Microelectronic devices including slot structures, and related electronic systems and methods of forming the microelectronic devices

A microelectronic device, comprising:

• strings of memory cells in a stack structure comprising tiers of alternating insulative structures and conductive structures;
• pillars within an additional stack structure comprising additional tiers of alternating insulative structures and conductive structures, the additional stack structure overlying the stack structure;
• a channel region extending through the stack structure and the additional stack structure;
• and
• slot structures extending at least partially into the additional stack structure, the slot structures exhibiting arcuate surfaces defining a weave pattern.

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

• forming a stack structure comprising alternating levels of insulative structures and nitride structures arranged in tiers;
• forming memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the first stack structure;
• forming an additional second stack structure comprising alternating levels of additional insulative structures and additional nitride structures arranged in additional tiers and vertically overlying the stack structure;
• forming first pillar structures and second pillar structures extending through the additional stack structure, the second pillar structures adjacent to the first pillar structures, the first pillar structures and the second pillar structures vertically overlying portions of the memory cells of the stack structure and the additional stack structure and comprising another channel material and a conductive material extending between portions of the another channel material;
• forming an insulative material over the additional stack structure;
• removing a portion of the first pillar structures and the second pillar structures and the insulative material to form an opening over the first pillar structures and the second pillar structures, a width of the opening greater than a width of the first pillar structures and the second pillar structures;
• forming a sacrificial structure in the opening;
• replacing the nitride structures of the stack structure and the additional stack structure with conductive structures to form the stack structure and the additional stack structure comprising an alternating sequence of conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers;
• removing the sacrificial structure from the opening;
• forming a hard mask material in the opening, a width of the hard mask material greater than a width of the first pillar structures and the second pillar structures;
• forming a patterned mask over the hard mask material, a portion of the hard mask material and the insulative material exposed through the patterned mask;
• removing the exposed hard mask material and the exposed insulative material to form a slot exhibiting a non-linear shape between neighboring first pillar structures and second pillar structures, the slot extending through the insulative material, at least partially into the additional stack structure;
• and
• forming a dielectric material in the slot to form slot structures, the slot structures extending through at least a portion of the additional stack structure and the slot structures laterally adjacent to the first pillar structures and to the second pillar structures, wherein a distance between the first pillar structures and the slot structures is substantially equal to a distance between the second pillar structures and the slot structures, the slot structures exhibiting a non-linear shape.

An electronic system, comprising:

• an input device;
• an output device;
• a processor device operably coupled to the input device and the output device;
• and
• a memory device operably coupled to the processor device and comprising at least one microelectronic device, the at least one microelectronic device comprising:
• memory cells extending through a stack structure comprising tiers of alternating insulative structures and conductive structures;
• pillars within an additional stack structure comprising tiers of alternating additional insulative structures and additional conductive structures, the pillars overlying the memory cells;
• a channel region extending through the stack structure and the additional stack structure;
• and
• slot structures extending at least partially through the additional stack structure, the slot structures exhibiting a weave pattern defined by crest regions and valley regions of a dielectric material.