IP Library Granted Patent US 7,910,986
Granted Patent B2
US 7,910,986 · App. 12/130,542 · Granted Mar 22, 2011

Semiconductor memory device and data processing system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,910,986
App. No.
12/130,542
Granted
Mar 22, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor memory device includes a silicon pillar, a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film, diffusion layers ( 11, 12 ) provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar, a bit line connected to the diffusion layer ( 11 ), and a memory element connected to the diffusion layer ( 12 ). The bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the diffusion layer ( 11 ), and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region. As a result, the resistance of the bit line embedded in the substrate can be decreased.

Claims (65)

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer; and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region.

2. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the low-resistance region includes a metal or a compound thereof.

3. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the silicon pillar is one of a plurality of silicon pillars, the gate electrode is one of a plurality of gate electrodes, the gate electrodes covering the silicon pillars adjacently provided in a first direction crossing the bit line are in contact with each other, and the gate electrodes covering the silicon pillars adjacently provided in a second direction parallel with the bit line are isolated from each other.

4. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:

a dummy silicon pillar intervening in a row of the plurality of silicon pillars extending to the first direction;

a dummy gate electrode covering a surface of the dummy silicon pillar via a dummy insulation film; and

an auxiliary word line extending in the first direction, and connected to the dummy gate electrode,

wherein the gate electrode covering the silicon pillar adjacent to the dummy silicon pillar is in contact with the dummy gate electrode.

5. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the dummy silicon pillars are provided in the second direction.

6. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an interlayer-insulation film provided over the silicon pillar, wherein the second diffusion layer is connected to an upper part of the silicon pillar via a through-hole provided in the interlayer-insulation film.

7. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the memory element is a capacitor.

8. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer; and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region, and

wherein the low-resistance region is positioned below the silicon material region.

9. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a surface of the low-resistance region is covered by an insulation film excluding a surface in contact with the silicon material region.

10. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer; and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer;

a dummy silicon pillar intervening in a row of the plurality of silicon pillars extending to the first direction;

a dummy gate electrode covering a surface of the dummy silicon pillar via a dummy insulation film; and

an auxiliary word line extending in the first direction, and connected to the dummy gate electrode,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region,

wherein the silicon pillar is one of a plurality of silicon pillars, the gate electrode is one of a plurality of gate electrodes, the gate electrodes covering the silicon pillars adjacently provided in a first direction crossing the bit line are in contact with each other, and the gate electrodes covering the silicon pillars adjacently provided in a second direction parallel with the bit line are isolated from each other,

wherein the gate electrode covering the silicon pillar adjacent to the dummy silicon pillar is in contact with the dummy gate electrode, and

wherein the auxiliary word line is made of a material having lower electric resistance than that of the gate electrode.

11. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer; and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer;

an interlayer-insulation film provided over the silicon pillar, wherein the second diffusion layer is connected to an upper part of the silicon pillar via a through-hole provided in the interlayer-insulation film; and

a cylindrical sidewall-insulation film provided on an inner wall of the through-hole, to insulate the second diffusion layer and the gate electrode,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region.

12. The semiconductor memory device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein an external periphery of the cylindrical sidewall-insulation film and an external periphery of the silicon pillar substantially coincide in plane view.

13. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer, and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region,

wherein the memory element is a capacitor, and

wherein the memory element is a phase-change element.

14. A data processing system comprising a processor and a semiconductor memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the semiconductor memory device includes:

a silicon pillar formed substantially perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate;

a gate electrode covering a side surface of the silicon pillar via a gate insulation film;

first and second diffusion layers provided in a lower part and an upper part, respectively of the silicon pillar;

a bit line embedded into the substrate and connected to the first diffusion layer; and

a memory element disposed above the silicon pillar and connected to the second diffusion layer,

wherein the bit line includes a silicon material region in contact with the first diffusion layer and a low-resistance region including a material having lower electric resistance than that of the silicon material region.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2014
From: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 032645/0422 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2008
From: TAKAISHI, YOSHIHIRO
To: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 021179/0994 →