Dummy Channel Contact Layout for 3D Memory Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for high integration and large capacity in memory devices poses challenges in maintaining excellent electrical characteristics due to complex operation circuits and wiring structures, necessitating improved reliability in semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a substrate with gate electrodes, channel structures, and dummy channel structures, along with cell and dummy contacts, forming a stairstep structure to enhance electrical connectivity and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the size of memory cell is reduced for high integration, then the degree of integration is improved, but the electrical characteristics deteriorate due to complex operation circuits and wiring structures
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct functional regions: a cell array region containing memory cells and a contact region containing peripheral circuits. This spatial segmentation allows independent optimization of each region, enabling high integration in the cell array while maintaining excellent electrical characteristics in the contact region through dedicated dummy channel structures and contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
Different structural configurations are applied to different regions: the cell array region uses standard channel structures for high-density memory storage, while the contact region employs dummy channel structures with extended gate electrodes and additional contacts to optimize electrical performance. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between integration density and electrical quality.
2Productivity
If operation circuits and wiring structures are made more complex for high integration, then the degree of integration is improved, but the electrical characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrodes in the contact region extend in the first direction beyond the channel structures, creating a stairstep configuration. This dimensional extension provides additional surface area for contact formation and improves electrical connectivity without increasing the planar footprint, thereby maintaining high integration while enhancing electrical characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
Dummy channel structures are introduced in the contact region that replicate the basic channel structure geometry but serve a different function. These dummy structures provide mechanical support and electrical reference points that improve the reliability of the peripheral circuits without consuming additional active memory space, thus resolving the integration-electrical characteristic contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a cell array region and a contact region; a plurality of gate electrodes arranged on the substrate in a first direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the plurality of gate electrodes being extending in the cell array region and the contact region; a plurality of channel structures penetrating the plurality of gate electrodes in the first direction in the cell array region; a plurality of dummy channel structures penetrating the plurality of gate electrodes in the first direction in the contact region; a plurality of cell gate contacts extending in the first direction and each electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of gate electrodes in the contact region; and a plurality of dummy contacts extending in the first direction on the plurality of dummy channel structures.