IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,526,977
Granted Patent B2
US 12,526,977 · App. 17/951,379 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Semiconductor device

Inventors: Moonyoung Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Kiseok Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Hyungeun Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Hyungjun Noh (Suwon-si, KR); Sangho Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10B12/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,526,977
App. No.
17/951,379
Granted
Jan 13, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device may include a substrate including a memory cell region between a first connection region and a second connection region, gate electrodes extending in a first direction and including first pad regions having a step structure on the first connection region, back gate electrodes between the gate electrodes and extending in a direction opposite the first direction, vertical conductive patterns extending in a vertical direction and spaced apart from each other in the first direction on the memory cell region of the substrate, and active layers between the gate electrodes and the back gate electrodes on the memory cell region of the substrate. The active layers may extend in a second direction, intersecting the first direction, and may be electrically connected to the vertical conductive patterns. The back gate electrodes may include second pad regions having a step structure on the second connection region.

Claims (87)

1 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate including a first connection region, a second connection region, and a memory cell region between the first connection region and the second connection region;

gate electrodes stacked on the substrate, the gate electrodes spaced apart from each other and extending in a first direction, the first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, the gate electrodes including first pad regions having a first step structure on the first connection region;

back gate electrodes between the gate electrodes, the back gate electrodes extending in a direction opposite the first direction, the back gate electrodes including second pad regions having a second step structure on the second connection region;

vertical conductive patterns extending in a vertical direction, the vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, and the vertical conductive patterns being spaced apart from each other in the first direction on the memory cell region of the substrate;

active layers between the gate electrodes and the back gate electrodes on the memory cell region of the substrate, the active layers extending in a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction and parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, and the active layers being electrically connected to the vertical conductive patterns; and

a data storage structure electrically connected to the active layers.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein

the gate electrodes include a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction,

the back gate electrodes include a first back gate electrode between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode, and

the active layers include a first active layer between the first gate electrode and the first back gate electrode and a second active layer between the second gate electrode and the first back gate electrode.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first contact plug connected to the first gate electrode on the first connection region;

a second contact plug connected to the second gate electrode on the first connection region; and

a third contact plug connected to the first back gate electrode on the second connection region.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein an end surface of the second gate electrode and a first end surface of the first back gate electrode are coplanar on the first connection region.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein an end surface of the first gate electrode and a second end surface of the first back gate electrode are coplanar on the second connection region.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein a vertical thickness of the first back gate electrode is different from a vertical thickness of the first gate electrode.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 2 , further comprising:

gate dielectric layers covering upper surfaces and lower surfaces of each of the gate electrodes; and

back gate dielectric layers covering upper surfaces and lower surfaces of each of the back gate electrodes, wherein

the gate dielectric layers include a first gate dielectric layer between the first gate electrode and the first active layer and a second gate dielectric layer between the second gate electrode and the second active layer, and

the back gate dielectric layers include a first back gate dielectric layer between the first back gate electrode and the first active layer and between the first back gate electrode and the second active layer.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein a vertical thickness of the first back gate dielectric layer is different from a vertical thickness of the first gate dielectric layer.

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein

each of the active layers includes a channel region between a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, and

the gate electrodes and the back gate electrodes overlap the channel region on the memory cell region of the substrate.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein

the data storage structure includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a capacitor dielectric between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the first source/drain region is electrically connected to the vertical conductive patterns, and

the second source/drain region is electrically connected to the first electrode.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

first interlayer insulating layers; and

second interlayer insulating layers contacting side surfaces of the active layers, wherein

the semiconductor device includes a plurality of gate structures stacked on the substrate and spaced apart from each other,

each of the plurality of gate structures includes a corresponding one of the back gate electrodes between a corresponding two of the gate electrodes, and

the first interlayer insulating layers are between the plurality of gate structures, and

each pair of the second interlayer insulating layers are in a corresponding one of the plurality of gate structures between the corresponding two of the gate electrodes and the corresponding one of the back gate electrodes.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

gate capping layers between the gate electrodes and the vertical conductive patterns; and

back gate capping layers between the back gate electrodes and the vertical conductive patterns.

13 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of structures and a plurality of first interlayer insulating layers alternately stacked on the substrate;

a vertical conductive pattern on the substrate, the vertical conductive pattern extending in a first direction, the first direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate; and

a data storage structure on the substrate, the data storage structure contacting the plurality of structures and the plurality of first interlayer insulating layers, wherein

each of the plurality of structures includes a first gate electrode, a back gate electrode on the first gate electrode, a second gate electrode on the back gate electrode, a first active layer between the first gate electrode and the back gate electrode, and a second active layer between the second gate electrode and the back gate electrode,

the first active layer and the second active layer extend in a second direction,

the second direction is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate,

the first active layer and the second active layer are electrically connected to the vertical conductive pattern, and

the first active layer and the second active layer respectively include a region overlapping the back gate electrode in the first direction,

wherein a first distance in the first direction from an upper surface of the first gate electrode to a lower surface of the back gate electrode is substantially the same as a second distance in the first direction from a lower surface of the second gate electrode to an upper surface of the back gate electrode.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein

the first gate electrode extends in a third direction and includes a first pad region,

the third direction intersects the second direction,

the second gate electrode extends in the third direction less than the first gate electrode in the third direction,

the second gate electrode includes a second pad region,

the back gate electrode extends in a direction opposite the third direction,

the back gate electrode extends longer than the second gate electrode, and

the back gate electrode includes a third pad region.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , further comprising:

a first contact plug connected to the first pad region;

a second contact plug connected to the second pad region; and

a third contact plug connected to the third pad region.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein

the first contact plug is adjacent to a first end surface of the back gate electrode,

the third contact plug is adjacent to a second end surface of the back gate electrode, and

the second end surface of the back gate electrode is opposite the first end surface of the back gate electrode.

17 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the data storage structure includes:

a plate electrode on the substrate;

a first storage node electrode electrically connected to the first active layer;

a second storage node electrode electrically connected to the second active layer; and

a capacitor dielectric, the capacitor dielectric between the plate electrode and the first storage node electrode, and the capacitor dielectric between the plate electrode and the second storage node electrode.

18 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate including a first connection region, a second connection region, and a memory cell region between the first connection region and the second connection region;

a first active layer and a second active layer on the memory cell region of the substrate, the first active layer and the second active layer extending in a first direction, the first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate;

a gate structure intersecting the first active layer and the second active layer, the gate structure extending in a second direction, the second direction parallel to the upper surface of the substrate; and

a vertical conductive pattern connected to the first active layer and the second active layer, the vertical conductive pattern extending in a third direction, the third direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate,

wherein the gate structure includes a back gate electrode between the first active layer and the second active layer, a first gate electrode below the first active layer, and a second gate electrode on the second active layer,

the back gate electrode and the second gate electrode each extend less than the first gate electrode on the first connection region, and

the second gate electrode extends less than the back gate electrode on the second connection region.

19 . The semiconductor device of claim 18 , further comprising:

contact plugs connected to the gate structure, wherein

the contact plugs include a first contact plug connected to the first gate electrode on the first connection region, a second contact plug connected to the second gate electrode on the first connection region, and a third contact plug connected to the back gate electrode on the second connection region.

20 . The semiconductor device of claim 19 , wherein

a first end surface of the second gate electrode faces the first contact plug, and a

second end surface of the second gate electrode opposite to the first end surface faces the third contact plug.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2022
From: JEONG, MOONYOUNG; LEE, KISEOK; CHOI, HYUNGEUN; NOH, HYUNGJUN; LEE, SANGHO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061227/0384 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0039089 · Mar 29, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230320066A1 · Oct 5, 2023
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