Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Kiyokazu Shishido

Hiroyuki Ogawa

Takahito Fujita

Yuji Takahashi

Takuya Futase

Noritaka Fukuo

Kazutaka Yoshizawa

Hiroshi Nakatsuji

Katsuo Yamada

Jun Akaiwa

Kotaro Jinnouchi

Yasushi Ishii

Masami Uozaki

Shunsuke Watanabe

Hiroto Ohori

Fumiaki Toyama

Masatoshi Nishikawa

Akio Nishida

Murshed Chowdhury

Yuki Mizutani

Dai Iwata

Eiichi Fujikura

Masashi Ishida

Yasuyuki Aoki

Toshiyuki Sega

Tomoka Tanabe

A semiconductor structure includes a first field effect transistor including a first gate spacer having first laterally-straight bottom edges that coincide with top edges of first laterally-straight sidewalls of the first gate dielectric. The semiconductor structure further includes a second field effect transistor including a second gate dielectric that includes at least one discrete gate-dielectric opening that overlies a respective second active region, and a second gate spacer including a contoured portion that overlies and laterally surrounds a second gate electrode, and at least one horizontally-extending portion that overlies the second active region and including at least one discrete gate-spacer openings. The second field effect transistor may have a symmetric or non-symmetric configuration.

High voltage field effect transistors with different sidewall spacer configurations and method of making the same

A semiconductor structure includes at least two field effect transistors. A gate strip including a plurality of gate dielectrics and a gate electrode strip can be formed over a plurality of semiconductor active regions. Deep source/drain regions are formed by implanting dopants into semiconductor active regions without implanting the dopants into inter-electrode regions of a shallow trench isolation structure. The gate strip is divided into gate stacks prior to or after formation of the deep source/drain regions.

Field effect transistors with reduced gate fringe area and method of making the same

A three dimensional non-volatile memory structure includes word lines connected to non-volatile memory cells arranged in blocks. A plurality of word line switches are connected to the word lines and one or more sources of voltage. The word line switches are arranged in groups of X word line switches such that each group of X word line switches is positioned in a line under Y blocks of non-volatile memory cells and has a length that is equal to the width of the Y blocks of non-volatile memory cells. To allow closer placement of word line switches that supply different blocks and support the possible large voltage differences between their transistors, word line switches supplying different blocks are formed over a single active region and separated by an intermediate control gate set to be off.

Non-volatile memory with reduced word line switch area

A semiconductor structure includes at least two field effect transistors. A gate strip including a plurality of gate dielectrics and a gate electrode strip can be formed over a plurality of semiconductor active regions. Source/drain implantation is conducted using the gate strip as a mask. The gate strip is divided into gate electrodes after the implantation.

A semiconductor die includes alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers that are laterally separated from each other by first backside trenches that laterally extend along a first horizontal direction, an array of memory stack structures vertically extending through the alternating sacks, an inner edge seal structure that continuously laterally surrounds the alternating stacks, an outer edge seal structure that continuously laterally surrounds the inner edge seal structure, and additional alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located between the inner edge seal structure and the outer edge seal structure.

Variable die size memory device and methods of manufacturing the same

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, memory stack structures vertically extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and a contact well set that includes contact wells extending through a respective upper region of the alternating stack. Each of the contact wells contains first stepped surfaces which have a stepwise descending vertical profile along a first horizontal direction and second stepped surfaces which have a stepwise descending vertical profile along a second horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.

Three-dimensional memory device containing bidirectional taper staircases and methods of making the same

A silicon oxide liner, a silicon nitride liner, and a planarization silicon oxide layer may be sequentially formed over p-type and n-type field effect transistors. A patterned dielectric material layer covers an entirety of the n-type field effect transistor and does not cover at least a fraction of each area of p-doped active regions. An anisotropic etch process is performed to form p-type active region via cavities extending to a respective top surface of the p-doped active regions and n-type active region via cavities having a respective bottom surface at, or within, one of the silicon nitride liner and the silicon oxide liner. Boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures may be formed on top surfaces of the p-type active regions employing a selective epitaxy process. The n-type active region via cavities are extended to top surfaces of the n-doped active regions. Contact via structures are formed in the via cavities.

CMOS devices containing asymmetric contact via structures

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor device, an overlying silicon nitride diffusion barrier layer, and an interconnect structure extending through the silicon nitride diffusion barrier layer. The interconnect structure includes a titanium diffusion barrier structure in contact with the silicon nitride diffusion barrier layer to form a continuous hydrogen diffusion barrier structure.

Three-dimensional memory device containing hydrogen diffusion blocking structures and method of making the same

A CMOS device includes a p-type field effect transistor containing p-doped active regions, an n-type field effect transistor containing n-doped active regions, a silicon oxide layer overlying the n-type field effect transistor and not overlying the p-type field effect transistor, boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures contacting a top surface of, and epitaxially aligned to, a respective one of the p-doped active regions, first active region contact via structures contacting a top surface of a respective one of the boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures, and second active region contact via structures contacting a top surface of a respective one of the n-doped active regions.

CMOS devices containing asymmetric contact via structures and method of making the same

A semiconductor structure, such as a CMOS device, includes a first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor. The first field effect transistor includes a first composite gate electrode containing a first vertical stack of a p-doped semiconductor gate electrode, a first interfacial dielectric layer, and a first metallic gate electrode. The second field effect transistor includes a second composite gate electrode containing a second vertical stack that includes an n-doped semiconductor gate electrode and a second metallic gate electrode. A second interfacial dielectric layer having a second thickness that is thinner than the first interfacial dielectric layer may, or may not, be present in the second composite gate electrode.

Transistors having semiconductor-metal composite gate electrodes containing different thickness interfacial dielectrics and methods of making thereof

A wide trench having a width Wand narrow trenches having a width Wthat is less than Ware formed in a dielectric layer, the wide trench extending deeper in outer regions than in a central region. A trench modification step changes the width of the wide trench and reduces a depth difference between the outer regions and the central region of the wide trench.

Metal line with increased inter-metal breakdown voltage

Dummy bit lines of are formed in a sacrificial layer at locations where bit lines are to be formed, with bit lines separated by trenches that extend through the sacrificial layer. Enclosed air gap structures are formed in the trenches between the dummy bit lines. Subsequently, the dummy bit lines are replaced with metal to form bit lines.

Early bit line air gap formation

Wide and narrow mandrels that are used to form sidewall spacers for patterning are formed in a sacrificial layer with openings in wide mandrels near sides of the wide mandrels. Sidewall spacers are formed on the sides of mandrels and the sacrificial layer is removed. The sidewall spacers are then used for patterning of underlying layers.

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Yokkaichi, Japan

Kiyokazu Shishido