# US 11,309,332 B2 · Three-dimensional memory device containing ferroelectric memory elements encapsulated by transition metal-containing conductive elements and method of making thereof

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- Number: US 11,309,332 B2
- Document ID: US11309332B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/568,668
- Filed: 2019-09-12
- Published: 2021-03-18
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-12
- Assignees: SanDisk Technologies LLC
- Applicants: Sandisk Technologies LLC
- Inventors: Adarsh Rajashekhar; Raghuveer S. Makala; Rahul Sharangpani; Seung-Yeul Yang; Fei Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309332B2

## CPC

- H10B 51/20: characterised by the three-dimensional [3D] arrangements, e.g. with cells on different height levels
- H10D 64/033: {comprising ferroelectric layers}
- H10B 51/10: characterised by the top-view layout
- H10B 51/30: characterised by the memory core region
- H10D 30/701: {IGFETs having ferroelectric gate insulators, e.g. ferroelectric FETs}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, where each of the electrically conductive layers contains a transition metal element-containing conductive liner and a conductive fill material portion, a vertical semiconductor channel extending vertically through the alternating stack, a vertical stack of tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers laterally surrounding the vertical semiconductor channel and located at levels of the electrically conductive layers, and a ferroelectric material layer located between the vertical stack of tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers and the transition metal element-containing conductive liner.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device, comprising:
an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, wherein each of the electrically conductive layers comprises a transition metal element-containing conductive liner and a conductive fill material portion;
a vertical semiconductor channel extending vertically through the alternating stack;
a vertical stack of tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers laterally surrounding the vertical semiconductor channel and located at levels of the electrically conductive layers; and
a ferroelectric material layer located between the vertical stack of tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers and the transition metal element-containing conductive liner;
wherein the ferroelectric material layer comprises:
an upper horizontally-extending portion that contacts a bottom surface of the respective overlying one of the insulating layers and a top surface of a respective electrically conductive layer;
a lower horizontally-extending portion that contacts a top surface of the respective underlying one of the insulating layers and a bottom surface of the respective electrically conductive layer; and
a tubular portion vertically extending between the upper horizontally-extending portion and the lower horizontally-extending portion, wherein the tubular portion laterally surrounds and contacts a respective one of the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, wherein the transition metal element-containing conductive liner comprises a transition metal element that is selected from iridium, ruthenium, palladium, osmium, rhenium, molybdenum or cobalt.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 2, wherein the transition metal element-containing conductive liner consists essentially of a conductive oxide of the transition metal element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 2, wherein the transition metal element-containing conductive liner consists essentially of the transition metal element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, wherein the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers comprise a transition metal element that is selected from iridium, ruthenium, palladium, osmium, rhenium, molybdenum or cobalt.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 5, wherein the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers consist essentially of a conductive oxide of the transition metal element.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 5, wherein the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers consist essentially of the transition metal element.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, further comprising a tubular insulating spacer layer which contacts an inner sidewall of a respective one of the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers and contacts a portion of an outer sidewall of the vertical semiconductor channel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, further comprising a vertical stack of tubular insulating spacers, wherein each of the tubular insulating spacers contacts an inner sidewall of a respective one of the tubular transition metal element-containing conductive spacers and contacts a portion of an outer sidewall of the vertical semiconductor channel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, wherein the vertical semiconductor channel has a straight outer sidewall that extends through each layer within the alternating stack and contacts a set of sidewalls of the insulating layers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional ferroelectric memory device of claim 1, wherein the vertical semiconductor channel has a laterally-undulating outer sidewall that includes laterally-protruding portions that protrude outward from vertical interfaces with the insulating layers toward a respective one of the electrically conductive layers.