# US 11,910,598 B2 · Microelectronic devices including support pillar structures, and related memory devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,598 B2 - Document ID: US11910598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/816,299 - Filed: 2022-07-29 - Published: 2022-11-17 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-22 - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Shuangqiang Luo; Indra V. Chary; Justin B. Dorhout - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910598B2 ## CPC - H10B 41/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - H10B 41/50: characterised by the boundary region between the core region and the peripheral circuit region - G11C 5/025: {Geometric lay-out considerations of storage- and peripheral-blocks in a semiconductor storage device (geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits, geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits H10D89/10)} - G11C 5/06: Arrangements for interconnecting storage elements electrically, e.g. by wiring - H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - H10B 43/50: characterised by the boundary region between the core and peripheral circuit regions - H10W 20/031: {of conductive parts of the interconnections} - H10W 70/611: {for connecting multiple chips together} - H10W 70/65: Shapes or dispositions of interconnections - H10W 72/20: Bump connectors, e.g. solder bumps or copper pillars; Dummy bumps; Thermal bumps - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, the tiers individually comprising one of the conductive structures and one of the insulative structures, first support pillar structures extending through the stack structure within a first region of the microelectronic device, the first support pillar structures electrically isolated from a source structure underlying the stack structure, second support pillar structures extending through the stack structure within a second region of the microelectronic device, the second support pillar structures comprising an electrically conductive material in electrical communication with the source structure, and bridge structures extending between at least some neighboring first support pillar structures of the first support pillar structures. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A memory device, comprising: strings of memory cells extending through a stack structure comprising alternating levels of insulative structures and conductive structures; support pillar structures vertically extending through the stack structure to a source structure underlying the stack structure; and a bridge structure extending between at least some of the support pillar structures neighboring one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein the bridge structure and the at least some of the support pillar structures are electrically isolated from the source structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein the bridge structure comprises a material exhibiting a tensile stress less than a tensile stress of tungsten. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein the bridge structure comprises polysilicon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, further comprising a liner material between the bridge structure and the source structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein at least others of the support pillar structures are isolated from the bridge structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein: the at least some of the support pillar structures individually comprise a first material; and at least others of the support pillar structures individually comprise a second material comprising a different material composition than the first material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The memory device of claim 7, wherein the bridge structure comprises the first material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, wherein the bridge structure horizontally extends within the source structure between the at least some of the support pillar structures neighboring one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The memory device of claim 1, further comprising a slot structure vertically extending through the stack structure to the bridge structure, the slot structure horizontally between the at least some of the support pillar structures neighboring one another. ### Claim 11 A microelectronic device, comprising: a stack structure comprising tiers each comprising conductive material and insulative material vertically adjacent to the conductive material; a source structure vertically underlying the stack structure; a support pillar structure vertically extending through the stack structure to the source structure, the support pillar structure electrically isolated from the source structure; and an additional support pillar structure vertically extending through the stack structure and in electrical communication with the support pillar structure, the additional support pillar structure electrically isolated from the source structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The microelectronic device of claim 11, wherein the support pillar structure and the additional support pillar structure comprise substantially the same material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The microelectronic device of claim 11, further comprising a further additional support pillar structure vertically extending through the stack structure, the further additional support pillar structure vertically extending farther into the source structure than the support pillar structure and the additional support pillar structure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The microelectronic device of claim 11, further comprising a liner material within each of the support pillar structure and the additional support pillar structure, the liner material electrically isolating the support pillar structure and the additional support pillar structure from the source structure. ### Claim 15 A microelectronic device, comprising: a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, the tiers individually comprising one of the conductive structures and one of the insulative structures; a slot structure vertically extending through the stack structure; and multiple pairs of support pillar structures vertically extending through the stack structure, the slot structure horizontally intervening between and in electrical communication with horizontally neighboring support pillar structures of each of the multiple pairs of support pillar structures.