Microelectronic devices including stair step structures, and related electronic devices and methods
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLifang Xu, John D. Hopkins, Roger W. Lindsay, Shuangqiang Luo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming isolated nitride structures on steps of stair step structures comprising stacked tiers comprising alternating levels of a first insulative material and a second insulative material, forming a photoresist material over some of the stair step structures, and replacing the isolated nitride structures and the second insulative material with an electrically conductive material to respectively form conductive pad structures and electrically conductive lines. Related microelectronic devices and electronic devices are also disclosed.
Claims25
A method of forming a microelectronic device, the method comprising:
- forming a stair step region within a stack structure comprising a vertically alternating arrangement of first insulative materials and second insulative materials arranged in tiers, the stair step region comprising a lowermost stadium structure comprising steps at edges of the tiers of the lowermost stadium structure and other stadium structures comprising steps at edges of the tiers of the other stadium structures;
- forming isolated nitride structures on the steps of the other stadium structures;
- forming a photoresist material over the other stadium structures;
- replacing the second insulative materials with an electrically conductive material to form conductive structures;
- and
- replacing the isolated nitride structures on the steps of the other stadium structures with the electrically conductive material to form electrically conductive pad structures at end portions of the conductive structures at the other stadium structures, the steps of the lowermost stadium structure not including the electrically conductive pad structures thereon.
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure;
- a stair step region within the stack structure and comprising:
- a lowermost stadium structure comprising steps at edges of the tiers of the lowermost stadium structure;
- and
- other stadium structures comprising steps at edges of the tiers of the other stadium structures;
- and
- electrically conductive pad structures at end portions of the conductive structures of the stack structure defining the other stadium structures, the steps of the lowermost stadium structure not including any of the electrically conductive pad structures thereon.
An electronic device, comprising:
- an input device;
- an output device;
- and
- a memory device operably coupled to a processor device, the memory device comprising:
- a stair step region comprising stadium structures including steps comprising horizontal ends of a stack structure comprising vertically alternating conductive structures and insulative structures;
- and
- conductive pad structures electrically connecting electrically conductive contact structures to the conductive structures at the steps of at least some of the stadium structures, a lowermost conductive structure defining steps of at least others of the stadium structures, none of the steps defined by the lowermost conductive structure including the conductive pad structures thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.