公开(公告)号：US20220068945A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：US17068470

申请日：2020-10-12

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Daniel Billingsley ,  Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins ,  Yongjun Jeff Hu ,  Swapnil Lengade

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

Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming an upper stack directly above a lower stack. The lower stack comprises vertically-alternating lower-first-tiers and lower-second-tiers. The upper stack comprises vertically-alternating upper-first-tiers and upper-second-tiers. Lower channel openings extend through the lower-first-tiers and the lower-second-tiers. The lower channel openings have sacrificial material therein. An upper of the lower-second-tiers or a lower of the upper-second-tiers comprises non-stoichiometric silicon dioxide that has a silicon-to-oxygen atomic ratio greater than 0.5. A higher of the upper-second-tiers that is above said lower upper-second-tier comprises silicon dioxide that has a silicon-to-oxygen atomic ratio less than or equal to 0.5. Upper channel openings are etched through the upper-first-tiers and the upper-second-tiers to stop on said upper lower-second-tier or said lower upper-second-tier. After the stop, the sacrificial material is removed from the lower channel openings and channel-material strings are formed in the upper and lower channel openings. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20220037350A1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-03

申请号：US16943826

申请日：2020-07-30

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Daniel Billingsley ,  Matthew J. King ,  Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Yongjun J. Hu ,  Tom George ,  Amritesh Rai ,  Sidhartha Gupta ,  Kyle A. Ritter

IPC: H01L27/11573 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11529 ,  H01L29/49 ,  H01L21/28

Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure, strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the strings of memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure, and another stack structure vertically overlying the stack structure and comprising other tiers of alternating levels of other conductive structures and other insulative structures, the other conductive structures exhibiting a conductivity greater than a conductivity of the conductive structures of the stack structure. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20220028996A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-27

申请号：US17496715

申请日：2021-10-07

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Rita J. Klein ,  Everett A. McTeer ,  John Mark Meldrim

IPC: H01L29/49 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: Some embodiments include a memory array having a vertical stack of alternating insulative levels and wordline levels. Channel material extends vertically along the stack. The wordline levels include conductive regions which have a first metal-containing material and a second metal-containing material. The first metal-containing material at least partially surrounds the second metal-containing material. The first metal-containing material has a different crystallinity than the second metal-containing material. In some embodiments the first metal-containing material is substantially amorphous, and the second metal-containing material has a mean grain size within a range of from greater than or equal to about 5 nm to less than or equal to about 200 nm. Charge-storage regions are adjacent the wordline levels. Charge-blocking regions are between the charge-storage regions and the conductive regions.

公开(公告)号：US20210376083A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-02

申请号：US16890296

申请日：2020-06-02

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins

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

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.

公开(公告)号：US20210375911A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-02

申请号：US16890726

申请日：2020-06-02

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John D. Hopkins

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11565 ,  H01L27/11519

Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a second deck over a first deck. The first deck has first memory cell levels, and the second deck has second memory cell levels. A pair of cell-material-pillars pass through the first and second decks. Memory cells are along the first and second memory cell levels. The cell-material-pillars are a first pillar and a second pillar. An intermediate level is between the first and second decks. The intermediate level includes a region between the first and second pillars. The region includes a first segment adjacent the first pillar, a second segment adjacent the second pillar, and a third segment between the first and second segments. The first and second segments include a first composition, and the third segment includes a second composition different from the first composition. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

公开(公告)号：US20210175249A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US16708673

申请日：2019-12-10

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Purnima Narayanan ,  Jordan D. Greenlee

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3215 ,  H01L21/768

Abstract: Some embodiments include a method of forming an integrated assembly. A stack of alternating first and second materials is formed over a conductive structure. The conductive structure includes a semiconductor-containing material over a metal-containing material. An opening is formed to extend through the stack and through the semiconductor-containing material, to expose the metal-containing material. The semiconductor-containing material is doped with carbon and/or with one or more metals. After the doping of the semiconductor-containing material, the second material of the stack is removed to form voids. Conductive material is formed within the voids. Insulative material is formed within the opening. Some embodiments include integrated assemblies having carbon distributed within at least a portion of a semiconductor material.

公开(公告)号：US20210098028A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-01

申请号：US16585346

申请日：2019-09-27

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

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

IPC: G11C5/06 ,  H01L27/11524 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11529 ,  H01L27/1157 ,  H01L27/11573 ,  H01L27/11582

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：US20210066332A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-04

申请号：US17071980

申请日：2020-10-15

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  John Mark Meldrim ,  Everett A. McTeer

IPC: H01L27/11556 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L27/11565

Abstract: Some embodiments include a method in which an assembly is formed to have voids within a stack, and to have slits adjacent the voids. Peripheral boundaries of the voids have proximal regions near the slits and distal regions adjacent the proximal regions. A material is deposited within the voids under conditions which cause the material to form to a greater thickness along the distal regions than along the proximal regions. Some embodiments include an assembly having a stack of alternating first and second levels. The second levels include conductive material. Panel structures extend through the stack. The conductive material within the second levels has outer edges with proximal regions near the panel structures and distal regions adjacent the proximal regions. Interface material is along the outer edges of the conductive material and has a different composition along the proximal regions than along the distal regions.

公开(公告)号：US20210057440A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-25

申请号：US16550250

申请日：2019-08-25

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jordan D. Greenlee ,  Daniel Billingsley ,  Indra V. Chary ,  Rita J. Klein

IPC: H01L27/11582 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L27/11519 ,  H01L27/11565

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. Operative channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Upper masses comprise first material laterally-between and longitudinally-spaced-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks and second material laterally-between and longitudinally-spaced-along the immediately-laterally-adjacent memory blocks longitudinally-between and under the upper masses. The second material is of different composition from that of the first material. The second material comprises insulative material. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20210050361A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-18

申请号：US16539700

申请日：2019-08-13

Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John D. Hopkins ,  Rita J. Klein ,  Jordan D. Greenlee

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

Abstract: Electronic devices (e.g., semiconductor devices, which may be configured for 3D NAND memory devices), comprise pillars extending through a stack of alternating conductive tiers and insulative tiers. The conductive tiers, which may include control gates for access lines (e.g., word lines), include conductive rails along an outer sidewall of the conductive tiers, distal from the pillars extending through the conductive tiers. The conductive rails protrude laterally beyond outer sidewalls of the insulative tiers. The conductive rails increase the amount of conductive material than may otherwise be in the conductive tiers, which may enable the conductive material to exhibit a lower electrical resistance, improving operational performance of the electronic devices.