IP Library Granted Patent US 12,200,939
Granted Patent B2
US 12,200,939 · App. 18/327,973 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Semiconductor memory device

Inventor: Kojiro Shimizu (Yokkaichi, JP)
Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
H10B43/50H10B43/10H10B43/27
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,200,939
App. No.
18/327,973
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes first to second areas, a plurality of conductive layers, first to fourth members, and a plurality of pillars. The second area includes a first contact area including first to third sub-areas. The conductive layers include first to fourth conductive layers. The first conductive layer includes a first terrace portion in the first sub-area. The second conductive layer includes a second terrace portion in the third sub-area. The third conductive layer includes a third terrace portion in the first sub-area. The fourth conductive layer includes a fourth terrace portion in the third sub-area.

Claims (66)

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a first area and a second area arranged in a first direction;

a plurality of conductive layers arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction and alternately with insulating layers each interposed between adjacent two of the conductive layers;

a first member and a second member arranged in a third direction intersecting each of the first direction and the second direction, the first member and the second member extending in the first direction across the first area and the second area and dividing the conductive layers; and

a pillar penetrating the conductive layers in the first area,

wherein

the second area includes a first contact area interposed between the first member and the second member in the third direction, and a second contact area interposed between the first member and the second member in the third direction and separated from the first contact area in the first direction;

the conductive layers include a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, a third conductive layer, a fourth conductive layer, a fifth conductive layer, a sixth conductive layer, a seventh conductive layer, and an eighth conductive layer, which are arranged in order from bottom to top, an intersection of the pillar and each of the first to eighth conductive layers in the first area functioning as a memory cell;

the first conductive layer includes a first terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the first conductive layer of the conductive layers in the first contact area;

the second conductive layer includes a second terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the second conductive layer of the conductive layers in the first contact area;

the third conductive layer includes a third terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the third conductive layer of the conductive layers in the second contact area;

the fourth conductive layer includes a fourth terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the fourth conductive layer of the conductive layers in the second contact area;

the fifth conductive layer includes a fifth terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the fifth conductive layer of the conductive layers in the first contact area;

the sixth conductive layer includes a sixth terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the sixth conductive layer of the conductive layers in the first contact area;

the seventh conductive layer includes a seventh terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the seventh conductive layer of the conductive layers in the second contact area;

the eighth conductive layer includes an eighth terrace portion that does not overlap conductive layers above the eighth conductive layer of the conductive layers in the second contact area;

a first contact, a second contact, a third contact, a fourth contact, a fifth contact, a sixth contact, a seventh contact, and an eighth contact extend in the second direction respectively from the first to eighth terrace portions;

wherein

the first contact area includes a step-up portion in which the conductive layers are stepped up to become higher in a direction away from the first area, and a step-down portion in which the conductive layers are stepped down to become lower in the direction away from the first area;

the first terrace portion and the fifth terrace portion are provided in the step-up portion in the first contact area; and

the second terrace portion and the sixth terrace portion are provided in the step-down portion in the first contact area.

2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first contact area and the second contact area are separated from each other with the conductive layers interposed therebetween.

3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first to eighth contacts are arranged in the first direction.

4. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first terrace portion and the second terrace portion are almost equal in length in the first direction.

5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first to eighth terrace portions are almost equal in length in the first direction.

6. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first terrace portion and the second terrace portion are arranged in the first direction in the first contact area, the second terrace portion being nearer to the second contact area than the first terrace portion is; and

the third terrace portion and the fourth terrace portion are arranged in the first direction in the second contact area, the third terrace portion being nearer to the first contact area than the fourth terrace portion is.

7. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6 , wherein:

the fifth terrace portion and the sixth terrace portion are arranged in the first direction in the first contact area, the sixth terrace portion being nearer to the second contact area than the fifth terrace portion is; and

the seventh terrace portion and the eighth terrace portion are arranged in the first direction in the second contact area, the seventh terrace portion being nearer to the first contact area than the eighth terrace portion is.

8. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein

among the first terrace portion, the second terrace portion, the fifth terrace portion, and the sixth terrace portion included in the first contact area, the sixth terrace portion is nearest to the second contact area.

9. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , wherein

among the third terrace portion, the fourth terrace portion, the seventh terrace portion, and the eighth terrace portion included in the second contact area, the seventh terrace portion is nearest to the first contact area.

10. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer in the conductive layers are two conductive layers adjacent in the second direction with a first insulating layer among the insulating layers interposed therebetween; and

the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer in the conductive layers are two conductive layers adjacent in the second direction with a second insulating layer among the insulating layers interposed therebetween.

11. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 10 , wherein

the fifth conductive layer and the sixth conductive layer in the conductive layers are two conductive layers adjacent in the second direction with a third insulating layer among the insulating layers interposed therebetween; and

the seventh conductive layer and the eighth conductive layer in the conductive layers are two conductive layers adjacent in the second direction with a fourth insulating layer among the insulating layers interposed therebetween.

12. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the fifth terrace portion is electrically coupled to the fifth conductive layer in the first area through a first portion of the fifth conductive layer provided between the first contact area and the first member.

13. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 12 , wherein

the fifth terrace portion is electrically coupled to the fifth conductive layer in the first area through the first portion of the fifth conductive layer, and a second portion of the fifth conductive layer provided between the first contact area and the second member.

14. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein

the seventh terrace portion is electrically coupled to the seventh conductive layer in the first area through a first portion of the seventh conductive layer provided between the second contact area and the first member.

15. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 14 , wherein

the seventh terrace portion is electrically coupled to the seventh conductive layer in the first area through the first portion of the seventh conductive layer, and a second portion of the seventh conductive layer provided between the second contact area and the second member.

16. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first contact area includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area arranged in the first direction in descending order of distance from the first area;

the conductive layers include steps that become higher in a direction away from the first area in the first sub-area, and steps that become higher in a direction approaching the first area in the second sub-area; and

the first contact is provided in the first sub-area, and the second contact is provided in the second sub-area.

17. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 16 , wherein:

the second contact area includes a third sub-area and a fourth sub-area arranged in the first direction in descending order of distance from the first area;

the conductive layers include steps that become higher in the direction away from the first area in the third sub-area, and steps that become higher in the direction approaching the first area in the fourth sub-area; and

the third contact is provided in the third sub-area, and the fourth contact is provided in the fourth sub-area.

18. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the second contact area includes a step-up portion in which the conductive layers are stepped up to become higher in the direction away from the first area, and a step-down portion in which the conductive layers are stepped down to become lower in the direction away from the first area;

the third terrace portion and the seventh terrace portion are provided in the step-up portion in the second contact area; and

the fourth terrace portion and the eighth terrace portion are provided in the step-down portion in the second contact area.

19. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support pillars penetrating the conductive layers in the second area.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-034818 · Mar 2, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17018062 · Sep 11, 2020
Related Publication 20230309313A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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