A vertical semiconductor device includes a channel structure extending from a substrate in a first direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, and a ground selection line, word lines, and a string selection line sequentially formed on a side surface of the channel structure in the first direction to be separated from one another. The channel structure includes a protruding region formed in a side wall portion of the channel structure between the ground selection line and the upper surface of the substrate, the protruding region protruding in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

A neuromorphic device may include: a plurality of row lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of additional row lines extending in the first direction; a plurality of column lines extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction; and a plurality of synapses positioned at intersections of the row lines, the additional row lines, and the column lines, wherein each of the synapses includes a transistor comprising a floating gate, a control gate insulated from the floating gate, a first junction, and a second junction, the control gate being coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of row lines, the first junction being coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of additional row lines, the second junction being coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of column lines.

Methods for building a memory device or electronic system may include a memory cell body extending from a substrate, a self-aligned floating gate separated from the memory cell body by a tunneling dielectric film, and a control gate separated from the self-aligned floating gate by a blocking dielectric film. The floating gate is flanked by the memory cell body and the control gate to form a memory cell, and the self-aligned floating gate is at least as thick as the control gate.

The present disclosure relates to a vertical transistor device having rectangular vertical channel bars extending between a source region and a drain region, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the vertical transistor device has a source region disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A channel region with one or more vertical channel bars is disposed over the source region. The one or more vertical channel bars have a bottom surface abutting the source region that has a rectangular shape (i.e., a shape with four sides, with adjacent sides of different length, and four right angles). A gate region is located over the source region at a position abutting the vertical channel bars, and a drain region is disposed over the gate region and the vertical channel bars. The rectangular shape of the vertical channel bars provides for a vertical device having good performance and cell area density.

Alignment between memory openings through multiple tier structures can be facilitated employing a temporary landing pad. The temporary landing pad can have a greater area than the horizontal cross-sectional area of a first memory opening through a first tier structure including a first alternating stack of first insulating layers and first spacer material layers. An upper portion of a first memory film is removed, and a sidewall of an insulating cap layer that defines the first memory opening can be laterally recessed to form a recessed cavity. A sacrificial fill material is deposited in the recessed cavity to form a sacrificial fill material portion, which functions as the temporary landing pad for a second memory opening that is subsequently formed through a second tier structure including second insulating layers and second spacer material layers. A memory stack structure can be formed through the first and second tier structures.

A memory cell formed in a semiconductor substrate, includes a selection gate extending vertically in a trench made in the substrate, and isolated from the substrate by a first layer of gate oxide, a horizontal floating gate extending above the substrate and isolated from the substrate by a second layer of gate oxide, and a horizontal control gate extending above the floating gate. The selection gate covers a lateral face of the floating gate. The floating gate is separated from the selection gate only by the first layer of gate oxide, and separated from a vertical channel region, extending in the substrate along the selection gate, only by the second layer of gate oxide.

A non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a vertical channel, a control gate, a floating gate, and an erase gate disposed on a substrate. The vertical channel extends upwards in a vertical direction. The control gate, the floating gate, and the erase gate surround the vertical channel respectively, and a part of the floating gate is surrounded by the control gate. The erase gate is disposed between the substrate and the floating gate in the vertical direction, and the floating gate include a tip extending toward the erase gate. The vertical channel and electrodes surrounding the vertical channel, such as the control gate, the floating gate, and the erase gate, are used to reduce the area of the memory cell on the substrate of the non-volatile memory device in the present invention. The density of the memory cells may be enhanced accordingly.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device may include the following steps: providing a spacer structure on a first side of a stack structure, wherein the stack structure includes a mask and a conductor; providing an etch stop layer, wherein a portion of the etch stop layer directly contacts both the mask and a portion of the spacer structure; providing a dielectric material member on the etch stop layer; partially removing the first dielectric material member to expose the portion of the etch stop layer; removing the portion of the etch stop layer to expose the portion of the spacer structure; removing the portion of the spacer structure to expose a side of the mask and to form a first spacer; and providing a second spacer, which directly contacts both the first spacer and the side of the mask.

Various embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the same. One such apparatus can include a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material, and a conductive material between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material. A charge storage element, such as a floating gate or charge trap, is between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material and adjacent to the conductive material. The charge storage element has a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are substantially separated from the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material, respectively, by a first air gap and a second air gap. Additional apparatuses and methods are disclosed.

Some embodiments include a transistor having a first electrically conductive gate portion along a first segment of a channel region and a second electrically conductive gate portion along a second segment of the channel region. The second electrically conductive gate portion is a different composition than the first electrically conductive gate portion. Some embodiments include a method of forming a semiconductor construction. First semiconductor material and metal-containing material are formed over a NAND string. An opening is formed through the metal-containing material and the first semiconductor material, and is lined with gate dielectric. Second semiconductor material is provided within the opening to form a channel region of a transistor. The transistor is a select device electrically coupled to the NAND string.