Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Tomoyasu Kakegawa

Takuya Futase

Katsuo Yamada

Yuji Takahashi

Noritaka Fukuo

Keita Kumamoto

Masaaki Higashitani

Peter Rabkin

Jayavel Pachamuthu

Mohan Dunga

Hidetoshi Nakamoto

Hidehito Koseki

Hirotada Tobita

Shunsuke Akimoto

An opening is formed through at least one dielectric material layer. A first metallic liner is formed on a bottom surface and sidewalls of the opening by depositing a first metallic material. A metal portion including an elemental metal or an intermetallic alloy of at least two elemental metals is formed on the first metallic liner. A second metallic liner including a second metallic material is formed directly on a top surface of the metal portion. The first metallic material and the second metallic material differ in composition. The first metallic liner and the second metallic liner contact an entirety of all surfaces of the metal portion. The first and second metallic liners can protect the metal portion from a subsequently deposited dielectric material layer, which may be formed as an air-gap dielectric layer after recessing the at least one dielectric material layer.

Multiple liner interconnects for three dimensional memory devices and method of making thereof

A stack of layers is formed that includes first, second, and third dielectric layers. Contact plugs are then formed extending through the stack. Then a fourth dielectric layer is formed over the stack and contact plugs and trenches are formed through the fourth and third dielectric layers, extending to the second dielectric layer and exposing contact plugs.

Buried etch stop layer for damascene bit line formation

Isolation is provided by forming a first trench, depositing a cover layer on the bottom and sidewalls of the first trench, selectively removing the cover layer from the bottom and forming a second trench extending from the bottom of the first trench. The second trench is then substantially filled by thermal oxide formed by oxidation and the first trench is subsequently filled with a deposited dielectric.

Double trench isolation

An initial etch forms a trench over first contact areas of a plurality of NAND strings, the initial etch also forming individual openings over second contact areas of the plurality of NAND strings. Material is added in the trench to reduce an area of exposed bottom surface of the trench while maintaining the individual openings without substantial reduction of bottom surface area. Subsequent further etching extends the trench and the plurality of individual openings.

Source line formation and structure

Contact holes are constrained to their designated active areas by etch-resistant walls so that they cannot contact adjacent active areas. Etch-resistant walls provide outer limits for any contact hole bending that may occur and thus keep contact holes substantially vertical. Mask openings for contact hole formation may be large so that they overlap etch-resistant walls.

Contact hole collimation using etch-resistant walls

Air gaps are formed between conductive metal lines that have an inner barrier layer and an outer barrier layer. An etch step to remove sacrificial material is performed under a first set of process conditions producing a byproduct that suppresses further etching. A byproduct removal step performed under a second set of process conditions removes the byproduct.

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Yokkaichi, Japan

Tomoyasu Kakegawa