IP Library Granted Patent US 10,903,221
Granted Patent B2
US 10,903,221 · App. 15/855,089 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Memory cells and memory arrays

Inventor: Changhan Kim (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L27/1157H01L27/11524H01L27/11565H01L27/11578H01L27/11582H01L29/40117H01L29/513H01L29/66833H01L29/792
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,903,221
App. No.
15/855,089
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments include a memory cell having a conductive gate, and having a charge-blocking region adjacent the conductive gate. The charge-blocking region includes silicon oxynitride and silicon dioxide. A charge-storage region is adjacent the charge-blocking region. Tunneling material is adjacent the charge-storage region. Channel material is adjacent the tunneling material. The tunneling material is between the channel material and the charge-storage region. Some embodiments include memory arrays. Some embodiments include methods of forming assemblies (e.g., memory arrays).

Claims (26)

1. A memory cell, comprising:

a conductive gate;

a charge-blocking region adjacent the conductive gate; the charge-blocking region comprising silicon oxynitride and silicon dioxide and having an upper surface and a lower surface, each of the upper and lower surfaces contacting an insulative material;

a charge-storage region adjacent the charge-blocking region;

a tunneling region adjacent the charge-storage region, the tunneling region comprising a first tunneling material and a second tunneling material, the first tunneling material being directly against the charge-storage region and extending elevationally from the upper surface to the lower surface, the second tunneling material being against the first tunneling material and having first regions extending to an elevation above the upper surface and second regions extending elevationally below the lower surface, the first and second regions being in physical contact with vertical surfaces of the insulative material; and

a channel material adjacent the tunneling material, the tunneling material being between the channel material and the charge-storage region, the conductive gate, the charge-blocking region, the charge-storage region and the tunneling material having concave vertical faces.

2. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the charge-blocking region comprises the silicon oxynitride proximate the conductive gate, and comprises the silicon dioxide spaced from the conductive gate by the silicon oxynitride.

3. The memory cell of claim 2 wherein the silicon oxynitride of the charge-blocking region is directly against a dielectric barrier region, and wherein the dielectric barrier region is directly against conductive material of the conductive gate.

4. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the silicon dioxide of the charge-blocking region is directly against the charge-storage region.

5. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the charge-storage region comprises silicon nitride, and wherein the silicon nitride is directly against the silicon dioxide of the charge-blocking region.

6. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the charge-blocking region has a thickness between the conductive gate and the charge-storage region which is within a range of from about 50 Å to about 150 Å, and wherein the silicon dioxide of the charge-blocking region has a thickness between the conductive gate and the charge-storage region which is within a range of from about 10 Å to about 30 Å.

7. A memory array, comprising:

a vertical stack of alternating insulative levels and wordline levels;

a channel material extending vertically along the stack;

the wordline levels comprising conductive regions; the conductive regions being spaced from the channel material by gaps;

the insulative levels comprising ledges above and below at least portions of the gaps;

charge-storage regions within the gaps; the charge-storage regions being vertically spaced from one another by intervening regions of the ledges, the charge-storage regions having upper surfaces and lower surfaces, each of the upper and lower surfaces contacting an insulative material of the insulative levels;

charge-blocking regions within the gaps and between the charge-storage regions and the conductive regions; the charge-blocking regions comprising silicon dioxide extending vertically along silicon oxynitride; the silicon dioxide being between the silicon oxynitride and the charge-storage regions, the charge-storage regions and the charge-blocking regions having curved vertical faces; and

charge tunneling regions adjacent the charge-storage regions, the tunneling region comprising a first tunneling material that extends only along the wordline levels and a second tunneling material that extends along the wordline levels and extends along and directly against the insulative levels.

8. The memory array of claim 7 wherein the channel material serpentines along the vertical direction, with segments of the channel material along the insulative levels projecting inwardly, and with segments of the channel material along the conductive levels projecting outwardly.

9. The memory array of claim 8 wherein the conductive regions have concave vertical faces.

10. The memory array of claim 7 wherein the charge-storage regions comprise silicon nitride.

11. The memory array of claim 7 wherein the silicon oxynitride of the charge-blocking regions has a first horizontal thickness and the silicon dioxide of the charge-blocking regions has a second horizontal thickness; and wherein the first horizontal thickness as at least about double the first horizontal thickness.

12. The memory array of claim 7 wherein the second tunneling material extends along the channel material, and wherein the insulative ledges are directly against the second tunneling material.

13. The memory array of claim 7 wherein the first tunneling material is adjacent the charge-storage material and directly against top and bottom surfaces of the ledges.

14. The memory array of claim 7 further comprising a third tunneling material between the second tunneling material and the channel material.

Assignments (5)
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 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050716/0678 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2018
From: KIM, CHANGHAN
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 044993/0021 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 7 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 6, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045267/0833 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,408,341 US 12,451,358 US 12,557,283