Interlevel connectors in multilevel circuitry, and method for forming the same
First Claim
1. A 3D circuit, comprising:
- multilevel circuitry having circuit elements disposed in a set of levels including W levels L(i) for i going from 1 to W, the multilevel circuitry including a multilevel region having a perimeter having a plurality of sides, and a set of contact regions including N members, the contact regions in the set of contact regions being disposed on different sides of the plurality of sides of the perimeter of the multilevel region; and
each contact region in the set of contact regions including landing areas on circuit elements in up to M levels of the multilevel circuitry, where M is an integer less than W, where a first subset of the contact regions disposed on a first side of the perimeter includes landing areas on at most M levels in uppermost levels L(i) for i going from W−
M+1 to W, and a second subset of the contact regions disposed on a second side of the perimeter, includes landing areas on at most M levels in levels L(i), for i going from W−
M+1−
S1 to W−
S1, where S1 is a non-zero integer number of levels less than W.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multilevel circuitry such as a a 3D memory array, has a set of contact regions arranged around a perimeter of a multilevel region, in which connection is made to circuit elements in a number W levels. Each of the contact regions has a number of steps having landing areas thereon, including steps on up to a number M levels, where the number M can be much less than W. A combination of contact regions provides landing areas on all of the W levels, each of the contact regions in the combination having landing areas on different subsets of the W levels. A method of forming the device uses an etch-trim process to form M levels in all of the contact regions, and one or more anisotropic etches in some of the contact regions.
33 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A 3D circuit, comprising:
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multilevel circuitry having circuit elements disposed in a set of levels including W levels L(i) for i going from 1 to W, the multilevel circuitry including a multilevel region having a perimeter having a plurality of sides, and a set of contact regions including N members, the contact regions in the set of contact regions being disposed on different sides of the plurality of sides of the perimeter of the multilevel region; and each contact region in the set of contact regions including landing areas on circuit elements in up to M levels of the multilevel circuitry, where M is an integer less than W, where a first subset of the contact regions disposed on a first side of the perimeter includes landing areas on at most M levels in uppermost levels L(i) for i going from W−
M+1 to W, and a second subset of the contact regions disposed on a second side of the perimeter, includes landing areas on at most M levels in levels L(i), for i going from W−
M+1−
S1 to W−
S1, where S1 is a non-zero integer number of levels less than W. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification