Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Senaka Kanakamedala

Raghuveer S Makala

Rahul Sharangpani

Yao-Sheng Lee

Yanli Zhang

Fei Zhou

Ramy Nashed Bassely Said

George Matamis

Johann Alsmeier

Adarsh Rajashekhar

Sateesh Koka

Monica Titus

James K Kai

Roshan Jayakhar Tirukkonda

Somesh Peri

Genta Mizuno

Jiahui Yuan

Masanori Tsutsumi

Jian Feng Chen

Wei Zhao

Murshed Chowdhury

Naoki Takeguchi

Jin Liu

Thomas Jongwan Kwon

Fumitaka Amano

Keerti Shukla

Yoshihiro Kanno

Dana Lee

Hiroyuki Kinoshita

Zhixin Cui

Kiyohiko Sakakibara

Seiji Shimabukuro

Peng Zhang

Xue Bai Pitner

Shigehiro Fujino

Yusuke Ikawa

Kartik Sondhi

Eisuke Takii

Manabu Kakazu

Xiaofeng Liang

Chih-Yu Lee

Bing Zhou

Stephen Ross

A method of forming a structure includes forming an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers over a substrate, forming a first etch mask material layer, forming a first cladding liner, and forming a via opening through the alternating stack by performing an anisotropic etch process that employs a combination of at least the first cladding liner and the first etch mask material layer as a composite etch mask structure.

Method of making a three-dimensional memory device using composite hard masks for formation of deep via openings

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, a memory opening vertically extending through the alternating stack, and a memory opening fill structure located in the memory opening and including a vertical stack of charge storage elements, a vertical semiconductor channel, a ferroelectric material layer located between the vertical stack of charge storage elements and the vertical semiconductor channel, and a blocking dielectric layer located between the ferroelectric material layer and the vertical semiconductor channel. A tunneling dielectric layer is located between at least one of the electrically conductive layers and the vertical stack of charge storage elements.

Three-dimensional memory device containing ferroelectric-assisted memory elements and method of making the same

A memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, a memory opening vertically extending through the alternating stack, and a memory opening fill structure located in the memory opening and comprising a vertical semiconductor channel and a memory film. The memory film includes a contoured blocking dielectric layer including sac-shaped lateral protrusions located at levels of the electrically conductive layers, a tunneling dielectric layer in contact with the vertical semiconductor channel, and a vertical stack of charge storage material portions located within volumes enclosed by the sac-shaped lateral protrusions.

Three-dimensional memory device including discrete charge storage elements and methods of forming the same

A method of forming a structure includes forming an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers over a substrate, forming a mask layer over the alternating stack, forming a cavity in the mask layer, forming a first cladding liner on a sidewall of the cavity in the mask layer, and forming a via opening the alternating stack by performing an anisotropic etch process that transfers a pattern of the cavity in the mask layer through the alternating stack using a combination of the first cladding liner and the mask layer as an etch mask.

A method includes forming an alternating stack of first and second layers, forming a composite hard mask layer over the alternating stack, forming openings in the hard mask, and forming via openings through the alternating stack by performing an anisotropic etch process that transfers a pattern of the openings in the composite hard mask layer through the alternating stack. The compositing hard mask includes a first cladding material layer which has higher etch resistance than upper and lower patterning films of the composite hard mask.

A source-level semiconductor layer and an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers is formed above a substrate. A hard mask layer is formed over the alternating stack, and is subsequently patterned to provide a pattern of cavities therethrough. Via openings are formed through the alternating stack by performing an anisotropic etch process. A cladding liner is formed on sidewalls of the cavities in the hard mask layer and on a top surface of the hard mask layer. The via openings are vertically extended at least through the source-level semiconductor layer by performing a second anisotropic etch process employing a combination of the cladding liner and the hard mask layer as an etch mask.

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack, memory opening fill structures located within a respective one of the memory openings, and a drain-select-level isolation structure. One of the insulating layers is a composite insulating layer including an insulating-material-containing sublayer consisting essentially of an insulating material and an etch stop dielectric material sublayer having a material composition that is different from the insulating material. The etch stop dielectric material sublayer can be employed as an etch stop structure during formation of the drain-select-level isolation structure through drain-select-level electrically conductive layers.

