Three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor devices include an electrode structure with sequentially-stacked electrodes disposed on a substrate, semiconductor patterns penetrating the electrode structure, and memory elements including a first pattern and a second pattern interposed between the semiconductor patterns and the electrode structure, the first pattern vertically extending to cross the electrodes and the second pattern horizontally extending to cross the semiconductor patterns.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a source/drain region arranged within a substrate. A select gate and a memory gate are arranged over the substrate. An inter-gate dielectric structure is arranged between the memory gate and the select gate. A conductive contact is disposed on the source/drain region and vertically extends from a bottom of the select gate to a top of the select gate. The select gate is closer to the conductive contact than the memory gate. The select gate has a first outermost sidewall that faces away from the memory gate and a second outermost sidewall that faces the memory gate. The first outermost sidewall is taller than the second outermost sidewall.

A Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) cell design has traditional planar cells extending in a first dimension, and trenches with their length extending in a third dimension, orthogonal to the first dimension in a top view. The manufacturing process includes forming a horizontal channel, and a plurality of trenches discontinued in the planar cell regions. Horizontal planar channels are formed in the mesa of the orthogonal trenches. A series connected horizontal planar channel and a vertical trench channel are formed along the trench regions surrounded by the first base. The lack of a traditional vertical channel is important to avoid significant reliability issues (shifts in threshold voltage Vth). The planar cell design offers a range of advantages both in terms of performance and processability. Manufacture of the planar cell is based on a self-aligned process with minimum number of masks, with the potential of applying additional layers or structures.

A vertical structure memory device includes a cell string. The cell string includes a channel layer extending in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, a charge trap layer on the channel layer and including a nitride doped with scandium (Sc), and a plurality of gate electrodes on the charge trap layer. A content of doped Sc in the charge trap layer is 2 atomic percent (at %) to 10 at % as a proportion of a total composition of the charge trap layer.

A method includes planarizing a protective layer over gate materials overlying a recessed region in a substrate. The planarizing includes forming a first planarized surface by planarizing a sacrificial layer over the protective layer, and forming a second planarized surface of the protective layer by etching the first planarized surface of the sacrificial layer at an even rate across the recessed region. An etch mask layer is formed over the second planarized surface, and control gate stacks are formed in the recessed region by etching the gate materials.

A vertical NAND flash memory device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The vertical NAND flash memory device includes a charge trap layer arranged on an inner wall of a channel hole vertically formed on a substrate. The charge trap layer includes nanostructures distributed in a base. The nanostructures may include a material having a trap density of about 110.sup.19 cm.sup.3 to about 1010.sup.19 cm.sup.3, and the base may include a material having a conduction band offset (CBO) of about 0.5 eV to about 3.5 eV with respect to the material included in the nanostructures.

The present disclosure relates to a memory device that includes a substrate and source and drain regions formed in the substrate. The memory device includes a gate dielectric formed on the substrate and between the source and drain regions. The memory device also includes a gate structure formed on the gate dielectric and the gate structure has a planar top surface. The memory device further includes a multi-spacer structure that includes first, second, and third spacers. The first spacer is formed on a sidewall of the gate structure and a top surface of one of the source and drain regions. The second spacer is formed on a sidewall of the first spacer and the second spacer has a dielectric constant greater than a dielectric constant of the first spacer. The third spacer is formed on a sidewall of the second spacer and a horizontal surface of the first spacer.

A semiconductor memory device includes a channel layer, a gate electrode spaced apart from the channel layer, a blocking insulating layer between the gate electrode and the channel layer, a tunnel insulating layer between the channel layer and the blocking insulating layer, and nano-particles spaced apart from each other between the tunnel insulating layer and the blocking insulating layer.

A 3D memory device includes a conductor/insulator stack containing a conductive layer and a dielectric layer alternatingly stacked, channel hole structures in a first region of memory cells in the conductor/insulator stack, a blocking structure adjacent to the first region, and a dummy channel hole structure in the first region. The dummy channel hole structure is adjacent to the blocking structure, and includes a dielectric material that fills a channel hole to form a first dielectric filling structure.

Memory device and formation method are provided. The memory device includes a stack structure; and a plurality of gate line slit structures vertically extending through the stack structure to divide the stack structure into a plurality of stack portions. The plurality of GLS structures extend along a first direction in a lateral plane of the stack structure and are arranged along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Each stack portion is between corresponding adjacent gate line slit structures. At least one edge stack portion, along the second direction of the plurality of stack portions at edge of the stack structure includes a configuration different from a non-edge stack portion of the plurality of stack portions along the second direction.