A semiconductor device includes an upper-level layer having a cell array region, a cell contact region and a dummy region on a substrate. The upper-level layer includes a semiconductor layer, a cell array structure including first and second stack structures sequentially stacked on the semiconductor layer of the cell array region, the first and second stack structures comprising stacked electrodes, a first staircase structure on the semiconductor layer of the cell contact region, the electrodes extending from the cell array structure into the first staircase structure such that the cell array structure is connected to the first staircase structure, a vertical channel structure penetrating the cell array structure, a dummy structure in the dummy region, the dummy structure at the same level as the second stack structure, the dummy structure including stacked first layers, and cell contact plugs in the cell contact region and connected to the first staircase structure.

Apparatuses and methods for stair step formation using at least two masks, such as in a memory device, are provided. One example method can include forming a first mask over a conductive material to define a first exposed area, and forming a second mask over a portion of the first exposed area to define a second exposed area, the second exposed area is less than the first exposed area. Conductive material is removed from the second exposed area. An initial first dimension of the second mask is less than a first dimension of the first exposed area and an initial second dimension of the second mask is at least a second dimension of the first exposed area plus a distance equal to a difference between the initial first dimension of the second mask and a final first dimension of the second mask after a stair step structure is formed.

A semiconductor device that can be downsized more than ever before is provided. A semiconductor device 10 includes: an insulating layer 21 provided on an upper side of a substrate 20; a conductor 110 provided within the insulating layer 21; a conductor 120 provided within the insulating layer 21 and facing the conductor 110 in a first direction parallel with a surface of the substrate 20; and an insulating film 130 provided between the conductor 110 and the conductor 120. A thickness of the insulating film 130 in the first direction is smaller than both of a thickness of the conductor 110 in the first direction and a thickness of the conductor 120 in the first direction. A relative permittivity of the insulating film 130 is higher than a relative permittivity of the insulating layer 21. The conductor 110 and the conductor 120 extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction and parallel with the substrate 20.

A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulating structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising one of the conductive structures and one of the insulating structures, staircase structures within the stack structure and having steps comprising edges of the tiers, and a doped dielectric material adjacent the steps of the staircase structures and comprising silicon dioxide doped with one or more of boron, phosphorus, carbon, and fluorine, the doped dielectric material having a greater ratio of Si—O—Si bonds to water than borophosphosilicate glass. Related methods of forming a microelectronic device and related electronic systems are also disclosed.

A semiconductor device includes a cell array including a source structure, a peripheral circuit, an interconnection structure located between the cell array and the peripheral circuit and electrically coupled to the peripheral circuit, and a decoupling structure configured to prevent a coupling capacitor that occurs between the cell array and the interconnection structure.

A semiconductor memory device and method of making the same are disclosed. The semiconductor memory device includes a substrate that includes a memory region and a peripheral region, a transistor including a metal gate located in the peripheral region, a composite dielectric film structure located over the metal gate of the transistor, the composite dielectric film structure including a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, where the second dielectric layer has a greater density than a density of the first dielectric layer, and at least one memory cell located in the memory region. The composite dielectric film structure provides enhanced protection of the metal gate against etching damage and thereby improves device performance.

Various embodiments of the present application are directed to a method for forming an embedded memory boundary structure with a boundary sidewall spacer. In some embodiments, an isolation structure is formed in a semiconductor substrate to separate a memory region from a logic region. A multilayer film is formed covering the semiconductor substrate. A memory structure is formed on the memory region from the multilayer film. An etch is performed into the multilayer film to remove the multilayer film from the logic region, such that the multilayer film at least partially defines a dummy sidewall on the isolation structure. A spacer layer is formed covering the memory structure, the isolation structure, and the logic region, and further lining the dummy sidewall. An etch is performed into the spacer layer to form a spacer on dummy sidewall from the spacer layer. A logic device structure is formed on the logic region.

A three-dimensional semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises a substrate including first and second areas; first and second main separation patterns, disposed on the substrate and intersecting the first and second areas; gate electrodes disposed between the first and second main separation patterns and forming a stacked gate group, the gate electrodes sequentially stacked on the first area and extending in a direction from the first area to the second area; and at least one secondary separation pattern disposed on the second area, disposed between the first and second main separation patterns, and penetrating through the gate electrodes disposed on the second area. The gate electrodes include pad portions on the second area, and the pad portions are thicker than the gate electrodes disposed on the first area and in contact with the at least one secondary separation pattern.

A semiconductor device structure that comprises tiers of alternating dielectric levels and conductive levels and a carbon-doped silicon nitride over the tiers of the staircase structure. The carbon-doped silicon nitride excludes silicon carbon nitride. A method of forming the semiconductor device structure comprises forming stairs in a staircase structure comprising alternating dielectric levels and conductive levels. A carbon-doped silicon nitride is formed over the stairs, an oxide material is formed over the carbon-doped silicon nitride, and openings are formed in the oxide material. The openings extend to the carbon-doped silicon nitride. The carbon-doped silicon nitride is removed to extend the openings into the conductive levels of the staircase structure. Additional methods are disclosed.

A semiconductor memory device includes a mold structure including gate electrodes stacked on a first substrate, a channel structure that penetrates a first region of the mold structure to cross the gate electrodes, a first through structure that penetrates a second region of the mold structure, and a second through structure that penetrates a third region of the mold structure. The mold structure further includes memory cell blocks extending in a first direction and spaced apart in a second direction, and a dummy block extending in the first direction and disposed between the memory cell blocks. Each of the memory cell blocks and the dummy block includes a cell region and an extension region arranged in the first direction. The first region is the cell region of one of the memory cell blocks, the second region is the extension region of the one of the memory cell blocks, and the third region is the extension region of the dummy block.