NAND Memory Block Panel Filling to Eliminate Slit Voids
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NAND memory architectures face challenges in efficiently filling slits between memory blocks, which can lead to voids and affect the structural integrity and performance of the memory device.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves forming a first material within the slits to partially fill them, creating a cavity, and then filling this cavity with a second material, ensuring that the slit is completely filled without voids, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the memory device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If slits between memory blocks are filled with a single material, then the filling process is simple, but voids form within the slits affecting structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The filling process is segmented into multiple stages: first filling the slit with a initial material, then filling remaining voids with a second material. This segmentation of the filling operation eliminates voids while maintaining process control, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first material is deposited preliminarily to establish a base fill in the slit, creating a foundation that facilitates subsequent void elimination. This preliminary action enables the second material to effectively fill remaining spaces, ensuring complete void elimination and structural integrity.
2Reliability
If slits are completely filled to eliminate voids, then structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The filling process utilizes parameter changes by varying material properties between two different materials. The first material has properties optimized for initial filling, while the second material has properties optimized for void elimination. This parameter variation achieves complete filling without requiring excessively complex process steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution employs composite materials by combining two different filling materials. Each material contributes different properties that, when combined, achieve complete slit filling with no voids. This composite approach balances structural integrity requirements with manageable process complexity.
3Productivity
If voids remain in slits, then the manufacturing process is faster, but device reliability and performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The process extracts and eliminates voids from the slit structure through a targeted second filling step. By specifically addressing and removing voids after the initial fill, the process achieves complete filling that ensures device reliability while maintaining reasonable manufacturing speed through efficient void targeting.
Solution Approach 2:
The process converts the harmful presence of voids into a beneficial opportunity by using the first material fill as a foundation that makes void detection and elimination easier. The initial fill creates a structured base that facilitates subsequent void elimination, turning the void problem into a controlled enhancement step.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a source structure, and having a stack of alternating conductive levels and insulative levels over the source structure. Cell-material-pillars pass through the stack. The cell-material-pillars are arranged within a configuration which includes a first memory-block-region and a second memory-block-region. The cell-material-pillars include channel material which is electrically coupled with the source structure. Memory cells are along the conductive levels and include regions of the cell-material-pillars. A panel is between the first and second memory-block-regions. The panel has a first material configured as a container shape. The container shape defines opposing sides and a bottom of a cavity. The panel has a second material within the cavity. The second material is compositionally different from the first material. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.