Integrated structures and methods of forming integrated structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083984-B2
Application number	US-201715679727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a first opening extending through a stack of alternating insulative levels and conductive levels. A nitride structure is within the first opening and narrows the first opening to form a second opening. Detectable oxide is between the nitride structure and one or more of the conductive levels. Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a conductive material, a select device gate material over the conductive material, and vertically-stacked conductive levels over the select device gate material. A first opening extends through the vertically-stacked levels to the conductive material and has opposing sidewalls along a cross-section. Nitride liners are along the sidewalls of the first opening. Detectable oxide is between at least one of the nitride liners and one or more of the vertically-stacked conductive levels. Some embodiments include methods for forming integrated structures.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming an integrated structure, comprising:
forming an assembly comprising a conductive material, a select device gate material over the conductive material and spaced from the conductive material by an insulative material, and a stack over the select device gate material and comprising alternating insulative levels and conductive levels;
forming a first opening to extend through the stack, through the select device gate material, through the insulative material and to the conductive material; the first opening having opposing sidewalls along a cross-section; the formation of the first opening generating conductive stringers along one or both of the opposing sidewalls of the first opening;
oxidizing the conductive stringers to convert them to insulative oxide; and
forming nitride liners along the opposing sidewalls of the first opening and over the insulative oxide, the nitride liners narrowing the first opening to form a second opening.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidation of the conductive stringers utilizes in situ steam generation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the in situ steam generation utilizes O 2 and a temperature in excess of 700° C.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the in situ steam generation utilizes H 2 , O 2 and a temperature in excess of 700° C.

5. The method of claim 2 comprising filling the second opening with one or more insulative compositions.

6. The method of claim 2 comprising filling the second opening with silicon dioxide.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Li Jie
• Mathew James
• Shrotri Kunal
• Tran Luan C
• Haller Gordon A
• Zhang Yangda
• Yu Hongpeng
• Lee Minsoo

Classifications

• H01L27/11582 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/1157

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/11524

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K999/99

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/11556

  Electricity · mapped topic