Memory device including self-aligned conductive contacts

A method comprising:

• forming levels of first dielectric materials interleaved with levels of second dielectric materials;
• forming memory cell strings including forming respective pillars of the memory cell strings through the levels of first dielectric materials and the levels of second dielectric materials;
• forming levels of first additional dielectric materials interleaved with levels of second additional dielectric materials after forming the pillars;
• forming conductive structures over the pillars, respectively, and through the levels of first additional dielectric materials and the levels of second additional dielectric materials;
• forming a slit after forming the conductive structures, the slit formed through the levels of first additional dielectric materials, the levels of second additional dielectric materials, the levels of first dielectric materials, and the levels of second dielectric materials,
• the slit dividing the levels of first dielectric materials and the levels of second dielectric materials into a first portion and a second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion including a respective portion of the memory cell strings,
• the slit dividing the levels of first additional dielectric materials and the levels of second additional dielectric materials into a first additional portion and a second additional portion, the first additional portion including a first portion of the conductive structures, the second additional portion including a second portion of the conductive structures;
• replacing the levels of first dielectric materials in the first portion and the second portion and the levels of first additional dielectric materials in the first additional portion and the second additional portion with respective levels of conductive materials;
• forming a dielectric structure in the slit, the dielectric structure electrically separating the levels of conductive materials in the first portion from the levels of conductive materials in the second portion, the dielectric structure electrically separating the levels of conductive materials in the first additional portion from the levels of conductive materials in the second additional portion;
• and
• forming a conductive line over and contacting the dielectric structure, a conductive structure of the first portion of the conductive structures, and a conductive structure of the second portion of the conductive structures.

A method comprising:

• forming levels of first dielectric materials interleaved with levels of second dielectric materials;
• forming memory cell strings including forming respective pillars of the memory cell strings through the levels of first dielectric materials and the levels of second dielectric materials;
• forming conductive structures over the pillars, respectively, including forming respective first conductive contacts of the conductive structures;
• forming first openings over the first conductive contacts, such that each of the first openings is vertically aligned with a respective conductive contact of the first conductive contacts;
• forming a dielectric material in the first openings;
• forming a slit after forming the dielectric material in the first openings, the slit formed through the levels of first dielectric materials and the levels of second dielectric materials, the slit dividing the levels of first dielectric materials and the levels of second dielectric materials into a first portion and a second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion including a respective portion of the memory cell strings,
• the slit dividing the first conductive contacts into a first portion of the first conductive contacts and a second portion of the first conductive contacts;
• replacing the levels of first dielectric materials in the first portion and the second portion with respective levels of conductive materials;
• forming a dielectric structure in the slit, the dielectric structure electrically separating the levels of conductive materials in the first portion from the levels of conductive materials in the second portion;
• forming second openings at respective locations of the dielectric material in the first openings to expose the first conductive contacts at the second openings, respectively;
• forming second conductive contacts of the conductive structures in the second openings, respectively, the second conductive contacts contacting respective conductive contacts in the first and second portions of the first conductive contacts;
• and
• forming a conductive line over and contacting the dielectric structure, contacting one of the second conductive contacts that contacts a conductive contact of the first portion of the first conductive contacts, and contacting one of the second conductive contacts that contacts a conductive contact of the second portion of the first conductive contacts.