A method for forming the gate structure of the NAND memory, comprising the steps of disposing a gate structure layer, a pattern transfer layer, a TEOS structure, and an organic dielectric Tri-Layer on a substrate sequentially; performing a patterning using a first photomask and a first photoresist layer; performing an etching process to form a control gate structure, a peripheral gate structure and a select gate structure; performing a trimming process to them; patterning sidewalls on sides of them; performing a second patterning using a second photomask as a mask and a second photoresist layer to protect the peripheral gate structure, the select gate structure, and their sidewalls; removing the control gate structure between its sidewalls; performing etching by using the sidewalls, the peripheral gate structure and the select gate structure as masks to form the control gate, the peripheral gate, and the select gate.

A nonvolatile memory device according to an embodiment includes a substrate having an upper surface, a gate line structure disposed over the substrate, a gate dielectric layer covering one sidewall surface of the gate line structure and disposed over the substrate, a channel layer disposed to cover the gate dielectric layer and disposed over the substrate, a bit line structure and a resistance change structure to contact different portions of the channel layer over the substrate, and a source line structure disposed in the resistance change structure. The gate line structure includes at least one gate electrode layer pattern and interlayer insulation layer pattern that are alternately stacked along a first direction perpendicular to the substrate, and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices and fabricating methods thereof are disclosed. The method includes: forming an alternating dielectric stack on a substrate; forming a top selective gate cut and two structure strengthen plugs in an upper portion of the alternating dielectric stack, wherein each structure strengthen plug has a narrow support body and two enlarged connecting portions; forming a plurality of channel structures in the alternating dielectric stack; forming a plurality of gate line silts in the alternating dielectric stack, wherein each gate line slit exposes a sidewall of one enlarged connecting portion of a corresponding structure strengthen plug; transforming the alternating dielectric stack into an alternating conductive/dielectric stack; and forming a gate line slit structure in each gate line slit including an enlarged end portion connected to one enlarged connecting portion of a corresponding structure strengthen plug.

A semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a first dielectric layer disposed on a substrate, a floating gate disposed on the dielectric layer, a control gate. A second dielectric layer is disposed between the floating gate and the control gate, having one of a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide layer and multilayers thereof. A third dielectric layer is disposed between the second dielectric layer and the control gate, and includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than silicon nitride.

A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a plurality of conductive layers, a first semiconductor layer, a memory portion, and a drive circuit which drives the memory cell. The conductive layers are provided in a first region, a second region, and a third region different from the first region and the second region, and a portion positioned in the third region is insulated from a portion positioned in the first region and the second region. The drive circuit is provided in the third region, and includes a second semiconductor layer, and an insulating layer, and one end of the second semiconductor layer is connected to the conductive layers in the second region and the other end of the second semiconductor layer is connected to the substrate.

Disclosed is a three-dimensional semiconductor device comprising channel regions that penetrate the stack structure and extend in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the first substrate, a first interlayer dielectric layer on the stack structure, and a peripheral circuit structure on the first interlayer dielectric layer. The peripheral circuit structure includes peripheral circuit elements on a first surface of a second substrate. The peripheral circuit elements are electrically connected to the channel regions and at least one of the gate electrodes. The first substrate has a first crystal plane parallel to the top surface thereof. The second substrate has a second crystal plane parallel to the first surface thereof. An arrangement direction of atoms of the first crystal plane intersects an arrangement direction of atoms of the second crystal plane.

A semiconductor memory device includes a stack structure including a plurality of first dielectric layers alternately stacked with a plurality of second dielectric layers over a first substrate in a coupling region, and including a plurality of electrode layers alternately stacked with the plurality of first dielectric layers over the first substrate outside the coupling region; and a plurality of vias passing through the stack structure in a first direction that is perpendicular to a top surface of the first substrate and disposed at edges of the coupling region to define an etch barrier. Each of the plurality of vias comprising: a pillar portion extending in the first direction; and a plurality of extended portions, extending radially from an outer circumference of the pillar portion and parallel to the top surface of the first substrate, that are coextensive in the first direction with the plurality of second dielectric layers.

A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device including a first peripheral circuit including different decoder circuits, a first memory on the first peripheral circuit, the first memory including a first stack structure having first electrode layers stacked on one another and first inter-electrode dielectric layers therebetween, a first planarized dielectric layer covering an end of the first stack structure, and a through via that penetrates the end of the first stack structure, the through via electrically connected to one of the decoder circuits, and a second memory on the first memory and including a second stack structure having second electrode layers stacked on one another and second inter-electrode dielectric layers therebetween, a second planarized dielectric layer covering an end of the second stack structure, and a cell contact plug electrically connecting one of the second electrode layers to the through via.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate structure having an active region, a gate insulating layer, a charge storage layer, a gate dielectric layer, and a gate layer sequentially formed on the active region. The method also includes forming a patterned metal layer on the substrate structure, removing a respective portion of the gate layer, the gate dielectric layer, the charge storage layer using the patterned metal gate layer as a mask to form multiple gate structures separated from each other by a space. The gate structures each include a stack containing a second portion of the charge storage layer, the gate dielectric layer, the gate layer, and one of the gate lines. The method further includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a surface of the gate structures stretching over the space while forming an air gap in the space.

After forming a first sacrificial gate stack over a portion of a first semiconductor fin located in a logic device region of a substrate, and a second sacrificial gate stack over a portion of a second semiconductor fin located in a memory device region of the substrate, in which each of the first sacrificial gate stack and the second sacrificial gate stack includes, from bottom to top, a tunneling oxide portion, a floating gate electrode, a control oxide portion, a gate conductor and a gate cap, an entirety of the first sacrificial gate stack is removed to provide a first gate cavity, and only the gate cap and the gate conductor are removed from the second sacrificial gate stack to provide a second gate cavity. Next, a high-k gate dielectric and a gate electrode are formed within each of the first gate cavity and the second gate cavity.