Compact three dimensional vertical NAND and method of making thereof

1. A NAND device, comprising:

an array of vertical NAND strings, wherein:

each NAND string comprises a semiconductor channel, a tunnel dielectric located adjacent to the semiconductor channel, a charge storage region located adjacent to the tunnel dielectric, and a blocking dielectric located adjacent to the charge storage region;

at least one end portion of the semiconductor channel extending substantially perpendicular to a major surface of a substrate; and

the array comprises at least a 3×3 array of NAND strings;

a plurality of control gate electrodes having a mesh shape extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of control gate electrodes comprise at least a first control gate electrode located in a first device level and a second control gate electrode located in a second device level located over the major surface of the substrate and below the first device level,

wherein:

the tunnel dielectric, the charge storage region and the blocking dielectric in each NAND string comprise a memory film; and

the semiconductor channels and memory films in the array are arranged in a substantially hexagonal pattern comprising a central semiconductor channel and memory film unit surrounded by six other semiconductor channel and memory film units arranged in a substantially hexagonal layout around the central semiconductor channel and memory film unit.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the substantially hexagonal pattern has three axes of symmetry, in a same plane, about a point the array; and

the three axes are separated by substantially 60 degrees from one another.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the substantially hexagonal pattern comprises a hexagonal pattern which has three axes of symmetry, in the same plane, about the point the array;

the three axes are separated by substantially 60 degrees from one another; and

the semiconductor channel and memory film units are arranged on a substantially hexagonal grid.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

each semiconductor channel has a pillar shape; and

pillar-shaped semiconductor channel extends substantially perpendicularly to the major surface of the substrate.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein each NAND string in the array further comprises:

an upper select gate electrode which is located adjacent to an upper portion of the pillar-shaped semiconductor channel above the first and the second control gate electrodes; and

a lower select gate electrode which is located adjacent to a lower portion of the pillar-shaped semiconductor channel below the first and the second control gate electrodes.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein:

each upper select gate electrode is separated from adjacent upper select gate electrodes in the array by an air gap or a dielectric filled trench; and

each lower select gate electrode is separated from adjacent lower select gate electrodes in the array by an air gap or a dielectric filled trench.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein each NAND string in the array further comprises a source electrode and a drain electrode.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the semiconductor channel comprises a solid substantially rod shaped channel or a substantially cylinder shaped channel;

the tunnel dielectric comprises a cylinder which surrounds the semiconductor channel;

the charge storage region comprises a cylinder which surrounds the tunnel dielectric;

the blocking dielectric comprises a cylinder which surrounds the charge storage region; and

the first and the second control gate electrodes surround portions of the blocking dielectric in each NAND string.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the charge storage regions comprise a plurality of vertically spaced apart floating gates or a dielectric charge storage layer.