Isolation between vertical thyristor memory cells in an array is improved with isolation regions between the vertical thyristor memory cells. The isolation regions are formed by electrically isolating cores surrounded by insulating material, such as silicon dioxide, in trenches between the memory cells. The electrically isolating cores may be tubes of air or conducting rods. Methods of constructing the isolation regions in a processes for manufacturing vertical thyristor memory cell arrays are also disclosed.

Some embodiments include apparatuses, and methods of operating the apparatuses. Some of the apparatuses include a first memory cell string; a second memory cell string; a first group of conductive lines to access the first and second memory cell strings; a second group of conductive lines; a group of transistors, each transistor of the group of transistors coupled between a respective conductive line of the first group of conductive lines and a respective conductive line of the second group of conductive lines, the group of transistors having a common gate; and a circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor coupled in series between a first node and a second node, the first transistor including a gate coupled to the second node, and a third transistor coupled between the second node and the common gate.

An electronic device including a semiconductor memory is provided. The semiconductor memory includes a plurality of first lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of second lines disposed over the first lines, the second lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; a plurality of memory cells disposed between the first lines and the second lines at intersection regions of the first lines and the second lines; first liner layer patterns positioned on both sidewalls of each memory cell in the second direction; a first insulating layer pattern positioned between adjacent first liner layer patterns in the second direction; second liner layer patterns positioned on both sidewalls of each memory cell in the first direction; a second insulating layer pattern positioned between adjacent second liner layer patterns in the first direction; and a third insulating layer positioned between adjacent second liner layer patterns in the second direction.

Methods, systems, and devices for a decoder are described. The memory device may include a substrate, an array of memory cells coupled with the substrate, and a decoder coupled with the substrate. The decoder may be configured to apply a voltage to an access line of the array of memory cells as part of an access operation. The decoder may include a first conductive line configured to carry the voltage applied to the access line of the array of memory cells. In some cases, the decoder may include a doped material extending between the first conductive line and the access line of the array of memory cells in a first direction (e.g., away from a surface of the substrate) and the doped material may be configured to selectively couple the first conductive line of the decoder with the access line of the array of memory cells.

A method for forming an integrated circuit (IC) and an IC are disclosed. The method for forming the IC includes: forming an isolation structure separating a memory semiconductor region from a logic semiconductor region; forming a memory cell structure on the memory semiconductor region; forming a memory capping layer covering the memory cell structure and the logic semiconductor region; performing a first etch into the memory capping layer to remove the memory capping layer from the logic semiconductor region, and to define a slanted, logic-facing sidewall on the isolation structure; forming a logic device structure on the logic semiconductor region; and performing a second etch into the memory capping layer to remove the memory capping layer from the memory semiconductor, while leaving a dummy segment of the memory capping layer that defines the logic-facing sidewall.

The memory device includes multiple stacked layers of memory cells. Each of the layers includes a first array of first memory cells and a second array of second memory cells, which are nested with each other. The first memory cells and the second memory cells in the respective layers are substantially aligned to each other in a stacking direction of the memory cell layers. Each of the first memory cells is a vertical device based on a first source/drain layer, a channel layer, and a second source/drain layer stacked. Each of the second memory cells is a vertical device based on an active semiconductor layer extending in the stacking direction. The first and second memory cells include respective storage gate stacks, which share a common gate conductor layer. Gate conductor layers in the same memory cell layer are integral with each other.

Methods, systems, and devices for a decoder are described. The memory device may include a substrate, an array of memory cells coupled with the substrate, and a decoder coupled with the substrate. The decoder may be configured to apply a voltage to an access line of the array of memory cells as part of an access operation. The decoder may include a first conductive line configured to carry the voltage applied to the access line of the array of memory cells. In some cases, the decoder may include a doped material extending between the first conductive line and the access line of the array of memory cells in a first direction (e.g., away from a surface of the substrate) and the doped material may be configured to selectively couple the first conductive line of the decoder with the access line of the array of memory cells.

Some embodiments include apparatuses, and methods of operating the apparatuses. Some of the apparatuses include a first memory cell string; a second memory cell string; a first group of conductive lines to access the first and second memory cell strings; a second group of conductive lines; a group of transistors, each transistor of the group of transistors coupled between a respective conductive line of the first group of conductive lines and a respective conductive line of the second group of conductive lines, the group of transistors having a common gate; and a circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor coupled in series between a first node and a second node, the first transistor including a gate coupled to the second node, and a third transistor coupled between the second node and the common gate.

Roughly described, the invention involves a device including a memory chip having a memory array, bit lines in communication with data carrying nodes of the memory array, and word lines in communication with certain gate control nodes of the memory array. The memory chip has bonding pads formed on an interconnect surface at respective memory chip interconnect locations. Each of the bit lines and each of the word lines of the memory array includes a respective landing pad in a conductive layer of the chip, and these landing pads connected via redistribution conductors to respective ones of the set of memory chip bonding pads. The redistribution conductors for the bit lines have a positive average lateral signal travel distance which is less than that of the redistribution conductors for the word lines.

According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method can include forming a second layer covering a first layer on a first region of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes the first region and a second region. The first layer covers the second region and a portion of the first region. First openings are formed. The method can include removing the first layer on the second region using the second layer as a mask. The method can include forming an impurity region including an n-type impurity in the second region. The method can include removing the second layer, and growing silicon layers inside the first openings and on the second region. In addition, the method can include polishing a portion of each of the silicon layers using the first layer as a stopper.