IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,232,319
Granted Patent B2
US 12,232,319 · App. 17/806,538 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Semiconductor memory device

Inventors: Takahito Nishimura (Kuwana, JP); Takuya Nishikawa (Yokkaichi, JP)
Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
H10B43/27H10B43/40
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,232,319
App. No.
17/806,538
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes: a stacked body that includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of first insulating layers alternately stacked one by one and a stepped portion in which the plurality of conductive layers is processed in a stepped shape; and a plurality of second pillars that extends in the stacked body in the stepped portion, in which each of the plurality of second pillars includes a second insulating layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction, a semiconductor layer covering a side wall of the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer disposed in contact with a side wall of the semiconductor layer and covering the side wall of the semiconductor layer, and a fourth insulating layer disposed in contact with a side wall of the third insulating layer and covering the side wall of the third insulating layer.

Claims (95)

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a stacked body that includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of first insulating layers alternately stacked one by one and includes a stepped portion in which the plurality of conductive layers is processed in a stepped shape;

a first pillar that extends in a stacking direction of the stacked body in the stacked body away from the stepped portion in a first direction intersecting the stacking direction and forms a memory cell at each intersection with at least a part of the plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality of second pillars that extends in the stacking direction in the stacked body in the stepped portion, wherein

each of the plurality of second pillars includes

a second insulating layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

a semiconductor layer covering a side wall of the second insulating layer,

a third insulating layer disposed in contact with a side wall of the semiconductor layer and covering the side wall of the semiconductor layer, and

a fourth insulating layer disposed in direct contact with a side wall of the third insulating layer and covering the side wall of the third insulating layer, and

the third and fourth insulating layers contain a same kind of material.

2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a first plate member and a second plate member that extend in the stacking direction and the first direction in the stacked body at positions away from each other in a second direction intersecting the stacking direction and the first direction,

wherein the plurality of second pillars is dispersedly arranged between the first and second plate members.

3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a contact that is disposed in the stepped portion and connected to one of the plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality of third pillars that extends in the stacking direction in the stacked body in the stepped portion at positions closer to the contact than the plurality of second pillars is, wherein

each of the plurality of third pillars includes

the second insulating layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

the semiconductor layer covering the side wall of the second insulating layer,

the third insulating layer disposed in contact with the side wall of the semiconductor layer and covering the side wall of the semiconductor layer,

a fifth insulating layer disposed in contact with the side wall of the third insulating layer and covering the side wall of the third insulating layer, and

the fourth insulating layer disposed in contact with a side wall of the fifth insulating layer and covering the side wall of the fifth insulating layer, and

the fifth insulating layer contains a different kind of material from that of the third and fourth insulating layers.

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

the third and fourth insulating layers are oxide layers, and the fifth insulating layer is a nitride layer.

5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a sixth insulating layer that covers upper sides of the plurality of conductive layers processed in the stepped shape in the stepped portion and has an upper surface that is substantially flush; and

a seventh insulating layer that is disposed between the plurality of conductive layers and the sixth insulating layer along the stepped shape of the plurality of conductive layers in the stepped portion, contains a same kind of material as that of the fifth insulating layer, and is penetrated by the contact together with the sixth insulating layer.

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

the plurality of third pillars surrounds the contact when viewed from the stacking direction.

7. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6 , further comprising

a first plate member and a second plate member that extend in the stacking direction and the first direction in the stacked body at positions away from each other in a second direction intersecting the stacking direction and the first direction, wherein

at least a part of the plurality of second pillars is arranged along the first and second plate members.

8. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a stacked body that includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of first insulating layers alternately stacked one by one and includes a stepped portion in which the plurality of conductive layers is processed in a stepped shape;

a first pillar that extends in a stacking direction of the stacked body in the stacked body away from the stepped portion in a first direction intersecting the stacking direction and forms a memory cell at each intersection with at least a part of the plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality of second pillars that extends in the stacking direction in the stacked body in the stepped portion, wherein

the first pillar includes

a second insulating layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

a semiconductor layer covering a side wall of the second insulating layer,

a third insulating layer covering a side wall of the semiconductor layer,

a fourth insulating layer covering a side wall of the third insulating layer, and

a charge accumulation layer containing a different kind of insulating material from that of the third and fourth insulating layers and interposed between the third and fourth insulating layers, and

each of the plurality of second pillars includes

the second insulating layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

the semiconductor layer covering the side wall of the second insulating layer,

the third insulating layer covering the side wall of the semiconductor layer, and

the fourth insulating layer covering the side wall of the third insulating layer without interposing the charge accumulation layer between the third and fourth insulating layers.

