公开(公告)号：US11049768B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-29

申请号：US16667733

申请日：2019-10-29

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Jiewei Chen ,  Nancy M. Lomeli

IPC: H01L21/4763 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  G11C5/02 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a stack structure comprising insulative structures and additional insulative structures vertically alternating with the insulative structures. Apertures are formed to extend to surfaces of the insulative structures at different depths than one another within the stack structure. Dielectric liner structures are formed within the apertures. Sacrificial structures are formed within portions of the apertures remaining unoccupied by the dielectric liner structures. Upper portions of the sacrificial structures are replaced with capping structures. Portions of the insulative structures and remaining portions of the sacrificial structures are replaced with electrically conductive material. Microelectronic devices and electronic systems are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20240244840A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-18

申请号：US18620002

申请日：2024-03-28

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough

IPC: H10B43/10 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3115 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3215 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B43/27

CPC classification number: H10B43/10 ,  H01L21/31111 ,  H01L21/31155 ,  H01L21/32134 ,  H01L21/32155 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B43/27

Abstract: A memory array comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Intervening material is laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks. The intervening material in a lowest of the conductive tiers comprises intervenor material. Bridges extend laterally-between the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks. The bridges comprise bridging material that is of different composition from that of the intervenor material. The bridges are longitudinally-spaced-along the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks by the intervenor material and extend laterally into the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11974429B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-30

申请号：US17091238

申请日：2020-11-06

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough

IPC: H10B43/10 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3115 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3215 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B43/27

CPC classification number: H10B43/10 ,  H01L21/31111 ,  H01L21/31155 ,  H01L21/32134 ,  H01L21/32155 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B43/27

Abstract: A memory array comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Intervening material is laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks. The intervening material in a lowest of the conductive tiers comprises intervenor material. Bridges extend laterally-between the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks. The bridges comprise bridging material that is of different composition from that of the intervenor material. The bridges are longitudinally-spaced-along the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks by the intervenor material and extend laterally into the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11751396B2

公开(公告)日：2023-09-05

申请号：US17648528

申请日：2022-01-20

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Yifen Liu ,  Tecla Ghilardi ,  George Matamis ,  Justin D. Shepherdson ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  Chet E. Carter ,  Erik R. Byers

IPC: H10B43/27 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L23/528 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/35 ,  H10B43/35

CPC classification number: H10B43/27 ,  H01L21/76816 ,  H01L21/76877 ,  H01L23/5226 ,  H01L23/5283 ,  H01L23/53257 ,  H01L23/53271 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/35 ,  H10B43/35

Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a first set of tiers, each tier of the first set of tiers comprising alternating levels of a conductive material and an insulative material and having a first tier pitch, a second set of tiers adjacent to the first set of tiers, each tier of the second set of tiers comprising alternating levels of the conductive material and the insulative material and having a second tier pitch less than the first tier pitch, a third set of tiers adjacent to the second set of tiers, each tier of the third set of tiers comprising alternating levels of the conductive material and the insulative material and having a third tier pitch less than the second tier pitch, and a string of memory cells extending through the first set of tiers, the second set of tiers, and the third set of tiers. Related microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20230207631A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-29

申请号：US18116991

申请日：2023-03-03

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Nancy M. Lomeli

IPC: H01L29/10 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/35 ,  H10B43/10 ,  H10B43/27 ,  H10B43/35

CPC classification number: H01L29/1033 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/35 ,  H10B43/10 ,  H10B43/27 ,  H10B43/35

Abstract: A memory array comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. A ring is around individual of the channel-material strings in at least one of a lowest of the conductive tiers or a lowest of the insulative tiers. Individual of the rings have a top that is below all of the memory cells. Other embodiments are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230164991A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-25

申请号：US18094906

申请日：2023-01-09

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Jiewei Chen ,  Indra V. Chary ,  Jun Fang ,  Vladimir Samara ,  Kaiming Luo ,  Rita J. Klein ,  Xiao Li ,  Vinayak Shamanna

IPC: H10B41/27 ,  G11C5/06 ,  H01L21/306 ,  G11C16/04 ,  G11C5/02 ,  H10B43/27 ,  H10B43/30

CPC classification number: H10B41/27 ,  G11C5/06 ,  H01L21/30625 ,  G11C16/0408 ,  G11C16/0466 ,  G11C5/025 ,  H10B43/27 ,  H10B43/30

Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a source structure, and having a stack of alternating conductive levels and insulative levels over the source structure. Cell-material-pillars pass through the stack. The cell-material-pillars are arranged within a configuration which includes a first memory-block-region and a second memory-block-region. The cell-material-pillars include channel material which is electrically coupled with the source structure. Memory cells are along the conductive levels and include regions of the cell-material-pillars. A panel is between the first and second memory-block-regions. The panel has a first material configured as a container shape. The container shape defines opposing sides and a bottom of a cavity. The panel has a second material within the cavity. The second material is compositionally different from the first material. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

公开(公告)号：US20230164985A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-25

申请号：US17533580

申请日：2021-11-23

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Allen McTeer ,  Rita J. Klein ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  Xiao Li ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough ,  Jiewei Chen ,  Naiming Liu ,  Shuangqiang Luo ,  Silvia Borsari ,  John Mark Meldrim ,  Shen Hu

IPC: H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11582

CPC classification number: H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the memory blocks. A through-array-via (TAV) region comprises TAV constructions that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The TAV constructions individually comprise a radially-outer insulative lining and a conductive core radially-inward of the insulative lining. The insulative lining comprises a radially-inner insulative material and a radially-outer insulative material that are of different compositions relative one another. The radially-outer insulative material is in radially-outer recesses that are in the first tiers as compared to the second tiers. The radially-inner insulative material extends elevationally along the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230092501A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-23

申请号：US18053134

申请日：2022-11-07

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Nancy M. Lomeli ,  Justin B. Dorhout ,  Damir Fazil

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11573 ,  H01L27/11529 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: Device, systems, and structures include a stack of vertically-alternating tiers of materials arranged in one or more decks of tiers. A channel opening, in which a channel pillar may be formed, extends through the stack. The pillar includes a “shoulder portion” extending laterally into an “undercut portion” of the channel opening, which undercut portion is defined along at least a lower tier of at least one of the decks of the stack.

公开(公告)号：US20220392915A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17820031

申请日：2022-08-16

Applicant: Micron Technology , Inc.

Inventor： Shuangqiang Luo ,  Nancy M. Lomeli

IPC: H01L27/11573 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11529 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure, a stadium structure within the stack structure, a source tier underlying the stack structure, and a masking structure. The stack structure has tiers each comprising a conductive structure and an insulating structure. The stadium structure comprises a forward staircase structure, a reverse staircase structure, and a central region horizontally interposed between the forward staircase structure and the reverse staircase structure. The source tier comprises discrete conductive structures within horizontal boundaries of the central region of the stadium structure and horizontally separated from one another by dielectric material. The masking structure is confined within the horizontal boundaries of the central region of the stadium structure and is vertically interposed between the source tier and the stack structure. The masking structure comprises segments horizontally covering portions of the dielectric material horizontally interposed between the discrete conductive structures. Additional devices and electronic systems are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20220302154A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-22

申请号：US17836357

申请日：2022-06-09

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Nancy M. Lomeli

IPC: H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11524

Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Channel-material-string structures of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material-string structures individually comprise an upper portion above and joined with a lower portion. Individual of the channel-material-string structures comprise at least one external jog surface in a vertical cross-section where the upper and lower portions join. Other embodiments, including method are disclosed,