Three Dimensional Horizontal Diode Non-Volatile Memory Array and Method of Making Thereof
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A non-volatile memory device contains a three dimensional stack of horizontal diodes located in a trench in an insulating material, a plurality of storage elements, a plurality of word lines extending substantially vertically, and a plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of bit lines has a first portion that extends up along at least one side of the trench and a second portion that extends substantially horizontally through the three dimensional stack of the horizontal diodes. Each of the horizontal diodes is a steering element of a respective non-volatile memory cell of the non-volatile memory device, and each of the plurality of storage elements is located adjacent to a respective steering element.
43 Citations
30 Claims
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1. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of making a non-volatile memory device, comprising:
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forming a stack of alternating layers of a first material and a second material in a trench of an insulating material, wherein the first material comprises a semiconductor material and wherein the second material is insulating; etching the stack to form at least one first rail-shaped opening in the stack, the at least one first rail-shaped opening extending in a first direction; selectively etching the first material exposed in the at least one first rail-shaped opening to form first recesses in the first material such that the second material overhangs the first recesses; doping a first outer portion of the first material exposed in the first recesses to form first conductivity type semiconductor portions of diodes; forming a first conductive material in the first recesses and in the at least one first rail-shaped opening; removing a portion of the first conductive material that is located in the at least one first rail-shaped opening to form separate horizontal bit lines in the first recesses; forming a first insulating filling material in the at least one first rail-shaped opening; etching the stack to separate the first material into a plurality of semiconductor features extending in a second direction different from the first direction; forming a second insulating filling material between the plurality of semiconductor features; etching the stack to form at least one second rail-shaped opening in the stack, the at least one second rail-shaped opening extending in the first direction; doping a second outer portion of the first material exposed in the at least one second rail-shaped opening to form second conductivity type semiconductor portions of the diodes; forming a storage material on a side wall of the at least one second rail-shaped opening in electrical contact of the second conductivity type semiconductor portions of the diodes such that at least a middle portion of the at least one second rail-shaped opening remains unfilled; forming a second conductive material in the middle portion of the at least one second rail-shaped opening in electrical contact with the storage material; and etching the second conductive material to form separate word lines extending substantially vertically. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. -32. (canceled)
Specification