Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells
Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier. The insulative tiers and the conductive tiers of the laterally-spaced memory blocks extend from a memory-array region into a stair-step region. Strings of memory cells comprise operative channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in individual of the laterally-spaced memory blocks in the memory-array region. The operative channel-material strings directly electrically couple with conductor material of the conductor tier. The individual laterally-spaced memory blocks comprise an intermediate region between the operative channel-material strings and the stair-step region. A dummy through-array-via (TAV) extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks. The dummy TAV is directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block. Other embodiments are disclosed.
1 . Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells, comprising:
laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier, the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers of the laterally-spaced memory blocks extending from a memory-array region into a stair-step region;
strings of memory cells comprising operative channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in individual of the laterally-spaced memory blocks in the memory-array region, the operative channel-material strings directly electrically coupling with conductor material of the conductor tier; and
the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks comprising an intermediate region between the operative channel-material strings and the stair-step region, a dummy through-array-via (TAV) that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks, the dummy TAV comprising a conductive interconnect structure distinct from a structure of the operative-channel material strings and being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
2 . The memory circuitry of claim 1 comprising an other dummy TAV that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region and that is not directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
3 . The memory circuitry of claim 1 comprising a dummy channel-material string between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAV.
4 . The memory circuitry of claim 1 comprising multiple of the dummy TAVs that individually extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks and that are directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
5 . The memory circuitry of claim 4 comprising multiple dummy channel-material strings between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAVs.
6 . The memory circuitry of claim 4 wherein the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks are longitudinally elongated along a horizontal direction, the multiple dummy TAVs are in a row that is angled relative to the horizontal direction.
7 . The memory circuitry of claim 6 comprising multiple of the rows.
8 . The memory circuitry of claim 7 wherein the rows number no more than three.
9 . The memory circuitry of claim 6 having only one of said row.
10 . The memory circuitry of claim 6 comprising an other dummy TAV in the row that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers and that is not directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
11 . Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells, comprising:
laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier, the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers of the laterally-spaced memory blocks extending from a memory-array region into a stair-step region;
strings of memory cells comprising operative channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in individual of the laterally-spaced memory blocks in the memory-array region, the operative channel-material strings directly electrically coupling with conductor material of the conductor tier; and
the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks comprising an intermediate region between the operative channel-material strings and the stair-step region, a dummy through-array-via (TAV) that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks, the dummy TAV comprising a conductive interconnect structure distinct from a structure of the operative-channel material strings and being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through the conductor material of the conductor tier that is in its memory block and that extends across an interface of the memory-array region and the intermediate region.
12 . The memory circuitry of claim 11 wherein the conductor material of the conductor tier spans between immediately-adjacent of the laterally-spaced memory blocks, the dummy TAV also being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through some of the conductor material that spans between the immediately-adjacent laterally-spaced memory blocks.
13 . The memory circuitry of claim 11 comprising an other dummy TAV that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region and that is not directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
14 . The memory circuitry of claim 11 comprising a dummy channel-material string between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAV.
15 . The memory circuitry of claim 11 comprising multiple of the dummy TAVs that individually extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks and that are directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
16 . The memory circuitry of claim 15 wherein the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks are longitudinally elongated along a horizontal direction, the multiple dummy TAVs are in a row that is angled relative to the horizontal direction.
17 . Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells, comprising:
laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier, the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers of the laterally-spaced memory blocks extending from a memory-array region into a stair-step region;
strings of memory cells comprising operative channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in individual of the laterally-spaced memory blocks in the memory-array region, the operative channel-material strings directly electrically coupling with conductor material of the conductor tier; and
the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks comprising an intermediate region between the operative channel-material strings and the stair-step region, a dummy through-array-via (TAV) that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks, the conductor material of the conductor tier spanning between immediately-adjacent of the laterally-spaced memory blocks, the dummy TAV comprising a conductive interconnect structure distinct from a structure of the operative-channel material strings and being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through some of the conductor material that spans between the immediately-adjacent laterally-spaced memory blocks.
18 . The memory circuitry of claim 17 comprising an other dummy TAV that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region and that is not directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
19 . The memory circuitry of claim 17 comprising a dummy channel-material string between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAV.
20 . The memory circuitry of claim 17 comprising multiple of the dummy TAVs that individually extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the intermediate region in the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks and that are directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
21 . The memory circuitry of claim 20 wherein the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks are longitudinally elongated along a horizontal direction, the multiple dummy TAVs are in a row that is angled relative to the horizontal direction.
22 . Memory circuitry comprising strings of memory cells, comprising:
laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers directly above a conductor tier, strings of memory cells comprising operative channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers, the operative channel-material strings directly electrically coupling with conductor material of the conductor tier;
a wall that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers, the wall including an intervening portion that is laterally between two immediately-adjacent of the laterally-spaced memory blocks, the wall including an end portion that joins with the intervening portion and spans across an end of individual of the two immediately-adjacent laterally-spaced memory blocks; and
a dummy through-array-via (TAV) that extends through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the individual two immediately-adjacent memory blocks, the dummy TAV comprising a conductive interconnect structure distinct from a structure of the operative-channel material strings and being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
23 . The memory circuitry of claim 22 wherein the dummy TAV is directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through the conductor material of the conductor tier that is in its memory block and that is not directly under the wall.
24 . The memory circuitry of claim 22 wherein the conductor material of the conductor tier spans between the two immediately-adjacent memory blocks directly under the wall, the dummy TAV being directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through some of the conductor material that spans between the two immediately-adjacent laterally-spaced memory blocks directly under the wall.
25 . The memory circuitry of claim 24 wherein the dummy TAV is also directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block through the conductor material of the conductor tier that is in its memory block and that is not directly under the wall.
26 . The memory circuitry of claim 22 wherein the dummy TAV is between all of the operative channel-material strings in its block and the end portion of the wall.
27 . The memory circuitry of claim 26 comprising a dummy channel-material string between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAV.
28 . The memory circuitry of claim 23 comprising multiple of the dummy TAVs that individually extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the individual two laterally-spaced memory blocks and that are directly electrically coupled with the operative channel-material strings in its memory block.
29 . The memory circuitry of claim 28 wherein all of the multiple dummy TAVs are between all of the operative channel-material strings in its block and the end portion of the wall.
30 . The memory circuitry of claim 29 comprising multiple dummy channel-material strings between the operative channel-material strings and the dummy TAVs.
31 . The memory circuitry of claim 28 wherein the individual two laterally-spaced memory blocks are longitudinally elongated along a horizontal direction, the multiple dummy TAVs are in a row that is angled relative to the horizontal direction.
32 . The memory circuitry of claim 31 comprising multiple of the rows.
33 . The memory circuitry of claim 32 wherein the rows number no more than three.
34 . The memory circuitry of claim 31 having only one of said row.