公开(公告)号：US20230253043A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-10

申请号：US17668304

申请日：2022-02-09

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Darwin A. Clampitt ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Roger W. Lindsay

IPC: G11C16/04 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11582

CPC classification number: G11C16/0483 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: An electronic device comprises a stack comprising tiers of alternating conductive levels and insulative levels overlying a source, slots extending vertically through the stack and dividing the stack into blocks, and support pillars within the slots and extending vertically through the stack. The support pillars exhibit a lateral dimension in a first horizontal direction relatively larger than a lateral dimension of the slots in the first horizontal direction, substantially orthogonal to a second horizontal direction in which the slots extend. Related memory devices, systems, and methods are also described.

公开(公告)号：US11706918B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-18

申请号：US16918392

申请日：2020-07-01

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins

IPC: H01L29/792 ,  H10B43/27 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B43/10 ,  H01L21/311

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

Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a stack comprising vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions. Channel-material strings extend through the first tiers and the second tiers. Material of the first tiers is of different composition from material of the second tiers. Conducting material is formed in one of the first tiers. The conducting material comprises a seam in and longitudinally-along opposing sides of individual of the memory-block regions in the one first tier. The seam is penetrated with a fluid that forms intermediate material in the seam longitudinally-along the opposing sides of the individual memory-block regions in the one first tier and comprises a different composition from that of the conducting material. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11683932B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-20

申请号：US17006634

申请日：2020-08-28

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B43/10 ,  H10B43/27

CPC classification number: H10B41/27 ,  H10B41/10 ,  H10B43/10 ,  H10B43/27

Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a stack comprising vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions that have horizontally-elongated trenches there-between. Channel openings extend through the first tiers and the second tiers in the memory-block regions. Channel material of channel-material strings is formed in the channel openings and the channel material is formed in the horizontally-elongated trenches. The channel material is removed from the horizontally-elongated trenches and the channel material of the channel-material strings is left in the channel openings. After removing the channel material from the horizontally-elongated trenches, intervening material is formed in the horizontally-elongated trenches laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory-block regions. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230154856A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-18

申请号：US18157962

申请日：2023-01-23

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Everett A. McTeer ,  Yiping Wang ,  Rajesh Balachandran ,  Rita J. Klein ,  Yongjun J. Hu

IPC: H01L23/538 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01L21/768 ,  G11C5/06 ,  G11C5/02 ,  H01L27/06

CPC classification number: H01L23/5386 ,  H01L23/5385 ,  H01L23/5384 ,  H01L23/53204 ,  H01L21/76877 ,  G11C5/06 ,  G11C5/025 ,  H01L21/76802 ,  H01L27/0688

Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising insulative levels vertically interleaved with conductive levels. The conductive levels individually comprise a first conductive structure, and a second conductive structure laterally neighboring the first conductive structure, the second conductive structure exhibiting a concentration of 3-phase tungsten varying with a vertical distance from a vertically neighboring insulative level. The microelectronic device further comprises slot structures vertically extending through the stack structure and dividing the stack structure into block structures, and strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the first conductive structures between laterally neighboring strings of memory cells, the second conductive structures between the slot structures and strings of memory cells nearest the slot structures. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

公开(公告)号：US11600630B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-07

申请号：US16988156

申请日：2020-08-07

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: H01L27/11568 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  G11C5/06 ,  H01L21/306 ,  G11C16/04 ,  G11C5/02

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：US20230057852A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-23

申请号：US17408813

申请日：2021-08-23

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Collin Howder ,  M. Jared Barclay ,  Bhavesh Bhartia ,  Chet E. Carter ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Andrew Li ,  Haoyu Li ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough ,  Grady S. Waldo

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: Integrated circuitry comprising a memory array comprises strings of memory cells comprising laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a first vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple with conductor material of the conductor tier. The conductive tiers individually comprise a horizontally-elongated conductive line. A second vertical stack is aside the first vertical stack. The second vertical stack comprises an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion comprises vertically-alternating first insulating tiers and second insulating tiers that are of different insulative compositions relative one another. The lower portion comprises a horizontal line above the conductor tier that runs parallel with the laterally-spaced memory blocks in the first vertical stack. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230055319A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-23

申请号：US17409300

申请日：2021-08-23

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Alyssa N. Scarbrough ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Collin Howder ,  Jordan D. Greenlee

IPC: G11C16/04 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a lower portion of a stack that will comprise vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions. Material of the first tiers is of different composition from material of the second tiers. The lower portion comprises an upper second tier comprising insulative material. The vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers of an upper portion of the stack are formed above the lower portion. Channel-material strings are formed that extend through the upper portion to the lower portion. Horizontally-elongated lines are formed in the upper second tier longitudinally-along opposing lateral edges of the memory-block regions. Material of the lines is of different composition. from that of the insulative material in the upper second tier that is laterally-between the lines. Horizontally-elongated trenches are formed into the stack that are individually between immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory-block regions and that extend through the upper portion to the lower portion. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11562773B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16585346

申请日：2019-09-27

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Peng Xu

IPC: C23C8/06 ,  G11C5/06 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11573 ,  H01L27/11529 ,  C23C8/36 ,  C23C28/00

Abstract: Some embodiments include a method of forming a conductive structure. A metal-containing conductive material is formed over a supporting substrate. A surface of the metal-containing conductive material is exposed to at least one radical form of hydrogen and to at least one oxidant. The exposure alters at least a portion of the metal-containing conductive material to thereby form at least a portion of the conductive structure. Some embodiments include a conductive structure which has a metal-containing conductive material with a first region adjacent to a second region. The first region has a greater concentration of one or both of fluorine and boron relative to the second region.

公开(公告)号：US11545430B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-03

申请号：US17070269

申请日：2020-10-14

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Collin Howder ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Alyssa N. Scarbrough

IPC: H01L29/76 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a conductor tier comprising conductor material on a substrate. A lower portion of a stack is formed, with the stack ultimately comprising vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers above the conductor tier. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions. Material of the first tiers is of different composition from material of the second tiers. A lowest of the first tiers comprises conductive first sacrificial material. Conductive second material is directly electrically coupled to the conductive first sacrificial material. The conductive first sacrificial material and the conductive second material have different reduction potentials that are at least 0.5V away from one another. A lowest of the second tiers is insulative and below the lowest first tier. The vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers of an upper portion of the stack are formed above the lower portion. Channel-material strings are formed that extend through the first tiers and the second tiers in the upper portion to the lowest first tier in the lower portion. Horizontally-elongated trenches are formed into the stack that are individually between immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory-block regions and extend to the conductive first sacrificial material and the conductive second material in the lowest first tier. The conductive first sacrificial material is galvanically etched through the trenches. The lowest second tier is removed after the galvanically etching. After removing the lowest second tier, conducting material is formed in the lowest first tier that directly electrically couples together the channel material of the individual channel-material strings and the conductor material of the conductor tier. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20220399440A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-15

申请号：US17890565

申请日：2022-08-18

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins

IPC: H01L29/08 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11556

Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a source structure. The source structure includes, in ascending order, a first conductively-doped semiconductor material, one or more first insulative layers, a second conductively-doped semiconductor material, one or more second insulative layers, and a third conductively-doped semiconductor material. The source structure includes blocks extending through the second conductively-doped semiconductor material. Conductive levels are over the source structure. Channel material extends vertically along the conductive levels, and extends into the source structure to be in direct contact with the second conductively-doped semiconductor material. One or more memory cell materials are between the channel material and the conductive levels. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.