The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 2025
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2023
Applicant:
SK Hynix Inc., Icheon-si, KR;
Inventor:
Nam Jae Lee, Cheongju, KR;
Assignee:
SK hynix Inc., Icheon-si, KR;
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H10B 43/27 (2023.01); H01L 21/768 (2006.01); H10B 43/10 (2023.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/76816 (2013.01); H01L 21/76831 (2013.01); H01L 21/76877 (2013.01); H10B 43/27 (2023.02); H10B 43/10 (2023.02);
Abstract
A process of forming a 3D memory device includes forming a stacked structure with a plurality of stacked layers, etching the stacked structure to form stepped trenches each comprising a plurality of steps, forming a hard mask layer with a plurality of openings over the stepped trenches, forming a photoresist layer over the hard mask layer, and etching through the plurality of openings using the hard mask layer and the photoresist layers as an etch mask to extend a bottom of the stepped trenches to a lower depth.