Three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices

• US 9,741,733 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Joon-Sung, Yun, Jang-Gn, Yun, Jaesun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mondt, Johannes P
• Application Number:
  US14/962,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20160163732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5226 Via connections in a multilevel interconnection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/528 Geometry or layout of the interconnection structure H01L27/0207 takes precedence; algorithms G06F30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 43/27 the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 43/40 characterised by the peripheral circuit region

Abstract

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a semiconductor pattern including an opening on a semiconductor substrate. A peripheral transistor and a peripheral interconnection structure may be disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern. The peripheral interconnection structure may be electrically connected to the peripheral transistor. Cell gate conductive patterns may be disposed on the semiconductor pattern. The cell vertical structures may extend through the cell gate conductive patterns and may be connected to the semiconductor pattern. Cell bit line contact plugs may be disposed on the cell vertical structures. A bit line may be disposed on the cell bit line contact plugs. A peripheral bit line contact structure may be disposed between the bit line and the peripheral interconnection structure. The peripheral bit line contact structure may extend through the opening of the semiconductor.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device comprising:

a semiconductor pattern disposed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor pattern comprises an opening, a first impurity region having a first conductivity type and a second impurity region having a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type, and wherein the semiconductor pattern further comprises a body contact impurity region that has the first conductivity type and has an impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of the first impurity region;

a peripheral transistor disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern;

a first peripheral interconnection structure disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern and electrically connected to the peripheral transistor;

memory cell gate conductive patterns disposed on the semiconductor pattern;

memory cell vertical structures extending through respective ones of the memory cell gate conductive patterns and being connected to the semiconductor pattern;

memory cell bit line contact plugs disposed on respective ones of the memory cell vertical structures;

a bit line disposed on the memory cell bit line contact plugs; and

a peripheral bit line contact structure being disposed between the bit line and the first peripheral interconnection structure and extending through the opening of the semiconductor pattern.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory cell body contact structure disposed on the body contact impurity region.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising:

a peripheral body contact structure that is disposed outside of the semiconductor pattern and is disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and

a memory cell body interconnection structure that is disposed on the peripheral body contact structure and the memory cell body contact structure and is electrically connected to the peripheral body contact structure and the memory cell body contact structure.

4. A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device comprising:

a semiconductor pattern disposed on a semiconductor substrate;

a peripheral transistor disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern;

a peripheral interconnection structure disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern, wherein the peripheral interconnection structure is electrically connected to the peripheral transistor and comprises a peripheral contact pad;

a gate conductive structure disposed on the semiconductor pattern, wherein the gate conductive structure comprises a plurality of memory cell gate conductive patterns stacked in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor pattern;

a memory cell vertical structure extending through the gate conductive structure;

a memory cell conductive line disposed on the memory cell vertical structure, wherein the memory cell conductive line has a length smaller than a width of the semiconductor pattern;

a peripheral contact structure disposed between the memory cell conductive line and the peripheral contact pad; and

a lower interlayer insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate and a buffer insulating layer disposed between the lower interlayer insulating layer and the semiconductor pattern.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the memory cell conductive line has a line shape which extends in a first direction and the width of the semiconductor pattern is a width of the semiconductor pattern in the first direction.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the semiconductor pattern comprises an opening,

wherein the device further comprises a gap fill insulating layer filling the opening of the semiconductor pattern, and

wherein the gap fill insulating layer comprises a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the buffer insulating layer, and the peripheral contact structure extends through the gap fill insulating layer.

7. The device of claim 4, further comprising an insulating structure disposed on the semiconductor pattern, wherein the peripheral contact structure extends through the insulating structure.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the insulating structure comprises first insulating patterns and second insulating patterns that are alternately stacked, and

wherein the first insulating patterns comprise a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the second insulating patterns.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein ones of the first insulating patterns have widths greater than widths of ones of the second insulating patterns.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein sides of ones of the first insulating patterns are co-planar with sides of ones of the plurality of memory cell gate conductive patterns.

11. A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device comprising:

a substrate;

a bit line on the substrate, the bit line extending in a first direction;

first and second semiconductor patterns between the substrate and the bit line, the first and second semiconductor patterns being spaced apart from each other in the first direction by a gap therebetween and lower surfaces of the first and second semiconductor patterns being coplanar;

first and second gate structures between an upper surface of the first semiconductor pattern and the bit line, the first and second gate structures being disposed along the first direction;

a first memory cell vertical structure extending through the first gate structure and a second memory cell vertical structure extending through the second gate structure, each of the first and second memory cell vertical structures comprising a channel layer and both the first and second memory cell vertical structures extending away from the upper surface of the first semiconductor pattern and being connected to the bit line;

an insulating layer between the substrate and the first and second semiconductor patterns;

a conductive contact pad in the insulating layer; and

a bit line contact structure extending through the gap between the first and second semiconductor patterns and extending away from an upper surface of the substrate, an upper portion of the bit line contact structure contacting the bit line and a lower portion of the bit line contact structure contacting the conductive contact pad,

wherein the first and second semiconductor patterns comprise portions of a same semiconductor pattern, and the gap comprises a portion of an opening in the semiconductor pattern,

wherein the opening has a line shape extending in a second direction different from the first direction when viewed from a plan perspective, and

wherein the bit line contact structure comprises one of a plurality of bit line of contact structures, and ones of the plurality of bit line contact structures are disposed along the second direction and extend through the opening.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the bit line overlies at least a portion of the gap between the first and second semiconductor patterns.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the bit line overlies top surfaces of the first memory cell vertical structure, the second memory cell vertical structure and the bit line contact structure.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second gate structures comprises a plurality of stacked gate electrodes,

wherein the bit line contact structure extends in a third direction from the bit line to the conductive contact pad, and

wherein the bit line contact structure has a first length in the third direction, the plurality of stacked gate electrodes has a second length in the third direction, and the first length is greater than the second length.

15. The device of claim 11 further comprising:

a third gate structure between an upper surface of the second semiconductor pattern and the bit line; and

a third memory cell vertical structure extending through the third gate structure and extending away from the upper surface of the second semiconductor pattern, the third memory cell vertical structure being connected to the bit line.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the bit line crosses over the gap between the first and second semiconductor patterns.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the bit line overlies top surfaces of the second memory cell vertical structure, the third memory cell vertical structure and the bit line contact structure.