Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same include forming an etch mask on a stack of alternating dielectric layers and conductor layers. An exposed portion of a dielectric layer and a conductor layer is etched away to form a wordline. The forming and etching steps are repeated, adding additional etch mask material at each iteration, to form respective wordlines at each iteration.

Described is selective deposition of a silicon nitride (SiN) trap layer to form a memory device. A sacrificial layer is used for selective deposition in order to permit selective trap deposition. The trap layer is formed by deposition of a mold including a sacrificial layer, memory hole (MH) patterning, sacrificial layer recess from MH side, forming a deposition-enabling layer (DEL) on a side of the recess, and selective deposition of trap layer. After removing the sacrificial layer from a slit pattern opening, the deposition-enabling layer (DEL) is converted into an oxide to be used as blocking oxide.

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices with an enlarged joint critical dimension and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device is disclosed. The 3D memory device includes a substrate, a memory stack having a plurality of interleaved conductor layers and dielectric layers on the substrate, and a memory string extending vertically through the first memory stack and having a memory film along a sidewall of the memory string. The memory film includes a discontinuous blocking layer interposed by the dielectric layers.

A semiconductor memory device includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip. Each semiconductor chip of the first and second semiconductor chips may include a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region. The cell array region may include an electrode structure including electrodes sequentially stacked on a body conductive layer and vertical structures extending through the electrode structure and connected to the body conductive layer. The peripheral circuit region may include a residual substrate on the body conductive layer and on which a peripheral transistor is located. A bottom surface of the body conductive layer of the second semiconductor chip may face a bottom surface of the body conductive layer of the first semiconductor chip.

A vertical-type memory device includes a plurality of gate electrode layers spaced apart from one another and stacked on a substrate, and extending by different lengths in a first direction and forming a staircase structure, a first interlayer insulating layer covering the staircase structure of the plurality of gate electrode layers, and a plurality of gate contact plugs penetrating the interlayer insulating layer and respectively in contact with the gate electrode layers. The plurality of gate electrode layers include lower gate electrode layers disposed adjacently to the substrate, and upper gate electrode layers disposed on the lower gate electrode layers, so that the lower gate electrodes are between the substrate and the upper gate electrode layers. The plurality of gate contact plugs include lower gate contact plugs connected to the lower gate electrode layers, and upper gate contact plugs connected to the upper gate electrode layers. The upper gate contact plugs have top-most portions disposed at a height higher than a height of top surfaces of the lower gate contact plugs.

The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes: providing a substrate includes a first region and a second region; forming a first polycrystalline silicon layer on the substrate, wherein the first polycrystalline silicon layer covers the first region and the second region; forming a stacked structure on the first polycrystalline silicon layer; forming a protective layer on the stacked structure; forming a patterned photoresist layer on the protective layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer exposes the protective layer in the second region; removing the protective layer and the stacked structure in the second region to expose the first polycrystalline silicon layer in the second region; removing the patterned photoresist layer; and forming a second polycrystalline silicon layer on the protective layer in the first region and the first polycrystalline silicon layer in the second region.

A gate electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate between an n-type source region and an n-type drain region via a first insulating film. The first insulating film has second and third insulating films adjacent to each other in a plan view and, in a gate length direction of the gate electrode, the second insulating film is located on an n-type source region side, and the third insulating film is located on an n-type drain region side. The second insulating film is thinner than the third insulating film. The third insulating film is made of a laminated film having a first insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, a second insulating film on the first insulating film, and a third insulating film on the second insulating film, and each bandgap of the three insulating films is larger than that of the second insulating film.

A memory device is described. Generally, the device includes a string of memory transistors, a source select transistor coupled to a first end of the string of memory transistor and a drain select transistor coupled to a second end of the string of memory transistor. Each memory transistor includes a gate electrode formed adjacent to a charge trapping layer and there is neither a source nor a drain junction between adjacent pairs of memory transistors or between the memory transistors and source select transistor or drain select transistor. In one embodiment, the memory transistors are spaced apart from adjacent memory transistors and the source select transistor and drain select transistor, such that channels are formed therebetween based on a gate fringing effect associated with the memory transistors. Other embodiments are also described.

A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same are provided. In one embodiment, method includes forming a first oxide layer over a substrate, forming a silicon-rich, oxygen-rich, oxynitride layer on the first oxide layer, forming a silicon-rich, nitrogen-rich, and oxygen-lean nitride layer over the oxynitride layer, and forming a second oxide layer on the nitride layer. Generally, the nitride layer includes a majority of charge traps distributed in the oxynitride layer and the nitride layer. Optionally, the method further includes forming a middle oxide layer between the oxynitride layer and the nitride layer. Other embodiments are also described.

A semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell. The NVM cell includes a semiconductor wire disposed over an insulating layer disposed on a substrate. The NVM cell includes a select transistor and a control transistor. The select transistor includes a gate dielectric layer disposed around the semiconductor wire and a select gate electrode disposed on the gate dielectric layer. The control transistor includes a stacked dielectric layer disposed around the semiconductor wire and a control gate electrode disposed on the stacked dielectric layer. The stacked dielectric layer includes a charge trapping layer. The select gate electrode is disposed adjacent to the control gate electrode with the stacked dielectric layer interposed therebetween.