Semiconductor memory is provided wherein a memory cell includes a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to the cell. The cell further includes a nonvolatile memory comprising a resistance change element configured to store data stored in the floating body under any one of a plurality of predetermined conditions. A method of operating semiconductor memory to function as volatile memory, while having the ability to retain stored data when power is discontinued to the semiconductor memory is described.

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.

A semiconductor memory device according to the present inventive concept includes: a semiconductor substrate; a common source semiconductor layer doped with impurities of a first conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of word line structures alternately stacked on the common source semiconductor layer; and a memory cell dielectric layer penetrating the plurality of insulating layers and the plurality of word line structures and covering an internal wall of a channel hole extending in a vertical direction, and a memory cell structure filling the channel hole. The memory cell structure includes a channel layer, which has the memory cell dielectric layer thereon and fills at least a portion of the channel hole, and a drain layer covering an upper surface of the channel layer, doped with impurities of a second conductivity type, and filling some of an upper portion of the channel hole.

Structures including electrical isolation and methods of forming a structure including electrical isolation. A semiconductor layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate and shallow trench isolation regions are formed in the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer includes single-crystal semiconductor material having an electrical resistivity that is greater than or equal to 1000 ohm-cm. The shallow trench isolation regions are arranged to surround a portion of the semiconductor layer to define an active device region. A polycrystalline layer is positioned in the semiconductor layer and extends laterally beneath the active device region and the shallow trench isolation regions that surround the active device region.

A ferroelectric component includes a first electrode, a tunnel barrier layer disposed on the first electrode to include a ferroelectric material, a tunneling control layer disposed on the tunnel barrier layer to control a tunneling width of electric charges passing through the tunnel barrier layer, and a second electrode disposed on the tunneling control layer.

Multi-port semiconductor memory cells including a common floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a memory state of the memory cell. The multi-port semiconductor memory cells include a plurality of gates and conductive regions interfacing with said floating body region. Arrays of memory cells and method of operating said memory arrays are disclosed for making a memory device.

A method of writing data into a volatile thyristor memory cell array and maintaining the data with refresh is disclosed.

A semiconductor memory cell includes a floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a state of the memory cell selected from at least first and second states. A first region of the memory cell is in electrical contact with the floating body region. A second region of the memory cell is spaced apart from the first region and is also in electrical contact with the floating body region. A gate is positioned between the first and second regions. A back-bias region is configured to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in one of the first and second states, and the back-bias region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in the other of the first and second states.

Multi-port semiconductor memory cells including a common floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a memory state of the memory cell. The multi-port semiconductor memory cells include a plurality of gates and conductive regions interfacing with said floating body region. Arrays of memory cells and method of operating said memory arrays are disclosed for making a memory device.

Devices and methods for forming a device are presented. The device includes a substrate having a well of a first polarity type and a thyristor-based memory cell. The thyristor-based memory cell includes at least a first region of a second polarity type adjacent to the well, a gate which serves as a second word line disposed on the substrate, at least a first layer of the first polarity type disposed adjacent to the first region of the second polarity type and adjacent to the gate, and at least a heavily doped first layer of the second polarity type disposed on the first layer of the first polarity type and adjacent to the gate. At least the heavily doped first layer of the second polarity type is self-aligned with side of the gate.