A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device includes a substrate including a first connection region and a second connection region in a first direction and a cell array region between the first and second connection regions, and a first block structure on the substrate. The first block structure has a first width on the cell array region, the first block structure has a second width on the first connection region, and the first block structure has a third width on the second connection region. The first, second and third widths are parallel to a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first width is less than the second width and is greater than the third width.

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices having a memory layer that confines electron transportation and methods for forming the same are disclosed. A method for forming a 3D memory device includes the following operations. An initial channel hole is formed in a stack structure having a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers alternatingly arranged over a substrate. A portion of each one of the plurality of first layers facing a sidewall of the initial channel hole is removed to form a channel hole. A semiconductor channel structure is formed in the channel hole. The semiconductor channel structure includes a memory layer following a profile of a sidewall of the channel hole. The plurality of first layers are removed to form a plurality of tunnels. Portions of the memory layer are removed, through the tunnels, to divide the memory layer into a plurality of disconnected sub-memory portions.

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices having a memory layer that confines electron transportation and methods for forming the same are disclosed. A method for forming a 3D memory device includes the following operations. An initial channel hole is formed in a stack structure having a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers alternatingly arranged over a substrate. A portion of each one of the plurality of first layers facing a sidewall of the initial channel hole is removed to form a channel hole. A semiconductor channel structure is formed in the channel hole. The semiconductor channel structure includes a memory layer following a profile of a sidewall of the channel hole. The plurality of first layers are removed to form a plurality of tunnels. Portions of the memory layer are removed, through the tunnels, to divide the memory layer into a plurality of disconnected sub-memory portions.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, and a plurality of insulating layers provided on the substrate. The device further includes a plurality of electrode layers provided on the substrate alternately with the plurality of insulating layers and including metal atoms and impurity atoms different from the metal atoms, lattice spacing between the metal atoms in the electrode layers being greater than lattice spacing between the metal atoms in an elemental substance of the metal atoms.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, and a plurality of insulating layers provided on the substrate. The device further includes a plurality of electrode layers provided on the substrate alternately with the plurality of insulating layers and including metal atoms and impurity atoms different from the metal atoms, lattice spacing between the metal atoms in the electrode layers being greater than lattice spacing between the metal atoms in an elemental substance of the metal atoms.

A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stoichiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

A thin-film memory transistor includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region, a gate electrode, and a charge-trapping layer provided between the channel region and the gate electrode and electrically isolated therefrom, wherein the charge-trapping layer has includes a number of charge-trapping sites that is 70% occupied or evacuated using a single voltage pulse of a predetermined width of 500 nanoseconds or less and a magnitude of 15.0 volts or less. The charge-trapping layer comprises silicon-rich nitride may have a refractive index of 2.05 or greater or comprises nano-crystals of germanium (Ge), zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2), or zinc oxide (ZnO). The thin-film memory transistor may be implemented, for example, in a 3-dimensional array of NOR memory strings formed above a planar surface of a semiconductor substrate.

A thin-film memory transistor includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region, a gate electrode, and a charge-trapping layer provided between the channel region and the gate electrode and electrically isolated therefrom, wherein the charge-trapping layer has includes a number of charge-trapping sites that is 70% occupied or evacuated using a single voltage pulse of a predetermined width of 500 nanoseconds or less and a magnitude of 15.0 volts or less. The charge-trapping layer comprises silicon-rich nitride may have a refractive index of 2.05 or greater or comprises nano-crystals of germanium (Ge), zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2), or zinc oxide (ZnO). The thin-film memory transistor may be implemented, for example, in a 3-dimensional array of NOR memory strings formed above a planar surface of a semiconductor substrate.

A thin-film storage transistor includes (a) first and second semiconductor regions comprising polysilicon of a first conductivity; and (b) a channel region between the first and second semiconductor regions, the channel region comprising single-crystal epitaxial grown silicon, and wherein the thin-film storage transistor is formed above a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor memory device and a manufacturing method thereof, and relates to the technical field of semiconductors. The semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a source structure, a laminated structure, a floating body, a trench region, a drain structure and a gate structure. The source structure is formed on the substrate. The laminated structure includes a nitride layer and an oxide layer that are alternately laminated on the source structure. The floating body is formed in the oxide layer, and a through hole is formed in the floating body along a lamination direction of the laminated structure. The trench region is formed inside the floating body, a through hole is also formed in the trench region along the lamination direction, and the trench region is in contact with the source structure.