# US 12,112,804 B2 · Interleaved string drivers, string driver with narrow active region, and gated LDD string driver

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- Number: US 12,112,804 B2
- Document ID: US12112804B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/237,070
- Filed: 2023-08-23
- Published: 2023-12-07
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-12
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael A. Smith; Martin W. Popp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112804B2

## CPC

- G11C 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits
- G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series}
- H10D 30/601: {having lightly-doped drain or source extensions, e.g. LDD IGFETs or DDD IGFETs (lightly doped source or drain extensions for TFTs H10D30/6715)}
- H10D 30/608: {having non-planar bodies, e.g. having recessed gate electrodes}
- H10D 62/126: {Top-view geometrical layouts of the regions or the junctions}
- H10D 62/307: {the doping variations being parallel to the channel lengths}
- H10D 62/371: {Inactive supplementary semiconductor regions, e.g. for preventing punch-through, improving capacity effect or leakage current}
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A memory device includes a first string driver circuit and a second string driver circuit that are disposed laterally adjacent to each other in a length direction of a memory subsystem. The first and the second string driver circuits are disposed in an interleaved layout configuration such that the first connections of the first string driver are offset from the second connections of the second string driver in a width direction. For a same effective distance between the corresponding opposing first and second connections, a first pitch length corresponding to the interleaved layout configuration of the first and second string drivers is less by a predetermined reduction amount than a second pitch length between the first and second string drivers when disposed in a non-interleaved layout configuration in which each of the first connections is in-line with the corresponding second connection.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of memory strings, each memory string including a plurality of local word lines connected to corresponding memory cells to form a memory cell array; and
a plurality of word line drivers, each word line driver having at least one sub-driver that includes,
a first contact connected to a corresponding local word line,
a second contact,
a gate disposed between the first and second contacts, and
a channel region disposed under the gate and disposed between a first lightly dosed drain (LDD) region and a second LDD region,
wherein the gate extends over at least a portion of at least one of the first or second LDD regions to form a respective gated lightly dosed drain (GLDD) region adjacent the channel region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gate extends over a portion of the first LDD region to form a first GLDD region adjacent to the channel region and a first ungated LDD region adjacent to the first GLDD region on a side opposite the channel region, and the gate extends over a portion of the second LDD region to form a second GLDD region adjacent to the channel region and a second ungated LDD region adjacent to the second GLDD region on a side opposite the channel region, and
wherein the first contact is disposed over the first ungated LDD region and the second contact is disposed over the second ungated LDD region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second gated LDD regions have an N-implant that is 4.2 to 4.7 times the dose concentration of the respective first and second ungated LDD regions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the N-implant is a phosphorous implant.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second gated LDD regions have an N-implant that is in a range of 2.0 to 2.2*1013/cm3.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second ungated LDD regions have an N-implant that is in a range of 4.5 to 4.7*1012/cm3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each word line driver includes a first sub-driver and a second sub-driver,
wherein the second contact is common to both the first and second sub-drivers and the second contact is connected to a global word line driver.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein for a same width for the channel region and a same dose concentration for ungated LDD regions, based on a bias voltage on the second contact, a drive current of the word line driver is 1.3 to at least 3 times a drive current of a word line driver having only ungated LDD regions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gate includes a punch-stop implant.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an N+ implant surrounds each of the first and second contacts.