Three-dimensional memory device with separated contact regions and methods for forming the same

1. A semiconductor structure comprising a memory die, wherein the memory die comprises:

an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers overlying a substrate and laterally extending through a series of regions that comprises, in a spatial order along a first horizontal direction, a first contact region, a first memory array region, a second contact region, a second memory array region, a third contact region, and a third memory array region;

arrays of memory openings located in the first memory array region, the second memory array region, and the third memory array region; and

arrays of memory opening fill structures located within the arrays of memory openings, wherein each of the memory opening fill structures comprises a respective vertical stack of memory elements.

2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth memory array region containing an additional array of the memory opening fill structures located within an additional array of the memory openings.

3. The semiconductor structure of claim 2 , wherein the first contact region is located in the spatial order along the first horizontal direction between the fourth memory array region and the first memory array region.

4. The semiconductor structure of claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive layers comprise lower electrically conductive layers located in a lower layer stack, middle electrically conductive layers located in a middle layer stack that overlies the lower layer stack, and upper electrically conductive layers located in an upper layer stack that overlies the middle layer stack.

5. The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , wherein the insulating layers comprise bottom insulating layers located in the lower layer stack, middle insulating layers located in the middle layer stack, and upper insulating layers located in the upper layer stack.

6. The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , wherein the first contact region comprises:

lower forward staircase surfaces located adjacent to the first memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the lower electrically conductive layers increase in first horizontal direction with a vertical distance from the substrate; and

lower reverse staircase surfaces located adjacent to the fourth memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the lower electrically conductive layers decrease in first horizontal direction with the vertical distance from the substrate.

7. The semiconductor structure of claim 6 , wherein the second contact region comprises:

middle forward staircase surfaces located adjacent to the second memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the middle electrically conductive layers increase in first horizontal direction with the vertical distance from the substrate; and

middle reverse staircase surfaces located adjacent to the first memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the middle electrically conductive layers decrease in first horizontal direction with the vertical distance from the substrate.

8. The semiconductor structure of claim 7 , wherein the third contact region comprises:

upper forward staircase surfaces located adjacent to the third memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the upper electrically conductive layers increase in first horizontal direction with the vertical distance from the substrate; and

upper reverse staircase surfaces located adjacent to the second memory array region and in which lateral offsets of vertical sidewalls of the upper electrically conductive layers decrease in first horizontal direction with the vertical distance from the substrate.

9. The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , further comprising:

a first backside trench fill structure laterally extending along the first horizontal direction and contacting a first lengthwise sidewall of each of the electrically conductive layers in the alternating stack; and

a second backside trench fill structure laterally extending along the first horizontal direction, and contacting a second lengthwise sidewall of each of the electrically conductive layers in the alternating stack.

10. The semiconductor structure of claim 9 , wherein each of the electrically conductive layers comprises:

a first-memory-array-region electrically conductive plate located within the first memory array region;

a second-memory-array-region electrically conductive plate located within the second memory array region; and

a connection strip portion located between the second contact region and one of the first or the second backside trench fill structures.

11. The semiconductor structure of claim 10 , wherein:

the first-memory-array-region electrically conductive plate and the second-memory-array-region electrically conductive plate has a uniform width along a second horizontal direction that is perpendicular to first horizontal direction, the uniform width being the same as a distance between the first backside trench fill structure and the second backside trench fill structure along the second horizontal direction; and

the connection strip portion has a strip width along the second horizontal direction that is less than the uniform width.

12. The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , further comprising:

a first stepped dielectric material portion contacting first staircase surfaces of the alternating stack that are located in the first contact region;

a second stepped dielectric material portion contacting second staircase surfaces of the alternating stack that are located in the second contact region; and

a third stepped dielectric material portion contacting third staircase surfaces of the alternating stack that are located in the third contact region.

13. The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , further comprising:

first contact via structures contacting a respective one of the lower electrically conductive layers and vertically extending through the first stepped dielectric material portion;

second contact via structures contacting a respective one of the middle electrically conductive layers and vertically extending through the second stepped dielectric material portion; and

third contact via structures contacting a respective one of the upper electrically conductive layers and vertically extending through the third stepped dielectric material portion.

14. The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , wherein:

the first stepped dielectric material portion extends into the first contact region toward the substrate deeper than the second stepped dielectric material portion extends into the second contact region toward the substrate; and

the second stepped dielectric material portion extends into the second contact region toward the substrate deeper than the third stepped dielectric material portion extends into the third contact region toward the substrate.

15. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising a logic die bonded to the memory die, wherein the logic die comprises word line drivers electrically connected to nodes of the electrically conductive layers through logic-side metal interconnect structures located in the logic die and through memory-side metal interconnect structures located in the memory die.

16. The semiconductor structure of claim 15 , wherein the logic die comprises:

first word line drivers located within a first word line driver region having an areal overlap with the first contact region in a plan view along a direction that is perpendicular to a bonding interface between the memory die and the logic die;

second word line drivers located within a second word line driver region having an areal overlap with the second contact region in the plan view; and

third word line drivers located within a third word line driver region having an areal overlap with the third contact region in the plan view.

17. The semiconductor structure of claim 16 , wherein:

the first word line driver region has a greater lateral dimension along the first horizontal direction than the first contact region;

the second word line driver region has a greater lateral dimension along the first horizontal direction than the second contact region; and

the third word line driver region has a greater lateral dimension along the first horizontal direction than the third contact region.

18. The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , wherein the logic die further comprises:

first bit line drivers located within a first bit line driver region having an areal overlap with the first memory array region in a plan view along a direction that is perpendicular to a bonding interface between the memory die and the logic die;

second bit line drivers located within a second bit line driver region having an areal overlap with the second memory array region in the plan view; and

third bit line drivers located within a third bit line driver region having an areal overlap with the third memory array region in the plan view.

19. The semiconductor structure of claim 18 , wherein:

each of the memory opening fill structures further comprises a respective vertical semiconductor channel;

the memory die further comprises first bit lines electrically connected to end portions of a first subset of the vertical semiconductor channels located in the first memory array region, second bit lines electrically connected to end portions of a second subset of the vertical semiconductor channels located in the second memory array region, and third bit lines electrically connected to end portions of a third subset of the vertical semiconductor channels located in the third memory array region; and

the first bit line drivers are electrically connected to the first bit lines, the second bit line drivers are electrically connected to the second bit lines, and the third bit line drivers are electrically connected to the third bit lines.