Integrated circuit (IC) devices with stacked two-level backend memory, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. An example IC device includes a front end of line (FEOL) layer, including frontend transistors, and a back end of line (BEOL) layer above the FEOL layer. The BEOL layer includes a first memory layer with memory cells of a first type, and a second memory layer with memory cells of a second type. The first memory layer may be between the FEOL layer and the second memory layer, thus forming stacked backend memory. Stacked backend memory architecture may allow significantly increasing density of memory cells in a memory array having a given footprint area, or, conversely, reducing the footprint area of the memory array with a given memory cell density. Implementing two different types of backend memory may advantageously increase functionality and performance of backend memory.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a contact structure disposed on the substrate, and two first gate structures disposed on the substrate and at two sides of the first contact structure. The contact structure has a T-shaped cross-sectional profile having a first portion contacting the substrate and a second portion disposed on the first portion. A top surface of the second portion of the contact structure is flush with top surfaces of the two first gate structures.

An example IC device includes a frontend layer and a backend layer with a metallization stack. The metallization stack includes a backend memory layer with a plurality of memory cells with backend transistors, and a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects (e.g., a plurality of conductive lines) and air gaps between adjacent ones of the plurality of interconnects. Providing air gaps in upper metal layers of metallization stacks of IC devices may advantageously reduce parasitic effects in the IC devices because such effects are typically proportional to the dielectric constant of a surrounding medium. In turn, reduction in the parasitic effects may lead to improvements in performance of, or requirements placed on, the backend memory.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a cell region and a peripheral circuit region; a conductive structure on the cell region and the peripheral circuit region, the conductive structure extending in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate; a gate structure on the peripheral circuit region, the gate structure spaced apart from the conductive structure in the first direction; a spacer contacting a sidewall of the gate structure; and a first capping pattern contacting a sidewall of an end portion in the first direction of the conductive structure and a sidewall of the spacer, wherein the spacer and the first capping pattern include different insulating materials.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of pads connected to an external device, a memory cell array in which a plurality of memory cells are disposed, a logic circuit configured to control the memory cell array and including a plurality of input/output circuits connected to the plurality of pads, and at least one inductor circuit connected between at least one of the plurality of pads and at least one of the plurality of input/output circuits. The inductor circuit includes an inductor pattern connected between the at least one of the plurality of pads and the at least one of the plurality of input/output circuits, and a variable pattern disposed between at least portions of the inductor pattern. The variable pattern is separated from the inductor pattern, the at least one of the plurality of pads, and the at least one of the plurality of input/output circuits.

A sub-word-line driver and semiconductor memory devices including the same are provided. The sub-word-line driver may include a word line pull-up transistor, a word line pull-down transistor, and a keeping transistor configured to maintain a word line at a specified voltage level. The sub-word-line driver may include a peripheral active region on a substrate, a first peripheral gate electrode that corresponds to a gate node of the word line pull-down transistor on the peripheral active region, a second peripheral gate electrode that corresponds to a gate node of the keeping transistor on the peripheral active region, and a first lower contact coupled to a first region of the peripheral active region. A first (VBB) voltage from the first region may be supplied to a source node of the keeping transistor.

A semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a memory cell region over the substrate; a peripheral region over the substrate, the peripheral region being adjacent to the memory cell region; and a plurality of first and second word-lines extending across the memory cell region and the peripheral region; wherein the plurality of first word-lines and the plurality of second word-lines are arranged alternately with each other; and wherein the length of the first word-line in the peripheral region is longer than the length of the second word-line in the peripheral region.

A microelectronic device comprises a first control logic region comprising first control logic devices and a memory array region vertically overlying the first control logic region. The memory array region comprises capacitors, access devices laterally neighboring and in electrical communication with the capacitors, conductive lines operatively associated with the access devices and extending in a lateral direction, and first conductive pillars operatively associated with the access devices and vertically extending through the memory array region. The microelectronic device further comprises a second control logic region comprising second control logic devices vertically overlying the memory array region. Related microelectronic devices, memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

A microelectronic device comprises a first microelectronic device structure and a second microelectronic device structure attached to the first microelectronic device structure. The first microelectronic device structure comprises a memory array region comprising a stack structure comprising levels of conductive structures vertically alternating with levels of insulative structures, and staircase structures at lateral ends of the stack structure. The memory array region further comprises vertical stacks of memory cells, at least one of the vertical stacks of memory cells comprising stacked capacitor structures, each stacked capacitor structure comprising capacitor structures vertically spaced from each other by at least a level of the levels of insulative structures, transistor structures, each transistor structure operably coupled to a capacitor structure and to one of the conductive structures of the levels of conductive structures, and a conductive pillar structure vertically extending through the transistor structures. The first microelectronic device further comprises conductive contact structures in electrical communication with the levels of conductive structures at steps of the staircase structures. The second microelectronic device comprises control logic devices configured to effectuate at least a portion of control operations for the vertical stacks of memory cells, conductive interconnect structures vertically extending through an oxide material and in electrical communication with the conductive contact structures, and an additional conductive interconnect structure vertically extending through the oxide material and in electrical communication with the conductive pillar structure of the at least one of the vertical stacks of memory cells. Related microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.

The present application provides a memory cell, a memory array and a method for preparing the memory cell. The memory cell includes an active area, an isolation structure and a contact enhancement layer. The active area is a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. A top surface of the active area has a slop part descending toward an edge of the active area within a peripheral region of the active area. The isolation structure is formed in a trench of the semiconductor substrate laterally surrounding the active area. The contact enhancement layer covers the edge of the active area and in lateral contact with the isolation structure. The slope part of the top surface of the active area is covered by the contact enhancement layer, and the contact enhancement layer is formed of a semiconductor material.