Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a first dielectric material; a second dielectric material separated from the first dielectric material; a memory cell string including a pillar extending through the first and second dielectric materials, the pillar including a portion between the first and second dielectric materials; an additional dielectric material contacting the portion of the pillar; a conductive material contacting the additional dielectric material; and a tungsten structure including a portion of tungsten contacting the conductive material, wherein a majority of the portion of tungsten is beta-phase tungsten.

An interconnect structure including a dielectric structure, plugs, and conductive lines is provided. The dielectric structure is disposed on a substrate. The plugs are disposed in the dielectric structure. The conductive lines are disposed in the dielectric structure and are electrically connected to the plugs. The sidewall of at least one of the conductive lines is in direct contact with the dielectric structure.

A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure, strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the strings of memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure, another stack structure vertically overlying the stack structure and comprising alternating levels of other conductive structures and other insulative structures, the other stack structure comprising pillars vertically overlying the strings of memory cells, each pillar comprising an other channel material in electrical communication with the channel material of the strings of memory cells, and conductive contact structures vertically overlying the other stack structure, each conductive contact structure comprising an electrically conductive contact at least partially extending into the pillars and a portion extending outside of the pillars having a larger cross-sectional area than the pillars. Related microelectronic devices including self-aligned conductive contact structures, and related electronic systems and methods are also described.

A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Individual of the conductive tiers comprise laterally-outer edges comprising conductive molybdenum-containing metal material extending horizontally-along its memory block. Channel-material strings extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. At least one of conductive or semiconductive material is formed extending horizontally-along the memory blocks laterally-outward of the laterally-outer edges comprising the conductive molybdenum-containing metal material that extends horizontally-along its memory block. Insulator material extending horizontally-along the memory blocks is formed laterally-outward of the at least one of the conductive or the semiconductive material that is laterally-outward of the laterally-outer edges comprising the conductive molybdenum-containing metal material. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to a method of forming an interconnect structure that eliminates a separate deep via patterning process to simplify the fabrication process. In some embodiments, a first dielectric layer is formed over a first metal line and patterned to form a through-hole exposing a first contact region of the first metal line. A second dielectric layer is deposited and patterned to form a first via-hole connecting to the through-hole and a second via-hole exposing a second contact region of the second metal line from a layout view. A first via is formed on the first contact region extending to a first upper surface of the second dielectric layer, and a second via is formed on the second contact region extending to a second upper surface of the second dielectric layer.

Semiconductor devices and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor devices are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of bit-line structures on a chip region of a substrate, forming a first alignment key pattern on a scribe line region of the substrate, forming a first alignment key trench in at least a portion of the first alignment key pattern, forming a landing pad layer between the plurality of bit-line structures and on top surfaces of the plurality of bit-line structures, forming a gap-fill layer on the landing pad layer and in an unoccupied portion of the first alignment key trench and performing a planarization process on the gap-fill layer and the landing pad layer.

A method of processing a substrate that includes: forming a conformal etch stop layer (ESL) over a staircase pattern of the substrate, the staircase pattern including staircases, each of the staircases including a conductive surface; forming a dielectric layer over the ESL; planarizing a top surface of the dielectric layer; forming a patterned hardmask over the dielectric layer; and etching the dielectric layer selectively to the ESL using the patterned hardmask as an etch mask to form a plurality of recesses, each of the plurality of recesses landing on each of the staircases, the ESL protecting the conductive surface from the etching, the etching including exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from a process gas including a fluorocarbon, O.sub.2, and WF.sub.6, a flow rate of WF.sub.6 being between 0.01% and 1% of a total gas flow rate of the process gas.

Metal stacks and methods of depositing a metal stack on a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. The metal stack is formed by depositing a molybdenum (Mo) layer on a semiconductor substrate. The molybdenum (Mo) layer is treated with a silane, followed by formation of a nitride layer on the molybdenum (Mo) layer. A metal stack having low resistivity is formed.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a bit line structure disposed on the substrate. The bit line structure includes a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure, in which a material of the first conductive structure includes polysilicon. The second conductive structure is disposed in direct contact on the first conductive structure, in which a reactivity of a material of the second conductive structure to oxygen is larger than a reactivity of tungsten to oxygen.

A device may include a substrate comprising a plurality of first contact pads disposed on a first surface, and a plurality of second contact pads disposed on a second surface, the substrate comprising a plurality of interconnect structures extending between the first surface and the second surface. A device may include a first portion of an axial extension of the plurality of interconnect structures having sidewalls of a first profile. A device may include a second portion of the axial extension of the plurality of interconnect structures having sidewalls of a second profile, shallower than the first profile.