Some embodiments include an assembly having a stack of alternating dielectric levels and conductive levels. Channel material pillars extend through the stack. Some of the channel material pillars are associated with a first sub-block, and others of the channel material pillars are associated with a second sub-block. Memory cells are along the channel material pillars. An insulative level is over the stack. A select gate configuration is over the insulative level. The select gate configuration includes a first conductive gate structure associated with the first sub-block, and includes a second conductive gate structure associated with the second sub-block. The first and second conductive gate structures are laterally spaced from one another by an intervening insulative region. The first and second conductive gate structures have vertically-spaced conductive regions, and have vertically-extending conductive structures which electrically couple the vertically-spaced conductive regions to one another. Some embodiments include methods of forming assemblies.

An annular dielectric spacer can be formed at a level of a joint-level dielectric material layer between vertically neighboring pairs of alternating stacks of insulating layers and spacer material layers. After formation of a memory opening through multiple alternating stacks and formation of a memory film therein, an anisotropic etch can be performed to remove a horizontal bottom portion of the memory film. The annular dielectric spacer can protect underlying portions of the memory film during the anisotropic etch. In addition, a silicon nitride barrier may be employed to suppress hydrogen diffusion at an edge region of peripheral devices.

A semiconductor device with a reduced area and capable of higher integration and larger storage capacity is provided. A multi-valued memory cell including a reading transistor which includes a back gate electrode and a writing transistor is used. Data is written by turning on the writing transistor so that a potential according to the data is supplied to a node where one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the writing transistor and a gate electrode of the reading transistor are electrically connected to each other, and then turning off the writing transistor and holding a predetermined potential in the node. Data is read by supplying a reading control potential to a control signal line connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the reading transistor, and then detecting potential change of a reading signal line.

Disposed are a semiconductor structure, a manufacturing method thereof and a flash memory. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, first isolation structures, a gate structure and an oxide layer. The first isolation structures define a first active area in a peripheral region of the substrate. The oxide layer is disposed on the substrate in the first active area and covered by the first isolation structures. The oxide layer and the first isolation structures define an opening exposing the substrate. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate in the first active area and includes a gate dielectric layer disposed in the opening and a gate disposed on the gate dielectric layer. The oxide layer is located around the gate dielectric layer. The width of the bottom surface of the gate is less than that of the top surface of the first active area.

An illustrative device disclosed herein includes a first memory cell comprising a first memory gate positioned above an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate and a second memory cell comprising a second memory gate positioned above the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate. In this example, the device also includes a conductive word line structure positioned above the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate between the first and second memory gates, wherein the conductive word line structure is shared by the first and second memory cells.

Methods of fabricating vertical devices are described, along with apparatuses and systems that include them. In one such method, a vertical device is formed at least partially in a void in a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material. Additional embodiments are also described.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include forming split gate structures including a floating gate electrode layer and a control gate electrode layer in a cell region of a substrate including the cell region and a logic region adjacent to the cell region. The method may include sequentially forming a first gate insulating film and a metal gate film in the logic region and the cell region, removing the metal gate film from at least a portion of the cell region and the logic region, forming a second gate insulating film on the first gate insulating film from which the metal gate film has been removed, forming a gate electrode film on the logic region and the cell region, and forming a plurality of memory cell elements disposed in the cell region and a plurality of circuit elements disposed in the logic region.

A method for manufacturing an embedded flash memory device is provided. Memory and logic shallow trench isolation (STI) regions respectively extend into memory and logic regions of a substrate. The memory and logic STI regions have upper surfaces approximately coplanar with an upper surface of a pad layer overlying the substrate. A capping layer is formed overlying the logic region. A first etch is performed into the pad layer to expose memory gaps between the memory STI regions. A floating gate layer is formed filling the memory gaps. A second, dry etch is performed into the floating gate layer to etch the floating gate layer back to below upper surfaces of the capping layer and the memory STI regions. A third etch is performed into the memory STI regions to recess the memory STI regions. A fourth etch is performed into the floating gate layer to form floating gates.

A nonvolatile memory device is provided. The device comprises a floating gate having a first finger and a second finger and an active region below the floating gate fingers. A first doped region is in the active region laterally displaced from the first floating gate finger on a first side. A second doped region is in the active region laterally displaced from the first floating gate finger on a second side. A third doped region is in the active region laterally displaced from the second floating gate finger and the second doped region.

A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, an isolation layer, a trench, a semiconductor active structure, and a floating gate electrode. The isolation layer is disposed on the substrate. The trench penetrates through the isolation layer and exposes a part of the substrate. The semiconductor active structure is disposed in the trench, and the floating gate electrode is disposed on the semiconductor active structure. A manufacturing method of the semiconductor memory device includes the following steps. The isolation layer is formed on the substrate. The trench is formed penetrating through the isolation layer and exposing a part of the substrate. The semiconductor active structure is formed in the trench. The floating gate electrode is formed on the semiconductor active structure.