Three-dimensional memory device including a string selection line gate electrode having a silicide layer

1. A three-dimensional memory device, comprising:

a source structure;

a cell stack on the source structure, the cell stack including a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of word lines alternately stacked in a vertical direction;

an upper gate electrode on the cell stack;

a string selection line separation pattern on a sidewall of the upper gate electrode;

a vertical channel structure including a lower portion and an upper portion on the lower portion;

a bit line on the vertical channel structure; and

a plug between the bit line and the vertical channel structure,

wherein the lower portion penetrates through the cell stack,

wherein the upper portion penetrates through the upper gate electrode,

wherein the vertical channel structure includes:

a lower gap-fill pattern;

an upper gap-fill pattern on the lower gap-fill pattern;

a channel layer including a lower channel layer on a sidewall of the lower gap-fill pattern, an upper channel layer on a sidewall of the upper gap-fill pattern, and an intermediate channel layer between the lower gap-fill pattern and the upper gap-fill pattern, and

wherein the lower gap-fill pattern and the upper gap-fill pattern are spaced apart from each other by the intermediate channel layer.

2. The device of claim 1 ,

wherein a width of the lower portion is greater than a width of the upper portion,

wherein the upper gap-fill pattern includes:

a first gap-fill portion; and

a second gap-fill portion on the first gap-fill portion,

wherein a width of the first gap-fill portion is greater than a width of the second gap-fill portion, and

wherein the upper channel layer includes:

a first channel layer on a sidewall of the first gap-fill portion; and

a second channel layer extending from the first channel layer and on a sidewall of the second gap-fill portion.

3. The device of claim 2 ,

wherein the lower portion of the vertical channel structure includes:

the lower gap-fill pattern;

the first gap-fill portion;

the lower channel layer;

the intermediate channel layer; and

the first channel layer, and

wherein the upper portion of the vertical channel structure includes:

the second gap-fill portion; and

the second channel layer.

4. The device of claim 3 ,

wherein the lower portion of the vertical channel structure further includes a memory layer between the channel layer and the cell stack,

wherein the upper portion of the vertical channel structure further includes an insulating layer between the channel layer and the upper gate electrode,

wherein the memory layer is at a lower level than the upper gate electrode, and

wherein the insulating layer is at a higher level than an uppermost word line among the word lines.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the insulating layer is spaced apart from the memory layer.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is at a lower level than an upper surface of an uppermost word line among the word lines.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pad pattern on the vertical channel structure,

wherein the pad pattern is between the plug and the vertical channel structure, and

wherein the pad pattern includes:

a polysilicon layer extending from the channel layer and on the upper gap-fill pattern; and

a metal silicide layer on the polysilicon layer.

8. The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the upper gate electrode includes a first material layer and a second layer-material layer on an upper surface of the first material layer,

wherein the first material layer includes polysilicon, and

wherein the second material layer includes metal silicide.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a logic circuit overlapping the cell stack in the vertical direction,

wherein the channel layer contacts the source structure.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the upper gate electrode is greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of word lines.

11. A three-dimensional memory device, comprising:

a source structure;

a cell stack on the source structure, the cell stack including a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of word lines alternately stacked in a vertical direction;

an upper gate electrode on the cell stack;

a string selection line separation pattern on a sidewall of the upper gate electrode;

a vertical channel structure including a lower portion and an upper portion on the lower portion;

a bit line on the vertical channel structure; and

a plug between the bit line and the vertical channel structure,

wherein the lower portion penetrates through the cell stack,

wherein the upper portion penetrates through the upper gate electrode,

wherein the upper gate electrode includes a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion extending from a portion of the first electrode portion in the vertical direction,

wherein the second electrode portion is adjacent to the vertical channel structure, and

wherein a first upper surface of the first electrode portion is at a lower level than a second upper surface of the second electrode portion.

12. The device of claim 11 ,

wherein a width of the lower portion is greater than a width of the upper portion,

wherein the upper gate electrode includes a first material layer and a second material layer on and contacting an upper surface of the first material layer,

wherein the first and second upper surfaces are an upper surface of the second material layer,

wherein the first and second upper surfaces are at a higher level than the upper surface of the first material layer, and

wherein a distance between the upper surface of the first material layer and a lower surface of the first material layer is greater than a distance between the first upper surface of the second material layer and a lower surface of the second material layer.

