Three-dimensional memory device containing isolation structures and methods for forming the same

Abstract

A semiconductor structure includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and composite layers, each of the composite layers includes a plurality of electrically conductive word line strips and a plurality of dielectric isolation structures, and each of the insulating layers has an areal overlap with each electrically conductive word line strip and each dielectric isolation structure within the composite layers within a memory array region in a plan view along a vertical direction, rows of memory openings arranged along the first horizontal direction, where each row of memory openings of the rows of memory openings vertically extends through each insulating layer within the alternating stack and one electrically conductive strip for each of the composite layers, and rows of memory opening fill structures located within the rows of memory openings, where each of the memory opening fill structures includes a vertical stack of memory elements and a vertical semiconductor channel.