IP Library Granted Patent US 10,128,262
Granted Patent B2
US 10,128,262 · App. 14/998,251 · Granted Nov 13, 2018

Vertical memory having varying storage cell design through the storage cell stack

Inventors: Randy J. Koval (Boise, ID); Hiroyuki Sanda (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H01L27/11582G11C16/08G11C16/26H01L21/32133H01L27/1157H01L27/11519H01L27/11524H01L27/11526H01L27/11556H01L27/11565H01L27/11573
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,128,262
App. No.
14/998,251
Granted
Nov 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus is described having a memory. The memory includes a vertical stack of storage cells, where, a first storage node at a lower layer of the vertical stack has a different structural design than a second storage node at a higher layer of the vertical stack.

Claims (28)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory comprising a vertical stack of storage cells, wherein a first storage node at a lower layer of the vertical stack has a smaller vertical thickness than a second storage node at a higher layer of the vertical stack, the storage cells exhibiting gradually smaller respective vertical thickness moving down the vertical stack from an upper region of the vertical stack to a lower region of the vertical stack, a first dielectric layer above or below the lower layer of the vertical stack having a larger vertical thickness than a second dielectric layer above or below the higher layer, wherein the first dielectric layer is below the second dielectric layer, the vertical stack exhibiting gradually larger dielectric layer thickness between the storage cells moving down the vertical stack from the upper region of the vertical stack to the lower region of the vertical stack.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first storage node has a shallower lateral depth than the second storage node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first storage node has a different shape than the second storage node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first storage node has a tapered shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly thinner poly silicon layers in a direction down the vertical stack.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly smaller storage cell nodes in a direction down the vertical stack.

7. A computing system, comprising:

a plurality of processing cores;

a memory controller coupled to the plurality of processing cores;

a system memory coupled to the memory controller;

a display;

a non volatile memory, said non volatile memory comprising a vertical stack of storage cells, wherein a first storage node at a lower layer of the vertical stack has a smaller vertical width than a second storage node at a higher layer of the vertical stack, the storage cells exhibiting gradually smaller respective vertical width moving down the vertical stack from an upper region of the vertical stack to a lower region of the vertical stack, a first dielectric layer above or below the lower layer of the vertical stack having a larger vertical thickness than a second dielectric layer above or below the higher layer, wherein the first dielectric layer is below the second dielectric layer, the vertical stack exhibiting gradually larger dielectric layer thickness between the storage cells moving down the vertical stack from the upper region of the vertical stack to the lower region of the vertical stack.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first storage node has a shallower lateral depth than the second storage node.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first storage node has a different shape than the second storage node.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first storage node has a tapered shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly thinner poly silicon layers in a direction down the vertical stack.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly smaller storage cell nodes in a direction down the vertical stack.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising one or more of:

a network interface communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of processing cores;

a battery coupled to at least one of the plurality of processing cores.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory comprising a vertical stack of storage cells, wherein a first storage node at a lower layer of the vertical stack has a smaller outer radius than a second storage node at a higher layer of the vertical stack, the storage cells exhibiting gradually smaller respective outer radius moving down the vertical stack from an upper region of the vertical stack to a lower region of the vertical stack, a first dielectric layer above or below the lower layer of the vertical stack having a larger vertical thickness than a second dielectric layer above or below the higher layer, wherein the first dielectric layer is below the second dielectric layer, the vertical stack exhibiting gradually larger dielectric layer thickness between the storage cells moving down the vertical stack from the upper region of the vertical stack to the lower region of the vertical stack.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first storage node has a smaller vertical width than the second storage node.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first storage node has a different shape than the second storage node.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first storage node has a tapered shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly thinner poly silicon layers in a direction down the vertical stack.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the storage cell stack comprises increasingly smaller storage cell nodes in a direction down the vertical stack.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2023
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: INTEL NDTM US LLC
Reel/Frame 064928/0832 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2016
From: KOVAL, RANDY J.; SANDA, HIROYUKI
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038521/0503 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170186765A1 · Jun 29, 2017
Cited By (1)
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