IP Library Granted Patent US 9,318,430
Granted Patent B2
US 9,318,430 · App. 14/602,559 · Granted Apr 19, 2016

Stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features, methods of forming circuitry components, and methods of forming an array of memory cells

Inventors: Sanh D. Tang (Boise, ID); Roger W. Lindsay (Boise, ID); Krishna K. Parat (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L23/52H01L27/10H01L27/101H01L2924/0002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,318,430
App. No.
14/602,559
Granted
Apr 19, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of forming circuitry components includes forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features. The stack has a primary portion and an end portion. At least some of the features extend farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion. Operative structures are formed vertically through the features in the primary portion and dummy structures are formed vertically through the features in the end portion. Horizontally elongated openings are formed through the features to form horizontally elongated and vertically overlapping lines from material of the features. The lines individually extend from the primary portion into the end portion, and individually laterally about sides of vertically extending portions of both the operative structures and the dummy structures. Sacrificial material that is elevationally between the lines is at least partially removed in the primary and end portions laterally between the horizontally elongated openings. Other aspects and implementations are disclosed.

Claims (40)

1. A method of forming an array of cross-point memory cells, comprising:

forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping dielectric features, the stack comprising a primary portion and an end portion, at least some of the dielectric features extending farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion;

forming openings through the dielectric features in the primary portion and in the end portion;

lining the openings with first material;

lining the first material-lined openings with programmable material;

filling remaining volume of the first and programmable material-lined openings with conductive material;

forming horizontally elongated trenches through the dielectric features to form horizontally elongated and vertically overlapping dielectric lines from dielectric material of the dielectric features, the dielectric lines individually extending from the primary portion into the end portion and individually laterally about sides of both the openings in the primary and end portions;

removing at least some of sacrificial material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines in the primary and end portions laterally between the trenches selectively relative to the dielectric lines and the first material lining in the openings;

after removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material, removing at least a portion of the first material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines to expose laterally outer sidewalls of the programmable material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines; and

replacing at least a portion of the sacrificial material with conductor material that is in electrical connection with the laterally outers sidewalls of the programmable material and to comprise vertically spaced horizontal conductive lines; individual ones of the cross-point memory cells comprising crossing ones of the horizontal conductive lines in the primary portion and conductive material in the openings in the primary portion having the programmable material there-between.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the trenches after the filling.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive material and the conductor material are of the same composition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive material and the conductor material are of different compositions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is dielectric.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the features comprise plates.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the primary portion openings and the end portion openings at the same time.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the primary portion openings and the end portion openings at different times.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising forming at least some of the end portion openings to horizontally overlap ends of individual ones of the features.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the primary portion openings and the end portion openings to have the same horizontal and vertical cross sections.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the primary portion openings and the end portion openings to have at least one of different horizontal cross sections or different vertical cross sections.

12. A method of forming circuitry components, comprising:

forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features, the stack comprising a primary portion and an end portion, at least some of the features extending farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion;

forming first structures vertically through the features in the primary portion and forming second structures vertically through the features in the end portion;

removing at least some sacrificial material that is elevationally between material of the features in the primary and end portions to form void spaces elevationally between the horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features; and

forming conductor material within the void space and forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping conductive lines from the conductor material.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising forming the conductive material of the conductive lines to horizontally wrap around the first structures.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising forming the first structures to at least initially comprise hollow cylinders.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising forming conductive material to extend vertically within the hollow cylinders.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the conductive material is formed after forming the conductor material.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the conductive material is formed before forming the conductor material.

18. A method of forming an array of cross-point memory cells, comprising:

forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping dielectric features, the stack comprising a primary portion and an end portion, at least some of the dielectric features extending farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion;

forming openings through the dielectric features in the primary portion and in the end portion;

lining the openings with first material;

forming programmable material and conductive material within the first material-lined openings;

forming horizontally elongated trenches through the dielectric features to form horizontally elongated and vertically overlapping dielectric lines from dielectric material of the dielectric features, the dielectric lines individually extending from the primary portion into the end portion and individually laterally about sides of both the openings in the primary and end portions;

removing at least some of sacrificial material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines in the primary and end portions laterally between the trenches selectively relative to the dielectric lines and the first material lining in the openings;

after removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material, removing at least a portion of the first material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines to expose laterally outer sidewalls of the programmable material that is elevationally between the dielectric lines; and

replacing at least a portion of the sacrificial material with conductor material that is in electrical connection with the laterally outers sidewalls of the programmable material and to comprise vertically spaced horizontal conductive lines; individual ones of the cross-point memory cells comprising crossing ones of the horizontal conductive lines in the primary portion and conductive material in the openings in the primary portion having the programmable material there-between.

19. The method of claim 12 comprising forming the conductive lines to comprise conductive lines of cross-point memory cells.

Assignments (7)
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 →
Continuity (2)
Division 13085083 · Apr 12, 2011
Related Publication 20150129935A1 · May 14, 2015