Vertical Memory Contact Structure for Staircase Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor technologies face challenges in designing and manufacturing vertical memory devices with efficient contact and dummy channel structures in the staircase region, leading to structural instability and increased complexity due to stress and space constraints.
Innovation Solution
A combined dummy channel and contact (DCH-CT) structure is introduced, which integrates conductive and insulating elements to form a single structure that provides support and electrical isolation, simplifying the design and reducing manufacturing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate dummy channel and contact structures are used in the staircase region, then electrical connection to gate layers is achieved, but structural stability deteriorates due to stress and space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate dummy channel structures and contact structures into a single integrated contact structure. This merged structure includes a conductive portion that electrically connects to the gate layer and an insulating portion that provides electrical isolation, eliminating the need for separate structures and improving structural stability in the staircase region.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated contact structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical connection to the gate layer through its conductive portion, provides electrical isolation from other gate layers through its insulating portion, and offers structural support in the staircase region. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple separate structures are used for contact and dummy channel functions, then electrical isolation is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the dummy channel function and contact function into a single integrated structure formed through unified manufacturing processes. The conductive portion and insulating portion are created in coordinated steps, reducing the number of separate manufacturing operations needed while maintaining proper electrical isolation between gate layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process forms the insulating portion and conductive portion in a predetermined integrated configuration before final contact formation. This preliminary integration of functions simplifies subsequent manufacturing steps and reduces overall manufacturing complexity while ensuring proper electrical isolation is built into the structure from the beginning.
3Ease of manufacture
If integrated combined structure is used, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but structural support capability must be enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated contact structure employs composite construction with both conductive materials (such as metal) and insulating materials (such as dielectric materials) within a single structure. This composite approach allows the structure to provide both electrical connection and structural support simultaneously, enhancing strength while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating portion is positioned within or adjacent to the conductive portion in a nested arrangement, where the insulating portion provides structural support and electrical isolation while the conductive portion provides electrical connection. This nested configuration maximizes structural support capability within the integrated structure without increasing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure provide a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a stack structure and a contact structure. The stack structure comprises interleaved gate layers and insulating layers. The contact structure comprises a conductive structure and one or more insulating structures. The conductive structure can extend through the stack structure and form a conductive connection with one of the gate layers. The one or more insulating structures surround the conductive structure and electrically isolate the conductive structure from remaining ones of the gate layers. The one or more insulating structures further include one or more first insulating structures. Each of the one or more first insulating structures is disposed between an adjacent pair of the insulating layers, and the one or more first insulating structures are disposed on a first side of the one of the gate layers.