IP Library Granted Patent US 11,424,363
Granted Patent B2
US 11,424,363 · App. 17/170,082 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Programmable charge-storage transistor, an array of elevationally-extending strings of memory cells, and a method of forming an array of elevationally-extending strings of memory cells

Inventors: Haitao Liu (Boise, ID); Kamal M. Karda (Boise, ID); Albert Fayrushin (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L29/78391H01L27/1157H01L27/1159H01L27/11556H01L27/11582H01L27/11597H01L29/40111H01L29/40117H01L29/4234H01L29/42324H01L29/512H01L29/513H01L29/516H01L29/6684H01L29/66833H01L29/7923
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,424,363
App. No.
17/170,082
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A programmable charge-storage transistor comprises channel material, insulative charge-passage material, charge-storage material, a control gate, and charge-blocking material between the charge-storage material and the control gate. The charge-blocking material comprises a non-ferroelectric insulator material and a ferroelectric insulator material. Arrays of elevationally-extending strings of memory cells of memory cells are disclosed, including methods of forming such. Other embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

Claims (15)

1. A method of forming an array of elevationally-extending strings of memory cells, the method comprising:

forming a stack comprising vertically-alternating tiers of different composition first and second materials, the first material being insulative;

forming elevationally-extending channel openings into the alternating tiers;

forming first charge-blocking insulator material in the channel openings elevationally along the alternating tiers;

forming charge-storage material in the channel openings elevationally along the alternating tiers and the first charge-blocking insulator material;

forming insulative charge-passage material in the channel openings elevationally along the alternating tiers and the charge-storage material;

forming transistor channel material in the channel openings elevationally along the alternating tiers and the insulative charge-passage material;

removing at least some of the second material from the stack;

forming second charge-blocking insulator material laterally proximate the first charge-blocking insulator material, the second charge-blocking insulator material being of different composition from that of the first charge-blocking insulator material, one of the first charge-blocking insulator material or the second charge-blocking insulator material comprising a non-ferroelectric insulator material, the other of the first charge-blocking insulator material or the second charge-blocking insulator material comprising a ferroelectric insulator material; and

forming control-gate material laterally over the second charge-blocking insulator material, the control-gate material having terminal ends corresponding to control-gate regions of individual memory cells.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the first charge-blocking insulator material to comprise the non-ferroelectric insulator material, and forming the second charge-blocking insulator material to comprise the ferroelectric insulator material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the ferroelectric insulator material is directly above and directly below the control-gate material in the individual memory cells in a finished construction.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the ferroelectric insulator material is directly against a top and a bottom of the control-gate material in the individual memory cells in a finished construction.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the first charge-blocking insulator material to comprise the ferroelectric insulator material, and forming the second charge-blocking insulator material to comprise the non-ferroelectric insulator material.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the second charge-blocking insulator material directly against the first charge-blocking insulator material.

Continuity (3)
Division 15890530 · Feb 7, 2018
Provisional Application 62610846 · Dec 27, 2017
Related Publication 20210184044A1 · Jun 17, 2021