A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a plurality of insulating layers and wiring layers that are alternately formed, and a plurality of first layers and second layers that are alternately formed. The substrate has a memory region extending in first and second directions along a surface of the substrate, a step region adjacent to the memory region in the first direction, and a peripheral region adjacent to the memory region and the step region in the second direction. The insulating layers and the wiring layers are formed on the memory region and the step region. The first and second layers are formed on the peripheral region. Each of the first layers is formed on a same level as and in contact with one of the insulating layers, and each of the second layers is formed on a same level as and in contact with one of the wiring layers.

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 and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor structure and an input/output pad. The semiconductor structure includes a first substrate and a conductive layer, in which the first substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the conductive layer is disposed on the first surface of the first substrate, and the conductive layer includes one or more first trace. The first semiconductor structure has a recess penetrating the first substrate and exposing the one or more first trace, and the input/output pad is disposed on the one or more first trace and in the recess.

Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack including interleaved stack conductive layers and stack dielectric layers, a semiconductor layer, a plurality of channel structures each extending vertically through the memory stack into the semiconductor layer, and an insulating structure extending vertically through the memory stack and including a dielectric layer doped with at least one of hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen.

A nonvolatile memory device includes a peripheral circuit including a first active region and a memory block including a second active region on the peripheral circuit. The memory block includes a vertical structure including pairs of a first insulating layer and a first conductive layer, a second insulating layer on the vertical structure, a second conductive layer and a third conductive layer spaced apart from each other on the second insulating layer, first vertical channels and second vertical channels. The second conductive layer and the third conductive layer are connected with a first through via penetrating the vertical structure, the second active region, and a region of the second insulating layer that is exposed between the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer.

A 3D memory device and a method of manufacturing the same, the device including a substrate including a cell and an extension region; a cell stack including insulation layers and word lines alternately stacked on the substrate; channel structures vertically passing through the cell stack; a word line separation layer vertically passing through the cell stack and extending lengthwise in a first direction; a contact plug vertically connected to the word lines on the extension region; and a bit line extending lengthwise in a second direction on the channel structures, wherein each of the word lines includes an inner pattern including polysilicon; and an outer pattern including metal, the outer pattern surrounds an outer surface of the inner pattern, the channel structures vertically pass through the inner pattern, and the contact plug is on the outer pattern.

Some embodiments include an assembly having conductive structures distributed along a level within a memory array region and another region proximate the memory array region. The conductive structures include a first stack over a metal-containing region. A semiconductor material is within the first stack. A second stack is over the conductive structures, and includes alternating conductive tiers and insulative tiers. Cell-material-pillars are within the memory array region. The cell-material-pillars include channel material. The semiconductor material directly contacts the channel material. Conductive post structures are within the other region. Some of the conductive post structures are dummy structures and have bottom surfaces which are entirely along an insulative oxide material. Others of the conductive post structures are live posts electrically coupled with CMOS circuitry. Some embodiments include methods of forming assemblies.

A semiconductor device includes a stack structure and an insulation structure that covers the stack structure, a vertical memory structure that penetrates the stack structure, and a separation structure that penetrates the stack structure and has an upper surface located at a higher level than an upper surface of the vertical memory structure. The stack structure includes three gate stack groups stacked in a vertical direction. Each of the three gate stack groups includes gate layers stacked and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. At a height level between a lowermost gate layer and an uppermost gate layer, a side surface of the vertical memory structure includes memory side surface slope changing portions, and a side surface of the separation structure includes separation side surface slope changing portions positioned at substantially a same height level as some of the memory side surface slope changing portions.

An example memory device includes a channel positioned between and electrically connecting a first diffusion region and a second diffusion region, and a tunnel dielectric layer, a multi-layer charge trapping layer, and a blocking dielectric layer disposed between the gate structure and the channel. The multi-layer charge trapping layer includes a first dielectric layer disposed abutting a second dielectric layer and an anti-tunneling layer disposed between the first and second dielectric layers. The anti-tunneling layer includes an oxide layer. The first dielectric layer includes oxygen-rich nitride and the second dielectric layer includes oxygen-lean nitride.

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.