IP Library Granted Patent US 9,831,267
Granted Patent B2
US 9,831,267 · App. 15/239,434 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Three-dimensional semiconductor device

Inventors: Seulye Kim (Hwasung-si, KR); Ji-Hoon Choi (Seongnam-si, KR); Dongkyum Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jung Ho Kim (Seongnam-si, KR); Jintae Noh (Yongin-si, KR); Eun-Young Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H01L27/11582H01L21/76816H01L21/76843H01L21/76877H01L27/11565
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,831,267
App. No.
15/239,434
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A three-dimensional semiconductor device includes a plurality of stack structures extending in one direction on a substrate and spaced apart from each other, a plurality of vertical structures penetrating the stack structures, a common source plug between the stack structures that are adjacent to each other and extending in parallel to the stack structures, and a spacer structure at each side of the common source plug. The stack structure has a sidewall defining recess regions vertically spaced apart from each other. The spacer structure covers sidewalls of the stack structures. The spacer structure includes an insulating spacer and a protection spacer. The insulating spacer fills the recess regions of the stack structure and includes a surface having grooves. The protection spacer fills the grooves of the surface of the insulating spacer and has a substantially flat surface.

Claims (89)

1. A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of stack structures extending in one direction on a substrate, the stack structures spaced apart from each other, and each of the stack structures having a sidewall defining recess regions vertically spaced apart from each other;

a plurality of vertical structures penetrating the stack structures;

a common source plug between the stack structures that are adjacent to each other, the common source plug extending in parallel to the stack structures; and

a spacer structure at each side of the common source plug between the common source plug and the stack structures, the spacer structure covering the sidewalls of the stack structures,

the spacer structure including an insulating spacer and a protection spacer,

the insulating spacer filling the recess regions of the sidewalls of the stack structures,

a surface of the insulating spacer defining grooves,

the protection spacer filling the grooves of the surface of the insulating spacer, and

the protection spacer having a substantially flat surface.

2. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat surface of the protection spacer is in contact with the common source plug.

3. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the common source plug includes:

a metal layer between the stack structures that are adjacent to each other; and

a barrier metal layer conformally covering a bottom surface and sidewalls of the metal layer, and

the barrier metal layer is in contact with the substantially flat surface of the protection spacer.

4. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each of the stack structures includes:

insulating layers and electrodes alternately and vertically stacked on the substrate, wherein

sidewalls of the electrodes are laterally recessed from sidewalls of the insulating layers to define the recess regions,

the insulating spacer includes first portions adjacent to the electrodes and second portions adjacent to the insulating layers, and

a horizontal distance between a surface of the first portions and a surface of the second portions is smaller than a horizontal distance between the sidewall of the insulating layer adjacent to the insulating spacer and the sidewall of the electrode adjacent to the insulating spacer.

5. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein

the insulating spacer is formed of silicon oxide, and

the protection spacer is formed of one of silicon, germanium, and silicon-germanium.

6. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the protection spacer includes:

a first protection spacer filling the grooves of the insulating spacer; and

a second protection spacer between the first protection spacer and the common source plug and having the substantially flat surface.

7. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein

the first protection spacer is formed of silicon, and

the second protection spacer is formed of silicon oxide.

8. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data storage layer between the vertical structures and the stack structures, wherein

each of the stack structures includes insulating layers and electrodes alternately and vertically stacked on the substrate,

the data storage layer includes a vertical insulating pattern and horizontal pattern,

the vertical insulating pattern penetrates the stack structures to surround the vertical structures, and

the horizontal insulating pattern laterally extends between the vertical insulating pattern and each of the electrodes into between the each of the electrodes and the insulating layers.

9. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the horizontal insulating patterns further extends into between the spacer structure and the insulating layers.

10. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a common source region formed in the substrate between the stack structures adjacent to each other,

wherein the common source plug is in contact with the common source region.

11. A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of stack structures extending in one direction on a substrate, the stack structures spaced apart from each other, and each of the stack structures having a sidewall defining recess regions vertically spaced apart from each other;

a plurality of vertical structures penetrating the stack structures;

a common source plug between the stack structures adjacent to each other, the common source plug extending in parallel to the stack structures; and

a spacer structure between the common source plug and the stack structures, the spacer structure at each side of the common source plug, the spacer structure covering the sidewalls of the stack structures,

the spacer structure including an insulating spacer and a protection spacer,

the insulating spacer filling the recess regions of the sidewalls of the stack structures,

a surface of the insulating spacer defining grooves,

the protection spacer filling the grooves of the insulating spacer,

the protection spacer being in contact with the common source plug, and the protection spacer includes a different material from the insulating spacer.

12. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein a surface of the protection spacer that contacts the common source plug is substantially flat.

13. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the protection spacer includes:

a first protection spacer filling the grooves of the insulating spacer; and

a second protection spacer between the first protection spacer and the common source plug and having a substantially flat surface, and

the first protection spacer and the second protection spacer are formed of different materials.

14. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a data storage layer between the vertical structures and the stack structures, wherein

each of the stack structures includes insulating layers and electrodes alternately and vertically stacked on the substrate,

the data storage layer includes a vertical insulating pattern and horizontal pattern,

the vertical insulating pattern penetrates the stack structure to surround the vertical structures, and

the horizontal insulating pattern laterally extends between the vertical insulating pattern and each of the electrodes into between the each of the electrodes and the insulating layers.

15. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein

each of the stack structures includes insulating layers and electrodes alternately and vertically stacked on the substrate,

sidewalls of the electrodes are laterally recessed from sidewalls of the insulating layers to define the recess regions,

the insulating spacer includes first portions and second portions,

the first portions are adjacent to the electrodes,

the second portions are adjacent to the insulating layers, and

a horizontal distance between a surface of the first portions and a surface of the second portions is smaller than a horizontal distance between the sidewall of the insulating layer adjacent to the insulating spacer and the sidewall of the electrode adjacent to the insulating spacer.

16. A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of cell strings on a substrate, each of the cell strings including a plurality of memory cells stacked on top of each other between a ground selection transistor and a string selection transistor;

word lines connected to memory cells in the plurality of cell strings;

bit lines connected to the cell strings;

a common source line connected to the cell strings;

a common source plug connected to the common source line, the common source plug extending vertical to a top surface of the substrate;

a protection spacer surrounding the common source plug; and

an insulating spacer surrounding the protection spacer.

17. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the protection spacer includes:

a first protection spacer filling grooves defined by the insulating spacer; and

a second protection spacer between the first protection spacer and the common source plug and having a substantially flat surface.

18. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein

the first protection spacer is formed of silicon, and

the second protection spacer is formed of silicon oxide.

19. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein

the protection spacer includes a first surface facing the common source plug and a second surface opposite the first surface,

the first surface is substantially flat, and

the second surface includes a plurality of concave portions.

20. The 3D semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein

the insulating spacer includes first portions and second portions alternately arranged in a vertical direction,

the first portions extend further away from the common source plug than the second portions in a lateral direction, and

a thickness of the protection spacer is greater between the common source plug and the first portions compared to a thickness of the protection spacer between the common source plug and the second portions.

Assignments (2)
LICENSE Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: INTELLECTUAL KEYSTONE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 064444/0863 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2016
From: KIM, SEULYE; CHOI, JI-HOON; KIM, DONGKYUM; KIM, JUNG HO; NOH, JINTAE; LEE, EUN-YOUNG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 039474/0928 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2015-0134073 · Sep 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170084626A1 · Mar 23, 2017