Semiconductor Pipe Gate Structure Preventing Bridge Failures
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor device manufacturing, excessive etching during the formation of slits in three-dimensional memory cell arrays can lead to conductive material remaining in slits, causing bridge failures that result in electrical connections between active regions and gate patterns, leading to device malfunction.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a substrate with conductive patterns and a pipe gate structure, where the pipe gate is positioned between the conductive patterns and the substrate, avoiding overlap with active regions, and trenches are used to delimit active regions, preventing excessive etching and potential bridge formations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If slits are formed by etching the stack structure to define conductive patterns, then the layout of conductive patterns is achieved, but excessive etching occurs in overlapping regions causing conductive material to remain in slit bottoms
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe gate is formed in advance before the slit etching process. This preliminary formation establishes a protective structure that prevents excessive etching from reaching the substrate in overlapping regions, thereby avoiding conductive material accumulation and bridge failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe gate acts as a cushioning protective layer between the conductive patterns and the substrate. It absorbs the excessive etching in overlapping regions, preventing the etch from penetrating too deeply and causing bridge failures between active regions and gate patterns.
2Area of stationary object
If the pipe gate is positioned to overlap with intersecting slits, then complete gate coverage is achieved, but conductive material may connect the active region to the pipe gate causing bridge failure
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe gate is strategically positioned to overlap only with first slits that define conductive patterns extending in a first direction, while avoiding overlap with second slits that define conductive patterns extending in a second direction. This local differentiation prevents bridge failures in critical regions while maintaining necessary gate coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may include a substrate, conductive patterns, and a pipe gate. The substrate may have first and second regions arranged in a first direction and a third region arranged between the first and second regions. The conductive patterns may be stacked on the substrate to be spaced apart from each other, and may extend from the first region to the second region. The pipe gate may be arranged between the conductive patterns and the substrate to overlap the first region. The pipe gate may not be overlapped with the third region.