Three-dimensional resistive random access memory devices, methods of operating the same, and methods of fabricating the same

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate extending in a horizontal direction:

an active pillar on the substrate extending in a vertical direction relative to the horizontal direction of extension of the substrate;

a variable resistive pattern on the substrate extending in the vertical direction along the active pillar, an electrical resistance of the variable resistive pattern being variable in response to an oxidation or reduction thereof; and

a gate at a sidewall of the active pillar;

wherein the variable resistive pattern is a cup-shaped structure including sidewalls and a base.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the active pillar is a cup-shaped structure including sidewalls and a base.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 wherein the variable resistive pattern is at an inner region of the sidewalls of the active pillar and on the base of the active pillar.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 2 wherein the variable resistive pattern is a hollow structure including sidewalls at an inner region of the sidewalls of the active pillar.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate extending in a horizontal direction:

an active pillar on the substrate extending in a vertical direction relative to the horizontal direction of extension of the substrate;

a variable resistive pattern on the substrate extending in the vertical direction along the active pillar, an electrical resistance of the variable resistive pattern being variable in response to an oxidation or reduction thereof; and

a gate at a sidewall of the active pillar,

wherein the active pillar is a cup-shaped structure including sidewalls and a base, and wherein the sidewalls of the active pillar comprise first and second active layers.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising a pad of single crystal material between the active pillar and the substrate.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 wherein the pad of single crystal material has outer sidewalls that are aligned with outer sidewalls of the active pillar.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein a bottom portion of the active pillar is in contact with the substrate and wherein a bottom portion of the resistive pattern is spaced apart from the bottom portion of the active pillar in the vertical direction.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the resistive pattern has a thickness in the horizontal direction that is less than about 20 nm.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the variable resistive pattern is a hollow structure having sidewalls and wherein the active pillar is at an inner region of the sidewalls of the variable resistive pattern.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of interlayer dielectric layers on the substrate;

a plurality of gate patterns, each gate pattern between a neighboring lower interlayer dielectric layer and a neighboring upper interlayer dielectric layer;

wherein the active pillar and the variable resistive pattern extends in the vertical direction through the plurality of interlayer dielectric layers and the plurality of gate patterns;

wherein:

an upper-most gate pattern of the plurality of gate patterns comprises an upper select gate of an upper select transistor;

a lower-most gate pattern of the plurality of gate patterns comprises a lower select gate of a lower select transistor; and

remaining gate patterns of the plurality of gate patterns between the upper select gate and the lower select gate comprise control gates of memory cell transistors of a common string of the semiconductor device; and

wherein the semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor memory device.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein:

control gates of memory cell transistors sharing a same layer of the device arranged in a first horizontal direction of the semiconductor device are connected to provide word lines of the semiconductor memory device;

memory cell transistors of a common string of the semiconductor device are coupled together in series by the vertical channel; and

upper portions of vertical channels arranged in a second horizontal direction of the semiconductor device are connected to provide bit lines of the semiconductor memory device.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein:

the upper-most gate pattern comprises first and second upper-most gate patterns for first and second upper select gates of first and second upper select transistors of the semiconductor memory device; and

the lower-most gate pattern comprises first and second lower-most gate patterns for first and second lower select gates of first and second lower select transistors of the semiconductor memory device.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein:

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the upper select gate of the upper select transistor, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor, and the control gates of the memory cell transistors; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the upper select gate of the upper select transistor and the lower select gate of the lower select transistor.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 further comprising a pad of single crystal material between the active pillar and the substrate.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein:

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the upper select gate of the upper select transistor, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor, and the control gates of the memory cell transistors; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the lower select gate of the lower select transistor, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the upper select gate of the upper select transistor.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein the variable resistive pattern is a hollow structure having sidewalls and wherein the active pillar is at an inner region of the sidewalls of the variable resistive pattern.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 17 further comprising a pad of single crystal material between the active pillar and the substrate, wherein:

the pad of single crystal material is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor;

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 17 further comprising a pad of single crystal material between the active pillar and the substrate, wherein:

the pad of single crystal material is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor;

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein:

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor.

21. The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein:

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor.

22. The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein:

the active pillar is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor the control gates of the memory cell transistors and the upper select gate of the upper select transistor; and

the variable resistive pattern is adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the lower select gate of the lower select transistor and the control gates of the memory cell transistors, and is not adjacent, in the horizontal direction, the upper select gate of the upper select transistor.