13. The device of claim 12 ,

wherein a thickness of the upper gate electrode is greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of word lines,

wherein the first material layer includes polysilicon, and

wherein the second material layer includes metal silicide.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the upper surface of the first material layer is substantially flat, and

wherein a sidewall of the first material layer contacts the string selection line separation pattern.

15. The device of claim 11 ,

wherein a width of the lower portion is greater than a width of the upper portion,

wherein the vertical channel structure includes:

a lower gap-fill pattern;

an upper gap-fill pattern on the lower gap-fill pattern;

a channel layer including a lower channel layer on a sidewall of the lower gap-fill pattern, an upper channel layer on a sidewall of the upper gap-fill pattern, and an intermediate channel layer between the lower gap-fill pattern and the upper gap-fill pattern,

wherein the lower gap-fill pattern and the upper gap-fill pattern are spaced apart from each other by the intermediate channel layer, and

wherein the intermediate channel layer is at a lower level than the upper gate electrode.

16. A three-dimensional memory device comprising:

a source structure;

a cell stack on the source structure, the cell stack including a plurality of mold layers and a plurality of word lines alternately stacked in a vertical direction;

upper gate electrodes on the cell stack, the upper gate electrodes including a first upper gate electrode and a second upper electrode adjacent to the first upper gate electrode in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction;

string selection line separation patterns between the upper gate electrodes, the string selection line separation patterns including a first string selection separation pattern between the first upper gate electrode and the second upper electrode;

a first vertical channel structure penetrating through the first upper gate electrode and the cell stack;

a second vertical channel structure penetrating through the second upper gate electrode and the cell stack;

a bit line on the first and second vertical channel structures;

a first plug between the bit line and the first vertical channel structure; and

a second plug between the bit line and the second vertical channel structure,

wherein the first vertical channel structure includes a first lower potion penetrating through the cell stack and a first upper portion penetrating through the first upper gate electrode,

wherein the second vertical channel structure includes a second lower potion penetrating through the cell stack and a second upper portion penetrating through the second upper gate electrode,

wherein a width of each of the first and second lower portions is different from a width of each of the first and second upper portions,

wherein each of the first and second vertical channel structures includes:

at least one gap-fill pattern; and

a channel layer on a sidewall of the at least one gap-fill pattern,

wherein the word lines include a first word line and a second word line adjacent to the first word line in the vertical direction,

wherein a first distance between the first upper gate electrode and an uppermost word line among the word lines is greater than a second distance between the first word line and the second word line,

wherein each of the upper gate electrodes includes a first material layer and a second material layer on an upper surface of the first material layer, and

wherein a sidewall of the first material layer of each of the first and second upper gate electrodes contacts the first string selection separation pattern.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of each of the upper gate electrodes is greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of word lines.

18. The device of claim 16 ,

wherein the width of each of the first and second lower portions is greater than the width of each of the first and second upper portions, and

wherein, in a plan view, at least one of sidewalls of the string selection line separation patterns has a wavy shape.

19. The device of claim 16 ,

wherein the first material layer includes polysilicon,

wherein the second material layer includes metal silicide,

wherein a first vertical central axis between the first lower portion and the second lower portion is not aligned with a second vertical central axis between the first upper gate electrode and the second upper gate electrode, and

wherein a third vertical central axis between the first upper portion and the second upper portion is not aligned with the second vertical central axis between the first upper gate electrode and the second upper gate electrode.

20. The device of claim 16 ,

wherein the width of each of the first and second lower portions is greater than the width of each of the first and second upper portions,

wherein the first vertical channel structure further includes:

a memory layer between the channel layer and the cell stack; and

an insulating layer between the channel layer and the upper gate electrode,

wherein the first upper gate electrode vertically overlaps a portion of the memory layer between the channel layer and an uppermost word line among the word lines, and

wherein the insulating layer does not vertically overlap the portion of the memory layer.