Semiconductor device structures including staircase structures, and related methods and electronic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9905514-B2
Application number	US-201615095401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A semiconductor device structure comprises stacked tiers each comprising a conductive structure and an insulating structure longitudinally adjacent the conductive structure, at least one staircase structure having steps comprising lateral ends of the stacked tiers, and an opening laterally adjacent a first side of the at least one staircase structure and extending through the stacked tiers and continuously across an entire length of the at least one staircase structure. Conductive structures of the stacked tiers laterally extend from the steps of the at least one staircase structure completely across a second side of the at least one staircase structure opposing the first side to form continuous conductive paths laterally extending completely across the stacked tiers. Additional semiconductor device structures, methods of forming semiconductor device structures, and electronic systems are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:
stacked tiers each comprising a conductive structure and an insulating structure longitudinally adjacent the conductive structure;
at least one staircase structure having steps comprising lateral ends of the stacked tiers;
an opening laterally adjacent a first side of the at least one staircase structure and extending through the stacked tiers and continuously across an entire length of the at least one staircase structure, conductive structures of the stacked tiers laterally extending from the steps of the at least one staircase structure completely across a second side of the at least one staircase structure opposing the first side to form continuous conductive paths laterally extending completely across the stacked tiers;
at least one contact structure coupled to the conductive structure of one or more of the stacked tiers at one or more of the steps of the at least one staircase structure; and
at least one routing structure coupled to the at least one contact structure and extending from the at least one contact structure, through the opening, and to at least one string driver device.

2. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1 , wherein the stacked tiers comprise:
opposing end sections exhibiting a first width; and
an interior section laterally intervening between the opposing end sections and exhibiting a second width smaller than the first width, the interior section comprising the at least one staircase structure and an elongate middle region laterally adjacent the second side of the at least one staircase structure.

3. The semiconductor device structure of claim 2 , wherein the conductive structure of one or more of the stacked tiers comprises:
first portions laterally extending completely across the opposing end sections of the stacked tiers;
at least one second portion integral and continuous with one or more of the first portions and laterally extending to one or more steps of the at least one staircase structure; and
at least one third portion integral and continuous with the first portions and the at least one second portion and laterally extending completely across the elongate middle region of the interior section of the stacked tiers.

4. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one staircase structure comprises a stadium structure comprising a first staircase structure and a second staircase structure that mirrors the first staircase structure.

5. The semiconductor device structure of claim 4 , wherein the opening laterally extends from a top of the first staircase structure to a top of the second staircase structure.

6. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one routing structure comprises:
at least one first portion coupled to the at least one contact structure and outwardly laterally extending in a direction oriented perpendicular to the stacked tiers;
at least one second portion coupled to the at least one first portion and longitudinally extending through the opening in an additional direction oriented perpendicular to the direction of the at least one first portion; and
at least one third portion coupled to the at least one second portion and outwardly laterally extending in another direction oriented perpendicular to the additional direction of the at least one second portion and parallel to the stacked tiers.

7. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one contact structure comprises multiple contact structures each independently coupled to the steps of the at least one staircase structure; and
the at least one routing structure comprises multiple routing structures each independently coupled to the multiple contact structures.

8. The semiconductor device structure of claim 7 , wherein the multiple contact structures are aligned with one another on the steps of the at least one staircase structure.

9. The semiconductor device structure of claim 7 , wherein each of the multiple routing structures extends to a single switching device underlying the stacked tiers.

10. The semiconductor device structure of claim 7 , wherein some of the multiple routing structures extend to a first string driver device underlying the stacked tiers, and other of the multiple routing structures extend to a second string driver device underlying the stacked tiers.

11. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:
a stack structure having opposing end sections exhibiting a first width and an interior section laterally intervening between the opposing end sections and exhibiting a second width smaller than the first width, the stack structure comprising:
stacked tiers each comprising a conductive structure and an insulating structure longitudinally adjacent the conductive structure;
a stadium structure within the interior section and comprising opposing staircase structures each having steps comprising lateral ends of the stacked tiers; and
an elongate middle region directly laterally adjacent a first side of the stadium structure within the interior section and laterally extending completely between the opposing end sections;

contact structures coupled to the conductive structures of the stacked tiers at the steps of one or more of the opposing staircase structures of the stadium structure; and
routing structures coupled to the contact structures and extending from the contact structures, through an opening directly laterally adjacent a second side of the stadium structure, and to at least one string driver device underlying the stack structure.

12. An electronic system, comprising:
at least one semiconductor device structure comprising:
a stack structure exhibiting opposing end sections having a first width and an interior section laterally intervening between the opposing end sections and having a second width smaller than the first width, the stack structure comprising:
stacked tiers each comprising a conductive structure and an insulating structure longitudinally adjacent the conductive structure;
a stadium structure within the interior section and comprising opposing staircase structures having steps comprising lateral ends of the stacked tiers; and
an elongate middle region directly adjacent a side of the stadium structure within the interior section and extending completely between the opposing end sections.

13. The electronic system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one semiconductor device structure further comprises:
contact structures each independently coupled to the conductive structure of one or more of the stacked tiers at a step of one or more of the opposing staircase structures of the stadium structure; and
routing structures coupled to the contact structures and extending from the contact structures, through an opening adjacent the interior section of the stack structure, and to at least one string driver device underlying the stack structure.

14. The electronic system of claim 12 , wherein portions of the conductive structure of one or more of the stacked tiers are integral and continuous with one another and form at least one continuous conductive path extending completely across one or more of the stacked tiers.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Tanzawa Toru

Classifications

• H01L23/5226

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/5283 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10B43/27

  the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels · CPC title

• H10B43/50 Primary

  characterised by the boundary region between the core and peripheral circuit regions · CPC title