A device comprises a nanowire over a substrate, wherein the nanowire comprises a first drain/source region over the substrate, a channel region over the first drain/source region and a second drain/source region over the channel region, a high-k dielectric layer and a control gate layer surrounding a lower portion of the channel region and a tunneling layer and a ring-shaped floating gate layer surrounding an upper portion of the channel region.

The disclosure, belonging to the technological field of semiconductor memory, specifically relates to a semi-floating-gate device which comprises at least a semiconductor substrate, a source region, a drain region, a floating gate, a control gate, a perpendicular channel region and a gated p-n junction diode used to connect the floating gate and the substrate. The semi-floating-gate device disclosed in the disclosure using the floating gate to store information and realizing charging or discharging of the floating gate through a gated p-n junction diode boasts small unit area, high chip density, low operating voltage in data storage and strong ability in data retain.

The present disclosure relates to a non-volatile memory on a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a first memory cell comprising a floating-gate transistor and a select transistor having an embedded vertical control gate, a second memory cell comprising a floating-gate transistor and a select transistor having the same control gate as the select transistor of the first memory cell, a first bit line coupled to the floating-gate transistor of the first memory cell, and a second bit line coupled to the floating-gate transistor of the second memory cell.

Vertical memories and methods of making the same are discussed generally herein. In one embodiment, a vertical memory can include a vertical pillar extending to a source, an etch stop tier over the source, and a stack of alternating dielectric tiers and conductive tiers over the etch stop tier. The etch stop tier can comprise a blocking dielectric adjacent to the pillar. In another embodiment, the etch stop tier can comprise a blocking dielectric adjacent to the pillar, and a plurality of dielectric films horizontally extending from the blocking dielectric into the etch stop tier.

A semiconductor device includes an interlayer insulating layer having openings, contact plugs formed in lower parts of the openings, wherein the contact plugs include a first conductive layer, and bit lines formed in upper parts of the openings and coupled to the contact plugs, wherein the bit lines include a second conductive layer.

Methods of making monolithic three-dimensional memory devices include performing a first etch to form a memory opening and a second etch using a different etching process to remove a damaged portion of the semiconductor substrate from the bottom of the memory opening. A single crystal semiconductor material is formed over the substrate in the memory opening using an epitaxial growth process. Additional embodiments include improving the quality of the interface between the semiconductor channel material and the underlying semiconductor layers in the memory opening which may be damaged by the bottom opening etch, including forming single crystal semiconductor channel material by epitaxial growth from the bottom surface of the memory opening and/or oxidizing surfaces exposed to the bottom opening etch and removing the oxidized surfaces prior to forming the channel material. Monolithic three-dimensional memory devices formed by the embodiment methods are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for multitasking using touch-sensitive devices are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a method includes: displaying, on a touch-sensitive display (TSD) of a device, first and second applications such that the first and second applications occupy substantially all of the TSD and are separated at a border between the first and second applications. The method further includes: detecting a swipe gesture at the second application , the swipe gesture moving in a direction that is substantially parallel to the border. In response to detecting the swipe gesture, the method includes: determining whether the swipe gesture satisfies a threshold. Upon determining that the swipe gesture satisfies the threshold, the method includes: replacing the second application with an application selector that includes a plurality of selectable affordances corresponding to applications available on the device, the application selector being displayed in an area of the TSD previously occupied by the second application.

Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a plurality of gate electrodes. The semiconductor device includes a channel structure adjacent the plurality of gate electrodes. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of charge storage segments between the channel structure and the plurality of gate electrodes. Methods of forming semiconductor devices are also provided.

A vertical memory device includes a substrate, a channel, gate lines and a connecting portion. A plurality of the channels extend in a first direction which is vertical to a top surface of a substrate. A plurality of the gate lines are stacked in the first direction to be spaced apart from each other and extend in a second, lengthwise direction, each gate line intersecting a set of channels and surrounding outer sidewalls of each channel of the set of channels. The gate lines forms a stepped structure which includes a plurality of vertical levels. A connecting portion connects a group of gate lines of the plurality of gate lines located at the same vertical level, the connecting portion diverging from the second direction in which the gate lines of the group of gate lines extend.

A low electric field source erasable non-volatile memory unit includes a substrate having a source diffusion region and a drain diffusion region. The source diffusion region includes a heavily-doped region and a lightly-doped region extending. A first dielectric layer and a tunnel dielectric layer are formed on the substrate. The tunnel dielectric layer includes a lower face contiguous to or partially overlapped with the lightly-doped region of the source diffusion region. A select gate and a floating gate are respectively formed on the first dielectric layer and the tunnel dielectric layer. The floating gate includes a source side edge contiguous to or partially overlapped with the lightly-doped region and misaligned from the heavily-doped region by a distance. A second dielectric layer and a control gate are formed on the floating gate. The control gate and the floating gate are insulating to each other by the second dielectric layer.