A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and word lines located over a front side surface of a semiconductor substrate, memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, in which each of the memory stack structures includes a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel contacting an inner sidewall of the memory film, drain regions contacting a respective vertical semiconductor channel, bit lines electrically connected to the respective drain regions, driver circuitry for the memory stack structures located on a backside of the semiconductor substrate, and electrically conductive paths vertically extending through the semiconductor substrate and electrically connecting nodes of the driver circuitry to respective word lines or bit lines.

A three-dimensional memory device includes conductive structures located over a substrate, an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers formed over the conductive structures, and an array of memory structures formed through the alternating stack. Each of the memory structures includes memory elements located at levels of the electrically conductive layers. A contact region can be formed on the alternating stack. Two-stage contact via cavities having a greater width above a top surface of a respective electrically conductive layer and having a narrower width through the alternating stack can be formed in the contact region. Upper insulating spacers and lower insulating spacers are formed such that annular surfaces of the respective electrically conductive layer are physically exposed. Two-stage contact via structures can provide electrical contact between the electrically conductive layers and the conductive structures.

Various embodiments provide a memory cell that includes a vertical selection gate, a floating gate extending above the substrate, wherein the floating gate also extends above a portion of the vertical selection gate, over a non-zero overlap distance, the memory cell comprising a doped region implanted at the intersection of a vertical channel region extending opposite the selection gate and a horizontal channel region extending opposite the floating gate.

Disclosed herein is a 3D memory with a select transistor, and method for fabricating the same. The select transistor may have a conductive floating gate, a conductive control gate, a first dielectric between the conductive floating gate and the conductive control gate, and a second dielectric between a body and the conductive floating gate. In one aspect, a uniform gate dielectric is formed using lateral epitaxial growth in a recess adjacent a crystalline semiconductor select transistor body, followed by forming the gate dielectric from the epitaxial growth. Techniques help to prevent, or at least reduce, a leakage current between the select transistor control gate and the select transistor body and/or the semiconductor substrate below the select transistor. Therefore, select transistors having a substantially uniform threshold voltage, on current, and S-factor are achieved. Also, select transistors have a high on-current and a steep sub-threshold slope.

A semiconductor memory device includes a first memory cell array layer includes a first memory cell array region, in which memory cells are 3-dimensionally arrayed, and a first and second surface wiring layer connected to the memory cells. A second memory cell array layer includes second memory cell array region, in which memory cells are 3-dimensionally arrayed, and a third and fourth surface wiring layer connected to the second plurality of memory cells. The first memory cell array layer and the second memory cell array layer are bonded to each other such that the second surface wiring layer and the third surface wiring layer face each other and are bonded to each other. The first and second memory cell array regions overlap each other as viewed from a direction orthogonal to a layer plane.

Provided are three-dimensional nonvolatile memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The memory devices include semiconductor pillars penetrating interlayer insulating layers and conductive layers alternately stacked on a substrate and electrically connected to the substrate and floating gates selectively interposed between the semiconductor pillars and the conductive layers. The floating gates are formed in recesses in the conductive layers.

Various embodiments provide a memory cell that includes a vertical selection gate, a floating gate extending above the substrate, wherein the floating gate also extends above a portion of the vertical selection gate, over a non-zero overlap distance, the memory cell comprising a doped region implanted at the intersection of a vertical channel region extending opposite the selection gate and a horizontal channel region extending opposite the floating gate.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate; a stacked body; a columnar portion; a plate portion; and a sidewall insulating film. The thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is 1. The stacked body includes a plurality of electrode layers and a memory cell array. The columnar portion includes a semiconductor body and a charge storage film. The plate portion includes a first layer and a second layer. The thermal expansion coefficient of the first layer is the .sub.2 being different from the .sub.1. The thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer is the .sub.3 being different from the .sub.2. The value of the .sub.3 is in a direction from the value of the .sub.2 toward the value of the .sub.1. The second layer faces the major surface of the substrate continuously in the memory cell array.

The memory string comprises: a plurality of control gate electrodes stacked on the substrate and extending in a first direction and a second direction parallel to the substrate; a semiconductor layer that has one end thereof connected to the substrate, has as its longitudinal direction a third direction perpendicular to the substrate, and faces the plurality of control gate electrodes; and a charge accumulation layer positioned between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor layer. The contact includes, in the third direction, a first portion, a second portion which is more to a substrate side than is the first portion, and a third portion which is more to the substrate side than is the second portion. A width of the second portion is larger than a width of the first portion, and larger than a width of the third portion.

Various embodiments provide a memory cell that includes a vertical selection gate, a floating gate extending above the substrate, wherein the floating gate also extends above a portion of the vertical selection gate, over a non-zero overlap distance, the memory cell comprising a doped region implanted at the intersection of a vertical channel region extending opposite the selection gate and a horizontal channel region extending opposite the floating gate.