Multi-Layer Dielectric Contact Liner for Dense Memory Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory devices with vertical conductive structures are prone to electrical shorts and defects at reduced dimensions, leading to unreliable performance and reduced yield, especially as feature sizes decrease for increased memory density.
Innovation Solution
The memory device incorporates conductive contacts and contact structures with a dielectric liner portion and a conductive core portion, surrounded by the dielectric liner, to reduce the risk of damage during formation and mitigate defects, thereby enhancing reliability and allowing for scaled feature sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If feature sizes are reduced to increase memory density, then memory density increases, but electrical shorts and defects occur between adjacent conductive structures
Solution Approach 1:
A dielectric liner is introduced as an intermediary layer between adjacent conductive structures (contact holes and trenches). This dielectric liner acts as a protective barrier that prevents electrical shorts and damage during formation processes, enabling closer spacing of conductive structures while maintaining reliability. The dielectric liner is formed conformally on the sidewalls of conductive structures before filling with conductive material.
2Quantity of substance
If feature sizes are reduced to increase memory density, then memory density increases, but manufacturing defects increase leading to reduced yield
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric liner is formed in advance on the sidewalls of conductive structures before the conductive material filling process. This preliminary protective layer cushions and protects the conductive structures from damage during subsequent manufacturing steps such as etching and filling operations, thereby reducing manufacturing defects and improving yield.
3Device complexity
If conventional vertical conductive structures are used at reduced dimensions, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to electrical shorts
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric liner is nested within the overall conductive structure formation process. Specifically, the dielectric liner is formed conformally on the sidewalls of the conductive structures, creating a nested configuration where the dielectric layer is embedded within the conductive structure assembly. This nested approach maintains structural simplicity while enhancing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes tiers located one over another, the tiers including respective memory cells and control gates for the memory cells; conductive contacts contacting the control gates, the conductive contacts having different lengths extending in a direction from one tier to another tier among the tiers; and a contact structure adjacent one of the conductive contacts. The contact structure includes a conductive core portion extending through the tiers and separated from the control gates, and a dielectric liner portion adjacent the conductive core portion. The dielectric liner portion includes a first dielectric material, a second dielectric material adjacent the first dielectric material, and a third dielectric material adjacent the second dielectric material.