Three-dimensional memory device including an isolation-trench etch stop layer and methods for forming the same

A memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, a memory opening fill structure including a vertical semiconductor channel and a memory film. The memory film includes a tunneling dielectric layer in contact with the vertical semiconductor channel, a first vertical stack of first dielectric oxide material portions located at levels of the insulating layers and including a dielectric oxide material of a first element, and a second vertical stack of second dielectric oxide material portions located at levels of the electrically conductive layers and including a mixed dielectric oxide material that is a dielectric oxide material of the first element and a second element.

Memory device including mixed oxide charge trapping materials and methods for forming the same

An alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers is formed over a substrate. A hard mask layer is formed over the alternating stack. Optionally, an additional hard mask layer can be formed over the hard mask layer. A photoresist layer is applied and patterned, and cavities are formed in the hard mask layer by performing a first anisotropic etch process that transfers a pattern of the openings in the photoresist layer through the hard mask layer. Via openings are formed through an upper portion of the alternating stack by performing a second anisotropic etch process. A cladding liner can be optionally formed on sidewalls of the cavities in the hard mask layer. The via openings can be vertically extend through all layers within the alternating stack by performing a third anisotropic etch process.

An alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers can be formed over a semiconductor material layer. A patterning film is formed over the alternating stack, and openings are formed through the patterning film. Via openings are formed through the alternating stack at least to a top surface of the semiconductor material layer by performing a first anisotropic etch process that transfers a pattern of the openings in the patterning film. A cladding liner can be formed on a top surface of the patterning film and sidewalls of the openings in the pattering film. The via openings can be vertically extended through the semiconductor material layer at least to a bottom surface of the semiconductor material layer by performing a second anisotropic etch process employing the cladding liner as an etch mask.

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack and having lateral protrusions at levels of the electrically conductive layers, and memory opening fill structures located in the memory openings. Each of the memory opening fill structures includes a vertical semiconductor channel, a dielectric material liner laterally surrounding the vertical semiconductor channel, and a vertical stack of discrete memory elements laterally surrounding the dielectric material liner and located within volumes of the lateral protrusions. Each discrete memory element includes a vertical inner sidewall and a convex or stepped outer sidewall.

Three-dimensional memory device including discrete charge storage elements with laterally-protruding profiles and methods of making thereof

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory openings extending through the alternating stack, and memory opening fill structures located in the memory openings and containing a respective vertical semiconductor channel and a respective memory film. Each of the electrically conductive layers includes a tubular metallic liner in contact with a respective outer sidewall segment of a respective one of the memory opening fill structures, an electrically conductive barrier layer contacting the respective tubular metallic liner and two of the insulating layers, and a metallic fill material layer contacting the electrically conductive barrier layer, and not contacting the tubular metallic liner or any of the insulating layers. The memory opening fill structures are formed after performing a halogen outgassing anneal through the memory openings to reduce or eliminate the halogen outgassing damage in the layers of the memory film.

Three-dimensional memory device with metal-barrier-metal word lines and methods of making the same

A memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, a memory opening vertically extending through the alternating stack, and memory opening fill structures located in the memory opening and including a vertical semiconductor channel, a dielectric material liner laterally surrounding the vertical semiconductor channel, and a vertical stack of discrete memory elements laterally surrounding the dielectric material liner. A subset of the insulating layers a lower insulating sublayer, an upper insulating sublayer overlying the lower insulating sublayer, and a center insulating sublayer located between and in contact with the lower insulating sublayer and the upper insulating sublayer.

Three-dimensional memory device including discrete charge storage elements and methods for forming the same

A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory opening fill structures extending through the alternating stack, where each of the memory opening fill structures includes a vertical semiconductor channel, a tunneling dielectric layer, and a vertical stack of memory elements located at levels of the electrically conductive layers between a respective vertically neighboring pair of the insulating layers. Each of the memory elements is located at a level of a respective one of the electrically conductive layers between the respective vertically neighboring pair of the insulating layers. Each of the memory elements includes a first memory material portion, and a second memory material portion that is vertically spaced from the first memory material portion. The second memory material portion has a different material composition from the first memory material portion.

Three-dimensional memory array including dual work function floating gates and method of making the same

A joint level dielectric material layer is formed over a first alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers. A first memory opening is formed with a tapered sidewall of the joint level dielectric material layer. A second alternating stack of second insulating layers and second spacer material layers is formed over the joint level dielectric material layer. An inter-tier memory opening is formed, which includes a volume of an second memory opening that extends through the second alternating stack and a volume of the first memory opening. A memory film and a semiconductor channel are formed in the inter-tier memory opening with respective tapered portions overlying the tapered sidewall of the joint level dielectric material layer.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Senaka Kanakamedala