vladimir Samara

Amritesh Rai

Giovanni Mazzone

Travis Rampton

John A Smythe

Rajasekhar Venigalla

Allen McTeer

Karl D Hobart

Silvia Borsari

Marko J Tadjer

Andrew D Koehler

Peng Xu

M Jared Barclay

Francois H Fabreguette

Eugene A Imhoff

Robert E Stahlbush

Shen Hu

Boris N Feygelson

Mithun Kumar Ramasahayam

Nadeemullah A Mahadik

Chieh Hsien Quek

Naiming Liu

Anurag Jindal

Jing Wai Fong

Song Kai Tan

Aaron P Thurber

Aireus Christensen

A microelectronic device includes a stack structure, slot structures, and dielectric material. The stack structure includes blocks each including a vertically alternating sequence of conductive material and insulative material arranged in tiers. At least one of the blocks includes an array region including strings of memory cells, and a staircase region including a crest sub-region interposed between a staircase structure and the array region. An uppermost boundary of the tiers within the crest sub-region underlies an uppermost boundary of the tiers within the array region. The slot structures are interposed between the blocks of the stack structure. The dielectric material extends over and between the blocks of the stack structure. A thickness of a portion of the dielectric material overlying the crest sub-region is greater than a thickness of an additional portion of the dielectric material overlying the array region. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

Methods of forming microelectronic devices, and related microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems

Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells comprises a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material strings extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Charge-passage material is in the conductive tiers laterally-outward of the channel-material strings. Storage material is in the conductive tiers laterally-outward of the charge-passage material. At least one of AlOq, ZrOq, and HfOq is in the conductive tiers laterally-outward of the storage material. At least one of (a) and (b) is in the conductive tiers laterally-outward of the at least one of AlOq, ZrOq, and HfOq, where, (a): MoON, where each of 'x' and “y” is from 0 to 4.0; and (b): MoM, where “M” is at least one of W, a Group 7 metal, and a Group 8 metal; “z” being greater than 0 and less than 1.0. Metal material is in the conductive tiers laterally-outward of the at least one of the (a) and the (b). Memory cells are in individual of the conductive tiers. The memory cells individually comprise the channel material of individual of the channel-material strings, the storage material, the at least one of AlOq, ZrOq, and HfOq, the at least one of the (a) and the (b), and the metal material. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Transistor and memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells

A microelectronic device includes a first conductive structure, a barrier structure, a conductive liner structure, and a second conductive structure. The first conductive structure is within a first filled opening in a first dielectric structure. The barrier structure is within the first filled opening in the first dielectric structure and vertically overlies the first conductive structure. The conductive liner structure is on the barrier structure and is within a second filled opening in a second dielectric structure vertically overlying the first dielectric structure. The second conductive structure vertically overlies and is horizontally surrounded by the conductive liner structure within the second filled opening in the second dielectric structure. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming microelectronic devices are also described.

Microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems

An apparatus comprising at least one contact structure. The at least one contact structure comprises a contact, an insulating material overlying the contact, and at least one contact via in the insulating material. The at least one contact structure also comprises a dielectric liner material adjacent the insulating material within the contact via, a conductive material adjacent the dielectric liner material, and a stress compensation material adjacent the conductive material and in a central portion of the at least one contact via. The stress compensation material is at least partially surrounded by the conductive material. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming the apparatus are also disclosed.

Apparatuses including interconnect structures including dielectric material surrounded by conductive material, and related memory devices

A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a stack comprising vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers directly above a conductor tier that comprises silicon-containing material. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions and a through-array-via (TAV) region. The stack comprises channel-material strings that extend through the first tiers and the second tiers in the memory-block regions. The stack comprises TAV openings in the TAV region that extend to the silicon-containing material of the conductor tier. A metal halide is reacted with the silicon of the silicon-containing material to deposit the metal of the metal halide in the conductor tier. After depositing the metal, conductive material is formed in the TAV openings directly against the deposited metal and therefrom a TAV is formed in individual of the TAV openings that comprises the conductive material and the deposited metal. Structure embodiments are disclosed.

Memory arrays comprising strings of memory cells and methods used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells

A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming an upper stack directly above a lower stack. The lower stack comprises vertically-alternating lower-first-tiers and lower-second-tiers. The upper stack comprises vertically-alternating upper-first-tiers and upper-second-tiers. Lower channel openings extend through the lower-first-tiers and the lowers-second-tiers. The lower channel openings have sacrificial material therein. An upper of the lower-first-tiers or a lower of the upper-first-tiers comprises non-stoichiometric silicon nitride comprising (a) or (b), where (a): a nitrogen-to-silicon atomic ratio greater than 1.33 and less than 1.5; and (b): a nitrogen-to-silicon atomic ratio greater than or equal to 1.0 and less than 1.33. A higher of the upper-first-tiers that is above said lower upper-first-tier comprises silicon nitride not having either the (a) or the (b). Upper channel openings are etched through the upper-first-tiers and the upper-second-tiers to stop on said upper lower-first-tier or said lower upper-first-tier. After the stop, the sacrificial material is removed from the lower channel openings and form channel-material strings in the upper and lower channel openings. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

