Sandisk 3d LLC

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Other

Sandisk Corporation

Matrix Semiconductor, Inc.

Steven J Radigan

Yung-Tin Chen

Michael Konevecki

Raghuveer S Makala

Paul Wai Kie Poon

Natalie Nguyen

Christopher John Petti

S Brad Herner

Vance Dunton

Roy E Scheuerlein

Usha Raghuram

Huiwen Xu

Samuel Vance Dunton

Paul Poon

Tanmay Kumar

Chun-Ming Wang

Steven Patrick Maxwell

Yoichiro Tanaka

James K Kai

Scott Brad Herner

George Matamis

Tong Zhang

Michael L Chan

Vinod Robert Purayath

Theodore S Fahlen

Michiaki Sano

Michael A Vyvoda

Donovan Lee

Eiji Hayashi

Akira Nakada

Matthew A Bonn

Naohito Yanagida

Hidenori Kemmotsu

K Leo Zhang

Cheng Feng

An alternating stack of electrically conductive layers and electrically insulating layers is formed over global bit lines formed on a substrate. The alternating stack is patterned to form a line stack of electrically conductive lines and electrically insulating lines. Trench isolation structures are formed within each trench to define a plurality of memory openings laterally spaced from one another by the line stack in one direction and by trench isolation structures in another direction. The electrically conductive lines are laterally recessed relative to sidewall surfaces of the electrically insulating lines. A read/write memory material is deposited in recesses, and is anisotropically etched so that a top surface of a global bit line is physically exposed at a bottom of each memory opening. An electrically conductive bit line is formed within each memory opening to form a resistive random access memory device.

Concave word line and convex interlayer dielectric for protecting a read/write layer

A memory cell including a control gate located over a floating gate region. The floating gate region includes discrete doped semiconducting or conducting regions separated by an insulator and the discrete doped semiconducting or conducting regions have a generally cylindrical shape or a quasi-cylindrical shape.

Method for using nanoparticles to make uniform discrete floating gate layer

A method is provided for forming a monolithic three dimensional memory array. The method includes forming a first memory level above a substrate, and monolithically forming a second memory level above the first memory level. The first memory level is formed by forming first substantially parallel conductors extending in a first direction, forming first pillars above the first conductors, each first pillar including a first conductive layer or layerstack above a vertically oriented diode, the first pillars formed in a single photolithography step, depositing a first dielectric layer above the first pillars, etching first trenches in the first dielectric layer, the first trenches extending in a second direction. After etching, a lowest point in the trenches is above a lowest point of the first conductive layer or layerstack, and the first conductive layer or layerstack does not include a resistivity-switching metal oxide or nitride. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods for protecting patterned features during trench etch

A method is provided that includes forming completely distinct first features above a substrate, forming sidewall spacers on the first features, filling spaces between adjacent sidewall spacers with filler features, and removing the sidewall spacers. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods for increased array feature density

A method of making a memory array is provided that includes forming a layer over a substrate, forming features over the layer, forming sidewall spacers on each of the features, filling spaces between adjacent sidewall spacers with filler features, removing the sidewall spacers to leave the features and the filler features, and etching the layer using the features and the filler features as a mask to form pillar shaped nonvolatile memory cells. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Resist feature and removable spacer pitch doubling patterning method for pillar structures

The embodiments generally relate to methods of making semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to methods for making semiconductor pillar structures and increasing array feature pattern density using selective or directional gap fill. The technique has application to a variety of materials and can be applied to making monolithic two or three-dimensional memory arrays.

A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a layer over a substrate, forming a plurality of spaced apart features of imagable material over the layer, forming sidewall spacers on the plurality of features and filling a space between a first sidewall spacer on a first feature and a second sidewall spacer on a second feature with a filler feature. The method also includes removing the sidewall spacers to leave the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature spaced apart from each other, and etching the layer using the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature as a mask.

A method of making a device includes forming a first photoresist layer over a sacrificial layer, patterning the first photoresist layer to form first photoresist features, rendering the first photoresist features insoluble to a solvent, forming a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist features, patterning the second photoresist layer to form second photoresist features, forming a spacer layer over the first and second photoresist features, etching the spacer layer to form spacer features and to expose the first and second photoresist features, forming third photoresist features between the spacer features, removing the spacer features, and patterning the sacrificial layer using the first, second and third photoresist features as a mask to form sacrificial features.

Patterning method for high density pillar structures

A method for forming a nonvolatile memory cell is provided that includes: (1) forming a rail-shaped first conductor above a substrate, (2) forming a rail-shaped second conductor above the first conductor, and (3) forming a substantially vertical first pillar disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor. The first pillar includes a vertically oriented p-i-n diode, and the p-i-n diode includes: (a) a bottom heavily doped region having a first conductivity type, (b) a middle intrinsic or lightly doped region, and (c) a top heavily doped region having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. The bottom heavily doped region is doped by implantation of arsenic ions and the top heavily doped region is doped by implantation of BFions. Numerous additional aspects are provided.

Method for forming a nonvolatile memory cell comprising a reduced height vertical diode

A non-volatile memory device contains a three dimensional stack of horizontal diodes located in a trench in an insulating material, a plurality of storage elements, a plurality of word lines extending substantially vertically, and a plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of bit lines has a first portion that extends up along at least one side of the trench and a second portion that extends substantially horizontally through the three dimensional stack of the horizontal diodes. Each of the horizontal diodes is a steering element of a respective non-volatile memory cell of the non-volatile memory device, and each of the plurality of storage elements is located adjacent to a respective steering element.

Three dimensional horizontal diode non-volatile memory array and method of making thereof

A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a first photoresist layer over an underlying layer, patterning the first photoresist layer into a first photoresist pattern, wherein the first photoresist pattern comprises a plurality of spaced apart first photoresist features located over the underlying layer, and etching the underlying layer using the first photoresist pattern as a mask to form a plurality of first spaced apart features. The method further includes removing the first photoresist pattern, forming a second photoresist layer over the plurality of first spaced apart features, and patterning the second photoresist layer into a second photoresist pattern, wherein the second photoresist pattern comprises a plurality of second photoresist features covering edge portions of the plurality of first spaced apart features. The method also includes etching exposed portions of the plurality of first spaced apart features using the second photoresist pattern as a mask, such that a plurality of spaced apart edge portions of the plurality of first spaced apart features remain, and removing the second photoresist pattern.

Method for fabricating high density pillar structures by double patterning using positive photoresist

A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming at least one layer over a substrate, forming at least two spaced apart features of imagable material over the at least one layer, forming sidewall spacers on the at least two features and filling a space between a first sidewall spacer on a first feature and a second sidewall spacer on a second feature with a filler feature. The method also includes selectively removing the sidewall spacers to leave the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature spaced apart from each other, and etching the at least one layer using the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature as a mask.

A method of making a device includes forming a first hard mask layer over an underlying layer, forming first features over the first hard mask layer, forming a first spacer layer over the first features, etching the first spacer layer to form a first spacer pattern and to expose top of the first features, removing the first features, patterning the first hard mask using the first spacer pattern as a mask to form first hard mask features, removing the first spacer pattern. The method also includes forming second features over the first hard mask features, forming a second spacer layer over the second features, etching the second spacer layer to form a second spacer pattern and to expose top of the second features, removing the second features, etching the first hard mask features using the second spacer pattern as a mask to form second hard mask features, and etching at least part of the underlying layer using the second hard mask features as a mask.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Steven J Radigan