A method used in forming an array of memory cells comprises forming a vertical stack comprising transistor material directly above and directly against a first capacitor electrode material. A mask is used to subtractively etch both the transistor material and thereafter the first capacitor electrode material to form a plurality of pillars that individually comprise the transistor material and the first capacitor electrode material. Capacitors are formed that individually comprise the first capacitor electrode material of individual of the pillars. Vertical transistors are formed above the capacitors that individually comprise the transistor material of the individual pillars. Other aspects and embodiments are disclosed, including structure independent of method.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure and a semiconductor structure are provided. The manufacturing method includes the following operations. A substrate is provided, and a first groove and a second groove are formed in the substrate, each of the first groove and the second groove having a depth in a first direction. The first groove includes multiple first sub-grooves arranged in the first direction, the second groove includes multiple second sub-grooves arranged in the first direction, and sidewalls of the first sub-grooves and sidewalls of the second sub-grooves are convex outwards. Word lines protruding away from the first groove each are formed at an interface of adjacent first sub-grooves. First source-drain layers formed on the sidewalls of the first sub-grooves, and second source-drain layers protruding away from the second groove each are formed at an interface of adjacent second sub-grooves.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, at least one dielectric layer and a capacitor structure. The at least one dielectric layer is disposed over the substrate, and the at least one dielectric layer includes a step edge profile. The capacitor structure is disposed over the substrate. The capacitor structure includes a bottom electrode, a capacitor dielectric layer and a top electrode. The bottom electrode covers the step edge profile of the at least one dielectric layer and has a first step profile substantially conformal to the step edge profile of the at least one dielectric layer. The capacitor dielectric layer covers the bottom electrode and has a second step profile substantially conformal to the first step profile. The top electrode covers the capacitor dielectric layer.

Disclosed is a vertically stacked 3D memory device, and the memory device may include a bit line extended vertically from a substrate, and including a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion, a vertical active layer configured to surround the first and second vertical portions of the bit line, a word line configured to surround the vertical active layer and the first vertical portion of the bit line, and a capacitor spaced apart vertically from the word line, and configured to surround the vertical active layer and the second vertical portion of the bit line.

A semiconductor device includes an insulating base including a trench, a transistor including a gate electrode and vertical channel in the trench, and a source electrode in the insulating base outside the trench, an isolation layer on the gate electrode in the trench, and a capacitor including a trench capacitor portion that is on the isolation layer in the trench, and a stacked capacitor portion that is coupled to the source electrode of the transistor outside the trench.

A vertical-type nonvolatile memory device has a multi-stack structure with reduced susceptibility to mis-alignment of a vertical channel layer. This nonvolatile memory device includes: (i) a main chip area including a cell area and an extension area arranged to have a stepped structure, with the cell area and the extension area formed in a multi-stack structure, and (ii) an outer chip area, which surrounds the main chip area and includes a step key therein. The main chip area includes a first layer on a substrate and a second layer on the first layer. A lower vertical channel layer is arranged in the first layer. The step key includes an alignment vertical channel layer, and a top surface of the alignment vertical channel layer is lower than a top surface of the lower vertical channel layer.

Structures and methods for making vertical transistors in the Embedded Dynamic Random Access Memory (eDRAM) scheme are provided. A method includes: providing a bulk substrate with a first doped layer thereon, depositing a first hard mask over the substrate, forming a trench through the substrate, filling the trench with a first polysilicon material, and after filling the trench with the first polysilicon material, i) growing a second polysilicon material over the first polysilicon material and ii) epitaxially growing a second doped layer over the first doped layer, where the grown second polysilicon material and epitaxially grown second doped layer form a basis for a strap merging the second doped layer and the second polysilicon material

A vertical-type nonvolatile memory device has a multi-stack structure with reduced susceptibility to mis-alignment of a vertical channel layer. This nonvolatile memory device includes: (i) a main chip area including a cell area and an extension area arranged to have a stepped structure, with the cell area and the extension area formed in a multi-stack structure, and (ii) an outer chip area, which surrounds the main chip area and includes a step key therein. The main chip area includes a first layer on a substrate and a second layer on the first layer. A lower vertical channel layer is arranged in the first layer. The step key includes an alignment vertical channel layer, and a top surface of the alignment vertical channel layer is lower than a top surface of the lower vertical channel layer.

A semiconductor device includes an insulating base including a trench, a transistor including a gate electrode and vertical channel in the trench, and a source electrode in the insulating base outside the trench, an isolation layer on the gate electrode in the trench, and a capacitor including a trench capacitor portion that is on the isolation layer in the trench, and a stacked capacitor portion that is coupled to the source electrode of the transistor outside the trench.

Some embodiments include a memory cell having first, second and third transistors, with the second and third transistors being vertically displaced relative to one another. The memory cell has a semiconductor pillar extending along the second and third transistors, with the semiconductor pillar containing channel regions and source/drain regions of the second and third transistors. A capacitor may be electrically coupled between a source/drain region of the first transistor and a gate of the second transistor.