Integrated circuitry comprising a memory array comprising strings of memory cells and comprising a stack containing non-stoichiometric silicon nitride

A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming memory block regions individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material strings extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The conductive tiers individually comprise a void-space extending laterally-across individual of the memory-block regions. At least one of conductive or semiconductive material is formed in the void-space laterally-outward of individual of the channel-material strings. Conductive molybdenum-containing metal material is formed in the void-space directly against the at least one of the conductive or the semiconductive material and a conductive line comprising the conductive molybdenum-containing metal material is formed therefrom. The at least one of the conductive or the semiconductive material is of different composition from that of the conductive molybdenum-containing metal material. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple to conductor material of the conductor tier. A through-array-via (TAV) region comprises TAV constructions that individually extend through a lowest of the conductive tiers. The TAV constructions individually comprise an insulative lining having a lowest surface that is directly against metal material in the lowest conductive tier. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple to conductor material of the conductor tier. Below the stack, an insulating tier is directly above the conductor tier and a metal-material tier is directly above the insulating tier. Conductive rings extend through the metal-material tier and the insulating tier to conductor material of the conductor tier. The conductive rings individually are around individual horizontal locations directly above which are individual of the channel-material strings. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple to the conductor material of the conductor tier through the insulating tier by the conductive rings. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a device including tiers of materials located one over another, the tiers of materials including respective memory cells and control gates for the memory cells. The control gates include respective portions that collectively form part of a staircase structure. The staircase structure includes first regions and second regions coupled to the first regions. The second regions include respective sidewalls in which a portion of each of the first regions and a portion of each of the second regions are part of a respective control gate of the control gates. The device also includes conductive pads electrically separated from each other and located on the first regions of the staircase structure, and conductive contacts contacting the conductive pads.

Memory device including staircase structure having conductive pads

A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the memory blocks. A through-array-via (TAV) region comprises TAV constructions that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The TAV constructions individually comprise a radially-outer insulative lining and a conductive core radially-inward of the insulative lining. The insulative lining comprises a radially-inner insulative material and a radially-outer insulative material that are of different compositions relative one another. The radially-outer insulative material is in radially-outer recesses that are in the first tiers as compared to the second tiers. The radially-inner insulative material extends elevationally along the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a second deck over a first deck. The first deck has first memory cell levels, and the second deck has second memory cell levels. A pair of cell-material-pillars pass through the first and second decks. Memory cells are along the first and second memory cell levels. The cell-material-pillars are a first pillar and a second pillar. An intermediate level is between the first and second decks. The intermediate level includes a region between the first and second pillars. The region includes a first segment adjacent the first pillar, a second segment adjacent the second pillar, and a third segment between the first and second segments. The first and second segments include a first composition, and the third segment includes a second composition different from the first composition. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

Integrated assemblies and methods of forming integrated assemblies

A microelectronic device includes a stack structure, a staircase structure, composite pad structures, and conductive contact structures. The stack structure includes vertically alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers. Each of the tiers individually includes one of the conductive structures and one of the insulative structures. The staircase structure has steps including edges of at least some of the tiers of the stack structure. The composite pad structures are on the steps of the staircase structure. Each of the composite pad structures includes a lower pad structure, and an upper pad structure overlying the lower pad structure and having a different material composition than the lower pad structure. The conductive contact structures extend through the composite pad structures and to the conductive structures of the stack structure. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming microelectronic devices are also described.

Microelectronic devices including composite pad structures on staircase structures, and related methods, memory devices, and electronic systems

Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a source structure, and having a stack of alternating conductive levels and insulative levels over the source structure. Cell-material-pillars pass through the stack. The cell-material-pillars are arranged within a configuration which includes a first memory-block-region and a second memory-block-region. The cell-material-pillars include channel material which is electrically coupled with the source structure. Memory cells are along the conductive levels and include regions of the cell-material-pillars. A panel is between the first and second memory-block-regions. The panel has a first material configured as a container shape. The container shape defines opposing sides and a bottom of a cavity. The panel has a second material within the cavity. The second material is compositionally different from the first material. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

Methods, systems, and devices for staircase formation in a memory array are described. A first liner material may be deposited on a tread above a first contact surface and a portion of the first liner material may be doped. A second liner material may be deposited over the first liner and a portion of the second liner material may be doped. After doping the portions of the liner materials, the undoped portions of the liner materials may be removed so that the materials above a second contact surface can be at least partially removed via a first removal process. The doped portion of the first liner material may then be cut back so that a second removal process can expose the second contact surface and a third contact (while the first contact surface is protected from the removal process by the liner materials).

Staircase formation in a memory array

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

Jordan D Greenlee