A groove is formed in a first semiconductor layer 1, a sidewall of the groove is coated with a first insulating film 2, a first impurity layer 3 and a second impurity layer 4 thereon are disposed in the groove, a second semiconductor layer 7 is disposed on the second impurity layer, a first semiconductor is disposed at the other part, an n.sup.+ layer 6a and an n.sup.+ layer 6c are positioned at respective ends of the second semiconductor layer 7 and connected to a source line SL and a bit line BL, respectively, a first gate insulating layer 8 is formed on the second semiconductor layer 7, and a first gate conductor layer 9 is connected to a word line WL. Voltage applied to the source line SL, a plate line PL connected to the first semiconductor layer 1, the word line WL, and the bit line BL is controlled to perform data holding operation of holding, near the gate insulating layer, holes generated by an impact ionization phenomenon in a channel region 12 of the second semiconductor layer or by gate-induced drain leakage current, and data erase operation of removing the holes from the channel region 12.

A memory device includes a page constituted by multiple memory cells arranged in a row form on a substrate, and performs a page write operation of controlling voltages to be applied to first and second gate conductor layers and first and second impurity layers of each memory cell included in the page to hold a positive hole group formed by an impact ionization phenomenon inside a channel semiconductor layer; During a page read operation, page data of a memory cell group selected with the word line is read to the sense amplifier circuit, and a refresh operation is performed at least once before the page read operation to hold a positive hole group formed by an impact ionization phenomenon inside a channel semiconductor layer.

A memory device according to the present invention includes memory cells, each of the memory cells includes a semiconductor base material that stands on a substrate in a vertical direction or that extends in a horizontal direction along the substrate, voltages applied to a first gate conductor layer, a second gate conductor layer, a first impurity layer, and a second impurity layer in each of the memory cells are controlled to perform a write operation of retaining, inside a channel semiconductor layer, a group of positive holes generated by an impact ionization phenomenon or by a gate-induced drain leakage current, and the voltages applied to the first gate conductor layer, the second gate conductor layer, the first impurity layer, and the second impurity layer are controlled to perform an erase operation of discharging the group of positive holes from inside the channel semiconductor layer. A third impurity layer having a conductivity identical to a conductivity of the channel semiconductor layer and having a concentration higher than a concentration of the channel semiconductor layer is provided in a boundary region between the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer.

Various 3D memory cells, array architectures, and processes are disclosed. In an embodiment, a memory cell structure includes a first semiconductor material, a floating body semiconductor material having an internal side surface that surrounds and connects to the first semiconductor material, and a second semiconductor material having an internal side surface that surrounds and connects to the floating body semiconductor material. The memory cell structure also includes a first dielectric layer connected to a top surface of the floating body material, a second dielectric layer connected to a bottom surface of the floating body material, a front gate connected to the first dielectric layer, and a back gate connected to the second dielectric layer.

First and second impurity layers are formed on a first semiconductor layer on a substrate. A third gate insulating layer covers side walls of the impurity layers and the first semiconductor layer. First and second gate conductor layers and a second insulating layer are formed in a groove, and n.sup.+-layers connected to source and bit lines are formed at ends of a second semiconductor layer formed on the second impurity layer and covered with a second gate insulating layer, on which a third gate conductor layer connected to a word line is formed. An operation of maintaining holes generated in a channel region of the second semiconductor layer by impact ionization or a GIDL current near the gate insulating layer and an operation of discharging the holes from the channel region are performed by controlling voltages applied to the source, bit, and word lines and first and second plate lines.

A 3D semiconductor device with a built-in-test-circuit (BIST), the device comprising: a first single-crystal substrate with a plurality of logic circuits disposed therein, wherein said first single-crystal substrate comprises a device area, wherein said plurality of logic circuits comprise at least a first interconnected array of processor logic, wherein said plurality of logic circuits comprise at least a second interconnected set of circuits comprising a first logic circuit, a second logic circuit, and a third logic circuit, wherein said second interconnected set of logic circuits further comprise switching circuits that support replacing said first logic circuit and/or said second logic circuit with said third logic circuit; and said built-in-test-circuit (BIST), wherein said first logic circuit is testable by said built-in-test-circuit (BIST), and wherein said second logic circuit is testable by said built-in-test-circuit (BIST).

Embodiments include a transistor device that comprises a gate electrode and a gate dielectric surrounding the gate electrode. In an embodiment, a source region may be below the gate electrode and a drain region may be above the gate electrode. In an embodiment, a channel region may be between the source region and the drain region. In an embodiment, the channel region is separated from a sidewall of the gate electrode by the gate dielectric. In an embodiment, a capacitor may be electrically coupled to the drain region.

A 3D device, the device including: a first level including logic circuits; a second level including a plurality of memory circuits, where the first level is bonded to the second level, where the bonded includes oxide to oxide bonds, and where the first level includes at least one voltage regulator circuit.

This disclosure is directed to methods for performing operations on a memory device. The memory device can include a bottom select gate, a plate line above the bottom select gate, a word line above the plate line, a pillar extending through the bottom select gate, the plate line, and the word line, a source line under the pillar, a drain cap above the pillar and a bit line formed above the drain cap. The method can include applying a first positive voltage bias to the bottom select gate and applying a second positive voltage bias to the word line. The method can also include applying a third positive voltage bias to the bit line after the word line reaches the second positive voltage bias. The method can further include applying a ground voltage to the word line and applying the ground voltage to the bit line.

A dynamic flash memory is formed by stacking, on a first impurity layer on a P-layer substrate, a first insulating layer, a first material layer, a second insulating layer, a second material layer, a third insulating layer, a third material layer, and a fourth material layer, forming a first hole penetrating these layers on the P-layer substrate, forming a semiconductor pillar by embedding the first hole with a semiconductor, removing the first, second, and third material layers to form second, third, and fourth holes, by oxidizing an outermost surface of the semiconductor pillar exposing in the second, third, and fourth holes to form first, second, and third gate insulating layers, and forming first, second, and third gate conductor layers embedded in the second, third, and fourth holes.