Memory Arrays Comprising Vertically-Alternating Tiers of Insulative Material and Memory Cells and Methods of Forming a Memory Array
A memory array comprises vertically-alternating tiers of insulative material and memory cells. The memory cells individually comprise a transistor and a capacitor. The capacitor comprises a first electrode electrically coupled to a source/drain region of the transistor. The first electrode comprises an annulus in a straight-line horizontal cross-section and a capacitor insulator radially inward of the first electrode annulus. A second electrode is radially inward of the capacitor insulator. A capacitor-electrode structure extends elevationally through the vertically-alternating tiers. Individual of the second electrodes of individual of the capacitors are electrically coupled to the elevationally-extending capacitor-electrode structure. A sense line is electrically coupled to another source/drain region of multiple of the transistors that are in different memory-cell tiers. Additional embodiments and aspects are disclosed, including methods.
1 . A memory cell comprising:
a channel region extending horizontally between a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, the channel region, first source/drain region and second source/drain region being disposed within a first horizontally-extending level over a substrate;
a transistor gate disposed within a second horizontally-extending level over the substrate and vertically aligned with the channel region; and
a capacitor horizontally spaced from the transistor gate, the capacitor having an annular electrode disposed entirely within the first horizontally-extending level and being in direct physical contact and electrically coupled to the first source/drain region, the electrode comprising metal and having a composition distinct from a composition of the first source/drain region.
2 . The memory cell of claim 1 wherein an upper surface of the electrode is at a common elevation with an upper surface of the channel.
3 . The memory cell of claim 1 wherein a lower surface of the electrode is at a common elevation with a lower surface of the channel.
4 . The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode is a first electrode and wherein the capacitor further comprises a second electrode horizontally spaced from the first electrode by an insulative material.
5 . A memory array, comprising:
vertically alternating tiers of insulative material and memory cells, the memory cells individually comprising:
a transistor comprising first and second source/drain regions having a channel region there-between and a gate operatively proximate the channel region, at least a portion of the channel region being horizontally oriented; and
a capacitor disposed horizontally relative to the transistor, the capacitor comprising:
a first electrode electrically coupled to the first source/drain region of the transistor, the first electrode being annular and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation over a substrate equivalent to an elevation over the substrate of an upper surface of the channel region and comprising a composition that differs from a composition of the first source/drain region; and
a second electrode horizontally spaced from the first electrode by a capacitor insulator.
6 . The array of claim 5 further comprising a plurality wordlines, each wordline being disposed above an individual of the channel regions and extending horizontally along a second horizontal direction substantially orthogonal relative to the first horizontal direction.
7 . The array of claim 5 further comprising a capacitor electrode structure extending elevationally through the vertically alternating tiers, the second electrode of individual capacitors comprising a portion of the capacitor electrode structure.
8 . The array of claim 5 further comprising a sense-line structure extending elevationally through the vertically alternating tiers, individual of the second source/drain regions of individual transistors that are in different memory cell tiers being electrically coupled to the elevationally extending sense line structure.
9 . The array of claim 5 wherein the first electrode comprises metal.
10 . The array of claim 5 wherein the capacitor insulator extends elevationally through the vertically alternating tiers.
11 . The array of claim 5 wherein the capacitor insulator comprises an annulus in a straight-line horizontal cross-section.
12 . A memory array, comprising:
vertically-alternating tiers of insulative material and memory cells, the memory cells individually comprising:
a transistor comprising first and second source/drain regions having a channel region there-between and a gate operatively proximate the channel region, at least a portion of the channel region being horizontally-oriented for horizontal current flow in the at least a portion between the first and second source/drain regions;
a capacitor disposed horizontally relative to the transistor, the capacitor comprising:
a first electrode electrically coupled to the first source/drain region of the transistor, the first electrode being disposed at an elevation over a substrate equivalent to an elevation over the substrate of the channel region and comprising an annulus in a straight-line horizontal cross-section;
a capacitor insulator radially inward of the first electrode annulus; and
a second electrode radially inward of the capacitor insulator; and
a sense-line structure extending elevationally through the vertically-alternating tiers.
13 . The array of claim 12 wherein individual of the second source/drain regions of individual of the transistors that are in different memory-cell tiers are electrically coupled to the elevationally-extending sense-line structure.
14 . The array of claim 12 further comprising a capacitor-electrode structure extending elevationally through the vertically-alternating tiers, the second electrode of individual of the capacitors comprising a portion of the elevationally-extending capacitor-electrode structure.
15 . The array of claim 12 wherein all of the channel region is horizontally-oriented for horizontal current flow there-through.