Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a device including tiers of materials located one over another, the tiers of materials including respective memory cells and control gates for the memory cells. The control gates include respective portions that collectively form part of a staircase structure. The staircase structure includes first regions and second regions coupled to the first regions. The second regions include respective sidewalls in which a portion of each of the first regions and a portion of each of the second regions are part of a respective control gate of the control gates. The device also includes conductive pads electrically separated from each other and located on the first regions of the staircase structure, and conductive contacts contacting the conductive pads.

A three-dimensional memory device includes vertical layer stacks that are laterally spaced apart by backside trenches that laterally extend along a first horizontal direction, where each of the vertical layer stacks includes a respective alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stacks, memory opening fill structures located in the memory openings and including a respective vertical stack of memory elements and a respective vertical semiconductor channel, and backside trench fill structures located within a respective one of the backside trenches. Each of the backside trench fill structures includes a plurality of dielectric bridge structures laterally spaced apart along the first horizontal direction and dielectric fin portions located at levels of a plurality of the electrically conductive layers. The dielectric fin portions laterally protrude outward relative to sidewalls of the insulating layers within the respective neighboring pair of alternating stacks.

Disclosed are three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices, methods of manufacturing the same, and electronic systems including the same. The device includes a peripheral circuit structure on a substrate, and a cell array structure including a stack structure that includes gate electrodes on the peripheral circuit structure, a first source conductive pattern on the stack structure, and vertical channel structures in vertical channel holes that penetrate the stack structure and the first source conductive pattern. The vertical channel structure includes a data storage pattern on a sidewall of the vertical channel hole, a vertical semiconductor pattern on the data storage pattern, and a second source conductive pattern on the vertical semiconductor pattern and surrounded by the data storage pattern. A thickness of the data storage pattern between the first source conductive pattern and the second source conductive pattern is greater than it is between the stack structure and the vertical semiconductor pattern.

There are provided a semiconductor memory device and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device includes a metal pattern including a first line part extending in a first direction and a second line part which is connected to the first line part and extends in a second direction to intersect with the first line part, and a source structure which has a trench. The metal pattern is formed in the trench and the source structure is in contact with a sidewall of the metal pattern.

A locator of a surgical port of a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising an instrument attached to a robot arm, the instrument having an instrument shaft able to pass through the surgical port to a surgical site, the locator comprising: an interface configured to couple to the surgical port; a mechanism configured to permit relative linear and/or rotational motion of the interface and the instrument shaft; and a controller comprising a processor operable to estimate the position of a part of the robot arm, the controller configured to control the mechanism in dependence on the estimated position of the part of the robot arm such that as the robot arm retracts the instrument from the patient, the locator moves the port away from the robot arm and provides a reaction force to keep the port in place.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, first and second stack units disposed over the semiconductor substrate, and a feature disposed between the first and second stack units. Each of the first and second stack units includes at least one stack that includes a conductive film and a dielectric film stacked on each other. The feature includes a plurality of repeating units and a plurality of separators disposed to alternate with the repeating units. Each of the repeating units includes an inner portion including a pair of conductive pillars, and an outer portion including a memory film and a channel film. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, first and second stack units disposed over the semiconductor substrate, and a feature disposed between the first and second stack units. Each of the first and second stack units includes at least one stack that includes a conductive film and a dielectric film stacked on each other. The feature includes a plurality of repeating units and a plurality of separators disposed to alternate with the repeating units. Each of the repeating units includes an inner portion including a pair of conductive pillars, and an outer portion including a memory film and a channel film. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes an underlying substrate, two stack units disposed over the underlying substrate, and a feature disposed between the stack units. The stack units are spaced apart from each other. Each of the stack units includes a plurality of conductive films and a plurality of dielectric films disposed to alternate with the conductive films, an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) portion, and a hard mask film. An uppermost one of the dielectric films of each of the stack units is disposed over the conductive films, and has a dimension smaller than those of the conductive films and those of remaining ones of the dielectric films of each of the stack units. The feature includes a plurality of repeating units and a plurality of separators which are disposed to alternate with the repeating units. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes an underlying substrate, two stack units disposed over the underlying substrate, and a feature disposed between the stack units. The stack units are spaced apart from each other. Each of the stack units includes a plurality of conductive films and a plurality of dielectric films disposed to alternate with the conductive films, an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) portion, and a hard mask film. An uppermost one of the dielectric films of each of the stack units is disposed over the conductive films, and has a dimension smaller than those of the conductive films and those of remaining ones of the dielectric films of each of the stack units. The feature includes a plurality of repeating units and a plurality of separators which are disposed to alternate with the repeating units. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

A method of manufacturing a non-volatile memory includes the following steps. A stacked structure is formed on a substrate and includes a gate dielectric layer, an assist gate, an insulation layer, and a sacrificial layer stacked in order. A tunneling dielectric layer is formed at one side of the stacked structure. A floating gate is formed on the tunneling dielectric layer. The stacked structure is etched until an uppermost edge of the floating gate is higher than a top surface of the insulation layer. A dielectric material layer is formed to cover sidewalls of the floating gate. The dielectric material layer is etched to form an etched dielectric material layer and expose the uppermost edge of the floating gate. An upper gate structure is formed on the etched dielectric material layer, where a portion of the etched dielectric material layer is disposed between the upper gate structure and the substrate.