Micron Technology Incorporated

Wolfgang Mueller

Sanh D Tang

Haitao Liu

Kamal M Karda

Sourabh Dhir

Srinivas Pulugurtha

John K Zahurak

Martin Ceredig Roberts

Lars P Heineck

Robert B Kerr

Sangmin Hwang

Dylan R Macmaster

Chandra V Mouli

Brent D Gilgen

Rajesh N Gupta

Jim A Jozwiak

Shyam Surthi

An array of recessed access gate lines includes active area regions having dielectric trench isolation material there-between. The trench isolation material comprises dielectric projections extending into opposing ends of individual active area regions under an elevationally outermost surface of material of the active area regions. The active area material is elevationally over the dielectric projections. Recessed access gate lines individually extend transversally across the active area regions and extend between the ends of immediately end-to-end adjacent active area regions within the dielectric trench isolation material. Other arrays are disclosed, as are methods.

Array of recessed access gate lines

Array of conductive lines individually extending transversally across and elevationally over a mid-portion of individual active area regions

A method of forming conductive vias comprises forming at least three parallel line constructions elevationally over a substrate. The line constructions individually comprise a dielectric top and dielectric sidewalls. A conductive line is formed elevationally over and angles relative to the line constructions. The conductive line comprises a longitudinally continuous portion and a plurality of conductive material extensions that individually extend elevationally inward between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Etching is conducted elevationally through the longitudinally continuous portion and partially elevationally into the extensions at spaced locations along the conductive line to break-up the longitudinally continuous portion to form individual conductive vias extending elevationally between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Methods of forming a memory array are also disclosed. Arrays of conductive vias independent of method of manufacture are also disclosed.

Array of conductive vias, methods of forming a memory array, and methods of forming conductive vias

A vertical access device comprises a semiconductive base comprising a first source/drain region, a semiconductive pillar extending vertically from the semiconductive base, and a gate electrode adjacent a sidewall of the semiconductive pillar. The semiconductive pillar comprises a channel region overlying the first source/drain region, and a second source/drain region overlying the channel region. An opposing sidewall of the semiconductive pillar is not adjacent the gate electrode or another gate electrode. Semiconductive device structures, methods of forming a vertical access device, and methods of forming a semiconductive structure are also described.

Vertical access devices, semiconductor device structures, and related methods

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing a body connection to a vertical access device. The vertical access device may include a digit line extending along a substrate to a digit line contact pillar, a body connection line extending along the substrate to a body connection line contact pillar, a body region disposed on the body connection line, an electrode disposed on the body region, and a word line extending to form a gate to the body region. A method for operation includes applying a first voltage to the body connection line, and applying a second voltage to the word line to cause a conductive channel to form through the body region. A memory cell array may include a plurality of vertical access devices.

Apparatuses having a vertical memory cell

A method of forming contacts for a semiconductor device structure comprises forming contact holes extending into neighboring semiconductive pillars and into a nitride material of nitride-capped electrodes. Composite structures are formed within the contact holes and comprise oxide structures over sidewalls of the contact holes and nitride structures over the oxide structures. Conductive structures are formed over inner sidewalls of the composite structures. Additional nitride-capped electrodes are formed over the conductive structures and extend perpendicular to the nitride-capped electrodes. Pairs of nitride spacers are formed over opposing sidewalls of the additional nitride-capped electrodes and are separated from neighboring pairs of nitride spacers by apertures extending to upper surfaces of a portion of the neighboring semiconductive pillars. Portions of the oxide structures are removed to expose sidewalls of the portion of the neighboring semiconductive pillars. Semiconductor device structures and additional methods are also described.

Methods of forming contacts for a semiconductor device structure, and related methods of forming a semiconductor device structure

An array includes vertically-oriented transistors. The array includes rows of access lines and columns of data/sense lines. Individual of the rows include an access line interconnecting transistors in that row. Individual of the columns include a data/sense line interconnecting transistors in that column. The array includes a plurality of conductive lines which individually extend longitudinally parallel and laterally between immediately adjacent of the data/sense lines. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Arrays of vertically-oriented transistors, and memory arrays including vertically-oriented transistors

Some embodiments include a DRAM array layout. Wordlines extend along a first direction, and bitlines extend along a second direction that crosses the first direction. Cell active material structures are at intersections of the wordlines and bitlines. The cell active material structures have a first side coupled to a bitline and a second side coupled to a capacitor. The second side is on an opposite side of a wordline passing through a cell active material structure relative to the first side. Each cell active material structure has a connection to a bitline which is not shared with any other cell active material structures. Some embodiments include DRAM arrays and semiconductor constructions.

DRAM arrays, semiconductor constructions and DRAM array layouts

A circuit structure includes a substrate having an array region and a peripheral region. The substrate in the array and peripheral regions includes insulator material over first semiconductor material, conductive material over the insulator material, and second semiconductor material over the conductive material. The array region includes vertical circuit devices which include the second semiconductor material. The peripheral region includes horizontal circuit devices which include the second semiconductor material. The horizontal circuit devices in the peripheral region individually have a floating body which includes the second semiconductor material. The conductive material in the peripheral region is under and electrically coupled to the second semiconductor material of the floating bodies. Conductive straps in the array region are under the vertical circuit devices. The conductive straps include the conductive material and individually are electrically coupled to a plurality of the vertical circuit devices in the array region. Other implementations are disclosed.

Circuit structures, memory circuitry, and methods

A semiconductor device may include a memory array including vertical memory cells connected to a digit line, word lines, and a body connection line. A row or column of the memory array may include one or more pillars connected to the body connection line. A voltage may be applied to the body connection line through at least one pillar connected to the body connection line. Application of the voltage to the body connection line may reduce floating body effects. Methods of forming a connection between at least one pillar and a voltage supply are disclosed. Semiconductor devices including such connections are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Garden City, ID, United States of America

Wolfgang Mueller