Microelectronic devices including active contacts and support contacts, and related electronic systems and methods

A microelectronic device, comprising:

• a stack structure comprising alternating conductive materials and dielectric materials;
• a dielectric cap on top of the stack structure, the dielectric cap comprising two or more dielectric materials;
• first contacts extending through the dielectric cap and the stack structure, the first contacts comprising a conductive material and a liner, wherein the conductive material comprises a continuous structure and lacks an interface between a portion of the conductive material adjacent to the stack structure and a portion of the conductive material adjacent to the dielectric cap;
• and
• second contacts extending through only the stack structure, the second contacts comprising the liner and lacking a conductive material.

A method of forming a microelectronic device, the method comprising:

• forming contact openings extending through a stack of alternating dielectric materials and nitride materials, the contact openings comprising first contact openings and second contact openings;
• forming a slit in the stack, the slit laterally adjacent to the first contact openings and the second contact openings;
• forming a first sacrificial structure in the slit;
• forming a liner in the first contact openings and in the second contact openings;
• forming second sacrificial structures in the first contact openings and in the second contact openings;
• forming a cap over the stack and over the first and second sacrificial structures;
• removing a portion of the cap over the first sacrificial structure;
• removing the first sacrificial structure from the slit;
• removing the nitride materials of the stack through the slit to form openings between the alternating dielectric materials of the stack;
• forming a conductive material in the openings between the alternating dielectric materials of the stack to form a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and dielectric structures;
• forming a dielectric material in the slit and over the second sacrificial structures;
• removing a portion of the dielectric material and the cap to form cap openings above the second sacrificial structures in the first contact openings and above memory pillars extending through the stack structure;
• removing the second sacrificial structures from the first contact openings;
• and
• forming another conductive material in the first contact openings and in the cap openings to form contacts laterally adjacent to the memory pillars and extending through the stack structure, the contacts comprising active contacts and support contacts, the active contacts comprising the liner and the another conductive material and the support contacts comprising the liner and another dielectric material, the conductive material of the active contacts being in electrical communication with the memory pillars.

An electronic system comprising:

• an input device;
• an output device;
• a processor operatively coupled to the input device and the output device;
• and
• a memory device operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device comprises:
• a stack of alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials;
• a dielectric cap on top of the stack, the dielectric cap comprising one or more dielectric materials;
• contact openings extending through the stack and the dielectric cap;
• a conductive material and a liner in a first portion of the contact openings, the conductive material extending continuously from an upper surface of the dielectric cap to a lower surface of the stack and lacking an interface between a portion of the conductive material adjacent to the stack and a portion of the conductive material adjacent to the dielectric cap;
• and
• the liner in a second portion of the contact openings.