# US 12,002,759 B2 · Apparatuses including a conductive contact including a dielectric material surrounded by a conductive material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,002,759 B2 - Document ID: US12002759B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/660,669 - Filed: 2022-04-26 - Published: 2022-08-11 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-03 - Applicants: Lodestar Licensing Group LLC - Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee; Lifang Xu; Rita J. Klein; Xiao Li; Everett A. McTeer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002759B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/076: {in via holes or trenches} - H10W 20/425: {Barrier, adhesion or liner layers} - H10W 20/035: {combinations of barrier, adhesion or liner layers, e.g. multi-layered barrier layers} - H10W 20/036: {the barrier, adhesion or liner layers being within a main fill metal} - H10W 20/075: {of multilayered thin functional dielectric layers} - H10W 20/077: {on sidewalls or on top surfaces of conductors (H10W20/076 takes precedence)} - H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs - H10W 42/121: {protecting against mechanical damage (H10W76/00, H10W74/00 take precedence)} - H10B 41/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - H10B 41/41: of a memory region comprising a cell select transistor, e.g. NAND - H10W 20/072: {of dielectric parts comprising air gaps} - H10W 20/46: comprising air gaps - H10W 72/244: {relative to underlying supporting features, e.g. bond pads, RDLs or vias} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES ## Abstract An apparatus comprising at least one contact structure. The at least one contact structure comprises a contact, an insulating material overlying the contact, and at least one contact via in the insulating material. The at least one contact structure also comprises a dielectric liner material adjacent the insulating material within the contact via, a conductive material adjacent the dielectric liner material, and a stress compensation material adjacent the conductive material and in a central portion of the at least one contact via. The stress compensation material is at least partially surrounded by the conductive material. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming the apparatus are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: one or more insulative materials; and a conductive contact within a contact via extending through the one or more insulative materials, the conductive contact comprising: a conductive material adjacent to the one or more insulative materials; and a dielectric material adjacent to and at least partially surrounded by the conductive material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a contact pad underlying the one or more insulative materials and the conductive contact, portions of the conductive material vertically intervening between the dielectric material and the contact pad. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a conductive structure overlying the conductive material and the dielectric material, the conductive structure directly contacting the conductive material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric liner material between the one or more insulative materials and the conductive material, the dielectric liner material extending at least partially along a height of the conductive material and separated from the dielectric material by the conductive material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a metal nitride barrier material between the conductive material and the dielectric liner material, the metal nitride barrier material extending substantially continuously along the height of the conductive material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material directly contacts the conductive material, the dielectric material substantially filling a central portion of the contact via. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the conductive material extends beyond a lower surface of the dielectric material. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: an insulative material extending through a staircase region and a memory array region adjacent to the staircase region; conductive contacts extending through the insulative material within the staircase region, the conductive contacts comprising: a dielectric material; and a conductive material intervening between the insulative material and the dielectric material, the conductive material at least partially surrounding the dielectric material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dielectric material comprises a compressive material having a higher compressive stress than the conductive material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least some of the conductive contacts extend substantially entirely through the insulative material within the memory array region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a horizontal portion of the conductive material is directly adjacent to the dielectric material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dielectric material comprises one or more air gaps laterally intervening between portions of the conductive material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising trenches extending horizontally between adjacent conductive contacts, at least some of the trenches comprising the dielectric material in a central portion thereof and the conductive material intervening between the insulative material and the dielectric material. ### Claim 14 An apparatus, comprising: conductive contacts within contact vias extending through one or more insulative materials, the conductive contacts comprising a dielectric material and a conductive material interposed between the dielectric material and the one or more insulative materials; and at least one barrier material comprising a nitride material interposed between the conductive material of the conductive contacts and the one or more insulative materials, the at least one barrier material extending at least partially along a height of the conductive material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising conductive lines within trenches laterally adjacent to the conductive contacts, the conductive lines comprising additional portions of the dielectric material and additional portions of the conductive material interposed between the additional portions of the dielectric material and the one or more insulative materials. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dielectric material is centrally located within the contact vias, and the additional portions of the dielectric material are centrally located within the trenches. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a thickness of the dielectric material is relatively less within the trenches than within the contact vias, and a thickness of the conductive material is relatively greater within the trenches than within the contact vias. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein upper surfaces of the dielectric material and the conductive material are substantially coplanar with one another, the dielectric material comprising a stress compensation material configured to provide structural support along a height of the conductive contacts. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the dielectric material comprises an oxide, a nitride, or an oxynitride, and the conductive material comprises one or more of a metal nitride material and tungsten. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one barrier material comprises a single material comprising a dielectric carbonitride material directly between the conductive material of the conductive contacts and the one or more insulative materials.