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

the third and fourth insulating layers are oxide layers, and the charge accumulation layer is a nitride layer.

10. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , further comprising

a first plate member and a second plate member that extend in the stacking direction and the first direction in the stacked body at positions away from each other in a second direction intersecting the stacking direction and the first direction, wherein

the plurality of second pillars is dispersedly arranged between the first and second plate members.

11. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a contact that is disposed in the stepped portion and connected to one of the plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality of third pillars that extends in the stacking direction in the stacked body in the stepped portion at positions closer to the contact than the plurality of second pillars is, wherein

each of the plurality of third pillars has a same layer structure as that of the first pillar.

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

the plurality of third pillars surrounds the contact when viewed from the stacking direction.

13. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 12 , further comprising

a first plate member and a second plate member that extend in the stacking direction and the first direction in the stacked body at positions away from each other in a second direction intersecting the stacking direction and the first direction, wherein

at least a part of the plurality of second pillars is arranged along the first and second plate members.

14. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a stacked body that includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers alternately stacked one by one and includes a stepped portion in which the plurality of conductive layers is processed in a stepped shape;

a first pillar that extends in a stacking direction of the stacked body in the stacked body away from the stepped portion in a first direction intersecting the stacking direction and forms a memory cell at each intersection with at least a part of the plurality of conductive layers; and

a plurality of second pillars and a plurality of third pillars that extend in the stacking direction in the stacked body in the stepped portion, each of the plurality of second pillars and each of the plurality of third pillars having a different layer structure from each other, wherein

each of the plurality of third pillars includes

an oxide layer extending in the stacking direction, and

a nitride layer extending in the stacking direction at a predetermined position of an inner side of the oxide layer, and

each of the plurality of second pillars includes

one or more oxide layers extending in the stacking direction without including the nitride layer.

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

each of the plurality of third pillars includes

a first oxide layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

a semiconductor layer covering a side wall of the first oxide layer,

a second oxide layer covering a side wall of the semiconductor layer,

a first nitride layer covering a side wall of the second oxide layer, and

a third oxide layer covering a side wall of the first nitride layer.

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

each of the plurality of second pillars includes

the first oxide layer extending in the stacked body in the stacking direction,

the semiconductor layer covering the side wall of the first oxide layer,

the second oxide layer covering the side wall of the semiconductor layer, and

the third oxide layer covering the side wall of the second oxide layer.

17. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 15 , further comprising

a first plate member and a second plate member that extend in the stacking direction and the first direction in the stacked body at positions away from each other in a second direction intersecting the stacking direction and the first direction, wherein

at least a part of the plurality of second pillars is arranged along the first and second plate members.

18. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 15 , further comprising

a contact that is disposed in the stepped portion and connected to one of the plurality of conductive layers, wherein

the plurality of third pillars is disposed at positions closer to the contact than the plurality of second pillars is, and surrounds the contact when viewed from the stacking direction.

19. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 18 , wherein

at least a part of the plurality of second pillars surrounds the contact at positions more distant than those of the plurality of third pillars when viewed from the stacking direction.

20. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 18 , further comprising:

a fourth oxide layer that covers upper sides of the plurality of conductive layers processed in the stepped shape in the stepped portion and has an upper surface that is substantially flush; and

a second nitride layer that is disposed between the plurality of conductive layers and the fourth oxide layer along the stepped shape of the plurality of conductive layers in the stepped portion and is penetrated by the contact together with the fourth oxide layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: NISHIMURA, TAKAHITO; NISHIKAWA, TAKUYA
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060464/0643 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-205073 · Dec 17, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230200069A1 · Jun 22, 2023
References Cited (15)
US 10892273B2 · Ito et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20090224309A1 · Kidoh · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20090230450A1 · Shiino · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20090267135A1 · Tanaka · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20130056818A1 · Iino · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20160079250A1 · Akutsu · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160268304A1 · Ikeda · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170069651A1 · Sakamoto · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170103995A1 · Hatano · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170263558A1 · Shingu et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170263639A1 · Saito · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20190296034A1 · Nagashima · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210066338A1 · Otaguro et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020126938A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 202134651A · 2021 [cited by applicant]