A semiconductor memory device includes a stack disposed over a first substrate; an etch barrier including a plurality of dummy channels which pass through the stack and surround a coupling region; and a plurality of channels passing through the stack in a cell region outside the coupling region. The stack has a structure in which first dielectric layers and second dielectric layers are alternately stacked, inside the coupling region, and has a structure in which the first dielectric layers and electrode layers are alternately stacked, outside the coupling region.

Provided is a non-volatile memory including a conductor layer, a memory device, and a selector. The selector is located between and electrically connected to the memory device and the conductive layer. The selector includes a metal filling layer, a barrier layer, and a rectify layer. The metal filling layer is electrically connected to the memory device. The barrier layer is located on the sidewall and the bottom surface of the metal filling layer. The rectify layer is wrapped around the barrier layer. The rectify layer includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is located between the barrier layer on the bottom surface of the metal filling layer and the conductive layer. The second portion and the metal filling layer sandwich the barrier layer on the sidewall of the metal filling layer. The first portion has more diffusion paths of metal ions than the second portion.

A process for fabricating an integrated circuit includes the fabrication of a first transistor and a floating-gate transistor. The fabrication process for the first transistor and the floating-gate transistor utilizes a common step of forming a dielectric layer. This dielectric layer is configured to form a tunnel-dielectric layer of the floating-gate transistor (which allows transfer of charge via the Fowler-Nordheim effect) and to form a gate-dielectric layer of the first transistor.

A method of forming a three-dimensional memory device includes forming an alternating stack of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers over a substrate, forming a memory opening through the alternating stack, forming lateral recesses at levels of the sacrificial material layers around the memory opening, forming a vertical stack of discrete clam-shaped semiconductor liners in the lateral recesses, replacing the vertical stack of discrete clam-shaped semiconductor liners with a vertical stack of inner clam-shaped metallic liners, forming a vertical stack of discrete charge storage elements on the vertical sack of inner clam-shaped metallic liners, forming a tunneling dielectric layer and a vertical semiconductor channel over the vertical stack of discrete charge storage elements and the vertical stack of inner clam-shaped metallic liners, and replacing each of the sacrificial material layers with an electrically conductive layer.

A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures. Memory cells vertically extend through the stack structure, and comprise a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure. An additional stack structure vertically overlies the stack structure and comprises additional conductive structures and additional insulative structures. First pillar structures extend through the additional stack structure and vertically overlie a portion of the memory cells. Second pillar structures are adjacent to the first pillar structures and extend through the additional stack structure and vertically overlie another portion of the memory cells. Slot structures are laterally adjacent to the first pillar structures and to the second pillar structures and extend through at least a portion of the additional stack structure. A distance between the first pillar structures and the slot structures is substantially equal to a distance between the second pillar structures and the slot structures.

A non-volatile memory device includes at least one memory cell, and the at least one memory cell includes a substrate, a stacked structure, a tunneling dielectric layer, a floating gate, a control gate structure, and an erase gate structure. The stacked structure is disposed on the substrate, and includes a gate dielectric layer, an assist gate, and an insulation layer stacked in order. The tunneling dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate at one side of the stacked structure. The floating gate is disposed on the tunneling dielectric layer and includes an uppermost edge and a curved sidewall. The control gate structure covers the curved sidewall of the floating gate. The erase gate structure covers the floating gate and the control gate structure, and the uppermost edge of the floating gate is embedded in the erase gate structure.

A non-volatile memory device includes at least one memory cell, and the at least one memory cell includes a substrate, a stacked structure, a tunneling dielectric layer, a floating gate, a control gate structure, and an erase gate structure. The stacked structure is disposed on the substrate, and includes a gate dielectric layer, an assist gate, and an insulation layer stacked in order. The tunneling dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate at one side of the stacked structure. The floating gate is disposed on the tunneling dielectric layer and includes an uppermost edge and a curved sidewall. The control gate structure covers the curved sidewall of the floating gate. The erase gate structure covers the floating gate and the control gate structure, and the uppermost edge of the floating gate is embedded in the erase gate structure.

A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device including a first peripheral circuit including different decoder circuits, a first memory on the first peripheral circuit, the first memory including a first stack structure having first electrode layers stacked on one another and first inter-electrode dielectric layers therebetween, a first planarized dielectric layer covering an end of the first stack structure, and a through via that penetrates the end of the first stack structure, the through via electrically connected to one of the decoder circuits, and a second memory on the first memory and including a second stack structure having second electrode layers stacked on one another and second inter-electrode dielectric layers therebetween, a second planarized dielectric layer covering an end of the second stack structure, and a cell contact plug electrically connecting one of the second electrode layers to the through via.

A semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a first dielectric layer disposed on a substrate, a floating gate disposed on the dielectric layer, a control gate and a second dielectric layer disposed between the floating gate and the control gate. The second dielectric layer includes one of a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a multi-layer thereof. The first dielectric layer includes a first-first dielectric layer formed on the substrate and a second-first dielectric layer formed on the first-first dielectric layer. The second-first dielectric layer includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than silicon nitride.

A semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a first dielectric layer disposed on a substrate, a floating gate disposed on the dielectric layer, a control gate and a second dielectric layer disposed between the floating gate and the control gate. The second dielectric layer includes one of a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a multi-layer thereof. The first dielectric layer includes a first-first dielectric layer formed on the substrate and a second-first dielectric layer formed on the first-first dielectric layer. The second-first dielectric layer includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than silicon nitride.