Wafer bonding apparatus and method are provided. A method includes performing a first plasma activation process on a first surface of a first wafer. The first plasma activation process forms a first high-activation region and a first low-activation region on the first surface of the first wafer. A first cleaning process is performed on the first surface of the first wafer. The first cleaning process forms a first plurality of silanol groups in the first high-activation region and the first low-activation region. The first high-activation region includes more silanol groups than the first low-activation region. The first wafer is bonded to a second wafer.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided a nonvolatile memory device comprising: a memory cell region including a first metal pad, a peripheral circuit region including a second metal pad and vertically connected to the memory cell region by the first metal pad and the second metal pad, a memory cell array, in the memory cell region, comprising a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines and a bit line connected to the memory cells, wherein each memory cell is connected to one of the word lines, a voltage generator, in the peripheral circuit region, supplying a plurality of supply voltages to the memory cell array, a control logic circuit, in the peripheral circuit region, programming a selected one of the memory cells connected to a selected one of the word lines into a first program state by controlling the voltage generator, and a verify circuit, in the peripheral circuit region, controlling a verify operation on the memory cell array by controlling the voltage generator, wherein the verify circuit controls a word line voltage applied to at least one unselected word line not to be programmed among the plurality of word lines in the verify operation and a bit line voltage applied to the bit line connected differently from a voltage level of a voltage applied in a read operation of the nonvolatile memory device.

Representative implementations of techniques and methods include chemical mechanical polishing for hybrid bonding. The disclosed methods include depositing and patterning a dielectric layer on a substrate to form openings in the dielectric layer, depositing a barrier layer over the dielectric layer and within a first portion of the openings, and depositing a conductive structure over the barrier layer and within a second portion of the openings not occupied by the barrier layer, at least a portion of the conductive structure in the second portion of the openings coupled or contacting electrical circuitry within the substrate. Additionally, the conductive structure is polished to reveal portions of the barrier layer deposited over the dielectric layer and not in the second portion of the openings. Further, the barrier layer is polished with a selective polish to reveal a bonding surface on or at the dielectric layer.

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices with embedded dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and methods for forming the 3D memory devices are disclosed. In an example, a method for operating a 3D memory device is disclosed. The 3D memory device includes an input/output circuit, an array of embedded DRAM cells, and an array of 3D NAND memory strings in a same chip. Data is transferred through the input/output circuit to the array of embedded DRAM cells. The data is buffered in the array of embedded DRAM cells. The data is stored in the array of 3D NAND memory strings from the array of embedded DRAM cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) memory devices with 3D phase-change memory (PCM) and methods for forming and operating the 3D memory devices are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a first semiconductor structure including an array of NAND memory cells, and a first bonding layer including first bonding contacts. The 3D memory device also further includes a second semiconductor structure including a second bonding layer including second bonding contacts, a semiconductor layer and a peripheral circuit and an array of PCM cells between the second bonding layer and the semiconductor layer. The 3D memory device further includes a bonding interface between the first and second bonding layers. The first bonding contacts are in contact with the second bonding contacts at the bonding interface.

A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a first microelectronic device structure comprising a first semiconductor structure, a first isolation material over the first semiconductor structure, and first conductive routing structures over the first semiconductor structure and surrounded by the first isolation material. A second microelectronic device structure comprising a second semiconductor structure and a second isolation material over the second semiconductor structure is formed. The second isolation material is bonded to the first isolation material to attach the second microelectronic device structure to the first microelectronic device structure. Memory cells comprising portions of the second semiconductor structure are formed after attaching the second microelectronic device structure to the first microelectronic device structure. Control logic devices including transistors comprising portions of the first semiconductor structure are formed after forming the memory cells. Microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and additional methods are also described.

A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a microelectronic device structure assembly comprising memory cells, digit lines coupled to the memory cells, word lines coupled to the memory cells, and isolation material overlying the memory cells, the digit lines, and the word lines. An additional microelectronic device structure assembly comprising control logic devices and additional isolation material overlying the control logic devices is formed. The additional isolation material of the additional microelectronic device structure assembly is bonded to the isolation material of the microelectronic device structure assembly to attach the additional microelectronic device structure assembly to the microelectronic device structure assembly. The memory cells are electrically connected to at least some of the control logic devices after bonding the additional isolation material to the isolation material. Microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and additional methods are also described.

A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a microelectronic device structure assembly comprising memory cells, digit lines coupled to the memory cells, word lines coupled to the memory cells, and isolation material overlying the memory cells, the digit lines, and the word lines. An additional microelectronic device structure assembly comprising control logic devices and additional isolation material overlying the control logic devices is formed. The additional isolation material of the additional microelectronic device structure assembly is bonded to the isolation material of the microelectronic device structure assembly to attach the additional microelectronic device structure assembly to the microelectronic device structure assembly. The memory cells are electrically connected to at least some of the control logic devices after bonding the additional isolation material to the isolation material. Microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and additional methods are also described.

A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a microelectronic device structure assembly comprising memory cells, digit lines coupled to the memory cells, contact structures coupled to the digit lines, word lines coupled to the memory cells, additional contact structures coupled to the word lines, and isolation material surrounding the contact structures and the additional contact structures and overlying the memory cells. An additional microelectronic device structure assembly is formed and comprises control logic devices, further contact structures coupled to the control logic devices, and additional isolation material surrounding the further contact structures and overlying the control logic devices. The additional microelectronic device structure assembly is attached to the microelectronic device structure assembly by bonding the additional isolation material to the isolation material and by bonding the further contact structures to the contact structures and the additional contact structures. Microelectronic devices and electronic systems are also described.

A device structure includes a first interconnect layer, a second interconnect layer, a device layer including a comprising a plurality of devices, where the device layer is between the first interconnect layer and the second interconnect layer. The device structure further includes a dielectric layer adjacent the second interconnect layer, where the dielectric layer includes one or more of metallic dopants or a plurality of metal structures, wherein the plurality of metal structures is electrically isolated from interconnect structures but in contact with a dielectric material of the second interconnect layer, and where the individual ones of the plurality of metal structures is above a region including at least some of the plurality of devices. The device structure further includes a substrate adjacent to the dielectric layer and a heat sink coupled with the substrate.