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:
Mar. 07, 2017
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2016
Sandisk Technologies Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Yusuke Ikawa, Yokkaichi, JP;
Kiyohiko Sakakibara, Yokkaichi, JP;
Eisuke Takii, Yokkaichi, JP;
Kengo Kajiwara, Yokkaichi, JP;
Seiji Shimabukuro, Yokkaichi, JP;
Akira Matsudaira, San Jose, CA (US);
Hiroyuki Ogawa, Yokkaichi, JP;
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
Corner rounding of electrically conductive layers in a replacement electrode integration scheme can be alleviated by employing compositionally modulated sacrificial material layers. An alternating stack of insulating layers and compositionally modulated sacrificial material layers can be formed over a substrate. Each of the compositionally modulated sacrificial material layers has a vertical modulation of material composition such that each compositionally modulated sacrificial material layer provides greater resistance to conversion into a silicon-oxide-containing material at upper and lower portions thereof than at a middle portion thereof during a subsequent oxidation process. Bird's beak features can be formed with lesser dimensions, and electrically conductive layers formed by replacement of remaining portions of the sacrificial material layers with a conductive material can have less corner rounding. Reduction in corner rounding can increase effectiveness of the control gates for a three-dimensional memory device.