Staircase Microelectronic Devices With Bridge Structures

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Solution Overview

Problem

In microelectronic device fabrication, the increased aspect ratio and volume of spaces in vertical memory arrays lead to incomplete filling of insulating materials, causing electrical shorting between conductive contact structures, which affects memory density and reliability.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of bridge structures made of electrically insulating material between support pillar structures within the staircase structure of microelectronic devices, which prevents electrical shorting by isolating adjacent conductive contact structures and facilitating uniform filling of insulating materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the aspect ratio and volume of spaces in vertical memory arrays are increased to provide greater memory density, then the number of memory cells per die increases, but the insulating material cannot uniformly or completely fill the volume, causing electrical shorting between conductive contact structures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory densityVSAvoidelectrical isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the continuous insulating material filling process into discrete steps by introducing intermediate support structures. These structures segment the large volume into smaller, manageable spaces that can be reliably filled with insulating material, preventing electrical shorting while maintaining high memory density.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediate support structures as mediators between the conductive contact structures. These structures provide physical support and create defined spaces that enable complete and uniform filling of insulating material, thereby ensuring electrical isolation while accommodating high-density memory cell arrangements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If the aspect ratio and volume of spaces in vertical memory arrays are increased to provide greater memory density, then the number of memory cells per die increases, but the insulating material filling becomes incomplete, affecting manufacturing precision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory densityVSAvoidinsulating material filling uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large volume filling challenge into smaller discrete spaces using intermediate support structures. This segmentation allows the deposition process to uniformly fill each smaller space, ensuring complete and consistent insulating material coverage throughout the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by forming intermediate support structures before filling the spaces with insulating material. These pre-formed structures define the geometry and boundaries of the spaces to be filled, ensuring that the subsequent insulating material deposition achieves complete and uniform coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If staircase structures with multiple decks are formed to increase memory density, then more memory strings fit in given area, but electrical shorting between adjacent conductive contact structures occurs due to incomplete insulating material filling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory densityVSAvoidelectrical shorting

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces intermediate support structures as mediators between adjacent conductive contact structures in the staircase configuration. These structures ensure complete insulating material filling in the spaces between conductive elements, thereby preventing electrical shorting while maintaining the high-density multi-deck staircase architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts or removes the harmful effect of electrical shorting by introducing intermediate support structures that ensure complete insulating material filling. These structures actively prevent the formation of conductive paths between adjacent conductive contact structures, eliminating the shorting hazard.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11476266B2Microelectronic devices including staircase structures, and related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising vertically alternating conductive structures and insulating structures arranged in tiers, the tiers individually comprising one of the conductive structures and one of the insulating structures, a staircase structure within the stack structure and having steps comprising edges of at least some of the tiers, conductive contact structures on the steps of the staircase structure, support pillar structures laterally offset in at least a first direction from the conductive contact structures and extending through the stack structure, and bridge structures comprising an electrically insulating material extending vertically through at least a portion of the stack structure and between at least some adjacent support pillar structures of the support pillar structures. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.