3-dimensional nor strings with segmented shared source regions

Abstract

A NOR string includes a number of individually addressable thin-film storage transistors sharing a bit line, with the individually addressable thin-film transistors further grouped into a predetermined number of segments. In each segment, the thin-film storage transistors of the segment share a source line segment, which is electrically isolated from other source line segments in the other segments within the NOR string. The NOR string may be formed along an active strip of semiconductor layers provided above and parallel a surface of a semiconductor substrate, with each active strip including first and second semiconductor sublayers of a first conductivity and a third semiconductor sublayer of a second conductivity, wherein the shared bit line and each source line segment are formed in the first and second semiconductor sublayers, respectively.