Apparatuses and methods for manufacturing semiconductor memory devices are described. An example method includes: forming a conductive layer and sputtering the conductive layer with gas. The conductive layer includes a first portion having a top surface having a first height; and a second portion having a top surface having a second height lower than the first height. Sputtering the conductive layer with gas may be performed to remove the first portion of the conductive layer and increase the second height of the second portion of the conductive layer concurrently.

Embodiments relate to a semiconductor structure and a fabrication method thereof. The semiconductor structure has an array region and a peripheral region, and includes: a semiconductor substrate; a memory array structure positioned above the semiconductor substrate in the array region; a peripheral circuit structure positioned above the semiconductor substrate in the peripheral region; and a conductive connection structure positioned in the semiconductor substrate to electrically connect the memory array structure and the peripheral circuit structure. The semiconductor structure and the fabrication method thereof can effectively improve performance of a memory device.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate including a peripheral region, wherein the peripheral region includes a wire lead-out area, and the substrate is arranged with a plurality of discrete bit line structures; a dielectric layer formed between the adjacent bit line structures, wherein the peripheral region is arranged with a first contact hole; a wire lead-out area with a second through hole; a filling layer filling part of a first contact hole, wherein a remaining part of the first contact hole is defined as a first through hole; a first conductive layer located in the first through hole and the second through hole; and a conductive connecting wire located over the dielectric layer and being in contact with the first conductive layer in the wire lead-out area.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including cell and core regions respectively having first and second active patterns having respective, opposing sidewall surfaces at least partially defining a trench therebetween, and a boundary region between the cell and core regions, a device isolation layer on the boundary region to fill the trench, a line structure on the first active pattern and extended from the cell region to the boundary region, and a capping pattern covering an end of the line structure on the boundary region. The device isolation layer includes one or more inner surfaces at least partially defining a recess region, which is adjacent to the end of the line structure, and the capping pattern is extended along the end of the line structure into the recess region. A top surface of the device isolation layer is between the line structure and a bottom surface of the capping pattern.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes the following operations. A substrate is provided, and is etched to form first isolation trenches in a cell region and a second isolation trench in a peripheral region. A first isolation dielectric layer is filled in each of the first isolation trenches and an isolation structure is formed in the second isolation trench. A patterned mask layer is formed on surfaces of the cell region and the peripheral region. The substrate and the first isolation dielectric layer are etched based on the patterned mask layer to form the third isolation trenches extending along a second direction. The third and first isolation trenches isolate multiple active pillars. The active pillar includes a first connecting end, a second connecting end and a channel region.

A memory includes a plurality of semiconductor structures stacked onto one another. Each of the plurality of semiconductor structures include: a first base including a peripheral circuit structure; a first integrated circuit layer disposed on the first base and electrically connected to the peripheral circuit structure; and a second base disposed on the first integrated circuit layer. A first dielectric layer is disposed between the first integrated circuit layer and the second base. The second base includes a storage circuit structure. Each of the first base and the second base includes a semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing same. The semiconductor structure includes: a semiconductor base, including a logical device region and a memory region; a bit line located in the memory region and an electrical contact layer located in the logical device region, which are disposed in a same layer; a first semiconductor channel located on the bit line and a second semiconductor channel located on the electrical contact layer, which are disposed in a same layer; a word line and a gate disposed in a same layer; a capacitor structure, in contact with a second doped region of the first semiconductor channel; an electrical connection structure, in contact with the fourth doped region of the second semiconductor channel; and a dielectric layer, located between the bit line and the word line, and on a side of the word line away from the semiconductor base.

A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a plurality of first metal layers; a second level, where the second level overlays the first level, where the second level includes at least one single crystal silicon layer, where the second level includes a plurality of transistors, where each transistor of the plurality of transistors includes a single crystal channel, where the second level includes a plurality of second metal layers, where the plurality of second metal layers include interconnections between the transistors of the plurality of transistors, and where the second level is overlaid by a first isolation layer; and a connective path between the plurality of transistors and the plurality of first metal layers, where the connective path includes a via disposed through at least the single crystal silicon layer, and where the via includes contact with at least one of the plurality of transistors.

A method for preparing a semiconductor device is provided. The method for preparing the semiconductor device includes: providing a substrate, and forming a first dielectric layer on one side of the substrate, where the substrate includes an array area and a peripheral area arranged outside of the array area; forming an initial mask pattern on one side of the first dielectric layer away from the substrate; performing at least two patterning processes on the initial mask pattern, to form a first mask pattern in the array area and to form a second mask pattern in the peripheral area. The first mask pattern has a first height, the second mask pattern has a second height, and the second height is greater than the first height. Both of the array area and the peripheral area are exposed by using each of the at least two patterning processes.

A semiconductor device may include a substrate, a patterned structure, a filling pattern, and a conductive spacer. The substrate may include a semiconductor chip region and an overlay region. The patterned structure may include bit line structures spaced by a first distance on the semiconductor region, define a first trench and a second trench on first and second regions of the overlay region, and include key structures on the second region and spaced apart by the second trench. The filling pattern may fill lower portions of the first and second trenches on the first and second regions. The first region may be an edge portion of the overlay region. The second region may be a central portion of the overlay region. The conductive spacer may contact an upper surface of the filling pattern and may be on an upper sidewall of each of the first and second trenches.