A semiconductor device includes: an alternating stack of conductive layers and dielectric layers disposed over a substrate; a channel layer disposed in a through portion, penetrating through the alternating stack; a blocking layer disposed in the through portion, surrounding an outer wall of the channel layer; and a continuous etch stop layer disposed in the through portion, surrounding an outer wall of the blocking layer.

A semiconductor memory device includes first conducting layers and a first semiconductor layer opposed to the first conducting layers. If a concentration of the dopant in the first semiconductor layer is measured along an imaginary straight line, the concentration of the dopant has: a maximum value at a first point, a minimum value in a region closer to the first conducting layer than the first point at a second point; and a minimum value in a region farther from the first conducting layer than the first point at a third point. The second point is nearer to an end portion of the first semiconductor layer on the first conducting layer side than that on the opposite side. The third point is farther from the end portion on the first conducting layer side than that on the opposite side.

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first slit, at least one word line, and a second slit. The first slit is disposed at a boundary between contiguous memory blocks to isolate the memory blocks from each other, and includes a first outer slit and a second outer slit, the second outer slit is spaced apart in a first direction from the first outer slit by a predetermined distance. The word line is disposed, between the first and second outer slits, including a center region having a first end and a second end, and an edge region located at the first end and a second end of the center region, and the second slit is disposed at the center region that isolate area of the word line in the center region on either side of the second slit, wherein the word line is continuous in the edge regions.

A memory device is disclosed. The disclosed memory device may include a first wafer, and a second wafer stacked on and bonded to the first wafer. The first wafer may include a cell structure including a memory cell array; and a first logic structure disposed under the cell structure, and including a column control circuit. The second wafer may include a second logic structure including a row control circuit.

A three-dimensional (3D) memory device includes a doped semiconductor layer, a stack structure, a channel structure, and a semiconductor structure. The stack structure includes a plurality of word lines and a select gate line formed on the doped semiconductor layer. The channel structure extends through the plurality of word lines along a first direction and in contact with the doped semiconductor layer. The semiconductor structure extends through the select gate line along the first direction and in contact with the channel structure. The select gate line extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the drain select gate line around the semiconductor structure is insulated from the drain select gate line around an adjacent semiconductor structure. A width of the semiconductor structure is less than a width of the channel structure.

A memory device includes a staircase structure, multiple first plugs, multiple second plugs, and multiple third plugs. The staircase structure includes multiple gate layers and multiple insulating layers alternately stacked on each other, and the staircase structure includes multiple first blocks and multiple second blocks which alternate with each other. The first plugs are disposed in the first blocks, and the first plugs in a same first block are staggered with each other. The second plugs are disposed in the first blocks. The second plugs in a same first block are staggered with each other, and the first plugs and the second plugs in a same first block are staggered with each other. The third plugs are disposed in the second blocks.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a first stack structure including first gate electrodes on the substrate; and a second stack structure on the first stack structure; wherein the first stack structure includes a first lower staircase region, a second lower staircase region, and a third lower staircase region, wherein the second stack structure includes a first upper staircase region, a second upper staircase region, a third upper staircase region, and at least one through portion penetrating the second stack structure and on the first to third lower staircase regions, wherein the first lower staircase region has a same shape as a shape of the first upper staircase region, the second lower staircase region has a same shape as a shape of the second upper staircase region, and the third lower staircase region has a same shape as a shape of the third upper staircase region.

A vertical repetition of multiple instances of a unit layer stack is formed over a substrate. The unit layer stack includes an insulating layer and a sacrificial material layer. Lateral recesses are formed by removing the sacrificial material layers selective to the insulating layers. Each lateral recess is sequentially fill with at least one conductive fill material and an insulating fill material, and vertically-extending portions of the at least one conductive fill material are removed such that a vertical layer stack including a first-type electrically conductive layer, a seamed insulating layer, and a second-type electrically conductive layer are formed in each lateral recess. Memory opening fill structures including a respective vertical stack of memory elements is formed through the insulating layers and the layer stacks. Access points for providing an etchant for removing the sacrificial material layers may be provided by memory openings, contact via cavities or backside trenches.

A three-dimensional memory device includes a vertical repetition of multiple instances of a unit layer stack, memory openings vertically extending through the vertical repetition, and memory opening fill structures located within the memory openings. Each of the memory opening fill structures contains a respective vertical stack of memory elements. The unit layer stack includes, from bottom to top or from top to bottom, a cavity-free insulating layer that is free of any cavity therein, a first-type electrically conductive layer, a cavity-containing insulating layer including an encapsulated cavity therein, and a second-type electrically conductive layer.

A vertical repetition of multiple instances of a unit layer stack is formed over a substrate. The unit layer stack includes an insulating layer and a sacrificial material layer. Lateral recesses are formed by removing the sacrificial material layers selective to the insulating layers. Each lateral recess is sequentially fill with at least one conductive fill material and an insulating fill material, and vertically-extending portions of the at least one conductive fill material are removed such that a vertical layer stack including a first-type electrically conductive layer, a seamed insulating layer, and a second-type electrically conductive layer are formed in each lateral recess. Memory opening fill structures including a respective vertical stack of memory elements is formed through the insulating layers and the layer stacks. Access points for providing an etchant for removing the sacrificial material layers may be provided by memory openings, contact via cavities or backside trenches.