A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a single crystal silicon layer and a plurality of first transistors, the plurality of first transistors each including a single crystal channel; a first metal layer overlaying the plurality of first transistors; a second metal layer overlaying the first metal layer; a third metal layer overlaying the second metal layer; a second level is disposed above the third metal layer, where the second level includes a plurality of second transistors; a fourth metal layer disposed above the second level; and a connective path between the fourth metal layer and either the third metal layer or the second metal layer, where the connective path includes a via disposed through the second level, where the via has a diameter of less than 800 nm and greater than 5 nm, and where at least one of the plurality of second transistors includes a metal gate.

A memory and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The memory includes a substrate; at least one pair of transistors on a surface of the substrate, in which conductive channels of the transistors extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; storage layers, which each are located, in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, on a side surface of each of the transistors, the storage layers are interconnected with the conductive channels of the transistors, any one of the storage layers is located between the pair of transistors, and the storage layers are configured to store electric charges and transfer the electric charges between the storage layers and the conductive channels interconnected therewith.

A memory includes: a substrate; a transistor array including multiple transistors on a surface of the substrate, conducting channels of the transistors extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and a storage layer, disposed at a side of the conducting channel of each transistor, communicated with the conducting channel of the transistor, and configured to store charges and perform charge transfer with the communicated conducting channel.

A memory and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The memory includes a substrate; at least one pair of transistors on a surface of the substrate, in which conductive channels of the transistors extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; storage layers, which each are located at one side of the transistors and are interconnected with the conductive channels of the transistors, the pair of transistors is located between two storage layers corresponding to the pair of transistors, and the storage layers are configured to store electric charges and transfer the electric charges between the storage layers and the conductive channels interconnected therewith.

A semiconductor memory cell and arrays of memory cells are provided In at least one embodiment, a memory cell includes a substrate having a top surface, the substrate having a first conductivity type selected from a p-type conductivity type and an n-type conductivity type; a first region having a second conductivity type selected from the p-type and n-type conductivity types, the second conductivity type being different from the first conductivity type, the first region being formed in the substrate and exposed at the top surface; a second region having the second conductivity type, the second region being formed in the substrate, spaced apart from the first region and exposed at the top surface; a buried layer in the substrate below the first and second regions, spaced apart from the first and second regions and having the second conductivity type; a body region formed between the first and second regions and the buried layer, the body region having the first conductivity type; a gate positioned between the first and second regions and above the top surface; and a nonvolatile memory configured to store data upon transfer from the body region.

A memory device includes a page made up of plural memory cells arranged in a column on a substrate, and a page write operation is performed to hold positive hole groups generated by an impact ionization phenomenon, in a channel semiconductor layer by controlling voltages applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity region, and a second impurity region of each memory cell contained in the page and a page erase operation is performed to remove the positive hole groups out of the channel semiconductor layer by controlling voltages applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the first impurity region, and the second impurity region. The first impurity layer of the memory cell is connected with a source line, the second impurity layer is connected with a bit line, one of the first gate conductor layer and the second gate conductor layer is connected with a word line, and another is connected with a drive control line, and the bit line is connected to a sense amplifier circuit via a switch circuit. During a page read operation, page data of a memory cell group selected by the word line is read into a sense amplifier circuit concurrently with a memory cell refresh operation for forming positive hole groups.

A memory device includes a page made up of plural memory cells arranged in a column on a substrate, and a page write operation is performed to hold positive hole groups generated by an impact ionization phenomenon, in a channel semiconductor layer by controlling voltages applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity region, and a second impurity region of each memory cell contained in the page and a page erase operation is performed to remove the positive hole groups out of the channel semiconductor layer by controlling voltages applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the first impurity region, and the second impurity region. The first impurity layer of the memory cell is connected with a source line, the second impurity layer is connected with a bit line, one of the first gate conductor layer and the second gate conductor layer is connected with a word line, and another is connected with a drive control line. During a refresh operation, at least one of word lines is selected and a voltage of the channel semiconductor layer of the selected word line is returned to a voltage in a state in which a page is written by controlling voltages applied to the selected word line, the drive control line, the source line, and the bit line and thereby forming the positive hole groups by an impact ionization phenomenon in the channel semiconductor layer.

There are an N.sup.+ layer connected to a source line SL and an N.sup.+ layer connected to a bit line BL at both ends of a Si pillar standing on a substrate in a perpendicular direction, a P.sup.+ layer connected to the N.sup.+ layer, a first gate insulating layer surrounding the Si pillar, a first gate conductor layer surrounding the first gate insulating layer and connected to a plate line PL, and a second gate conductor layer surrounding a gate HfO.sub.2 layer surrounding the Si pillar and connected to a word line WL. The voltages applied to the source line SL, the plate line PL, the word line WL, and the bit line BL are controlled to perform a data hold operation of holding a group of holes generated by an impact ionization phenomenon or a gate-induced drain leakage current inside a channel region of the Si pillar and a data erase operation of removing the group of holes from the channel region.

A first impurity layer 101a and a second impurity layer 101b are formed on a substrate Sub at both ends of a Si pillar 100 standing in a vertical direction and having a circular or rectangular horizontal cross-section. Then, a first gate insulating layer 103a and a second gate insulating layer 103b surrounding the Si pillar 100, a first gate conductor layer 104a surrounding the first gate insulating layer 103a, and a second gate conductor layer 104b surrounding the second gate insulating layer 103b are formed. Then, a voltage is applied to the first impurity layer 101a, the second impurity layer 101b, the first gate conductor layer 104a, and the second gate conductor layer 104b to generate an impact ionization phenomenon in a channel region 102 by current flowing between the first impurity layer 101a and the second impurity layer 101b. Of generated electrons and positive holes, the electrons are discharged from the channel region 102 to perform a memory write operation for holding some of the positive holes in the channel region 102, and the positive holes held in the channel region 102 are discharged from one or both of the first impurity layer 101a and the second impurity layer 101b to perform a memory erase operation.

A 3D semiconductor device, the device including: a first level including a first single crystal layer, the first level including a plurality of first transistors and at least one metal layer, where the at least one metal layer overlays the first single crystal layer, and where the at least one metal layer includes interconnects between the plurality of first transistors, the interconnects between the plurality of first transistors include forming first control circuits; a second level overlaying the at least one metal layer, the second level including a plurality of second transistors; a third level overlaying the second level, the third level including a plurality of third transistors, where the second level includes a plurality of first memory cells, the first memory cells each including at least one of the plurality of second transistors, where the third level includes a plurality of second memory cells, the second memory cells each including at least one of the plurality of third transistors, where at least one of the plurality of second memory cells is at least partially atop of the first control circuits, where the first control circuits are adapted to control data written to at least one of the plurality of second memory cells; and where the plurality of second transistors are horizontally oriented transistors.