3D virtual ground memory and manufacturing methods for same

A vertical memory structure, comprising:

• a stack of alternating layers of insulator material and layers of word line material;
• a plurality of distinct series of alternating cylindrical conductive pillars and cylindrical insulating pillars disposed through the stack, the conductive pillars in the plurality of distinct series being arranged in an array and in a plurality of distinct subarrays of the array, each distinct subarray including at least one distinct series in the plurality of series, each distinct series in the plurality of distinct series including at least a first conductive pillar, a first insulating pillar adjacent to the first conductive pillar and a second conductive pillar adjacent to the first insulating pillar;
• data storage structures disposed on inside surfaces of the layers of word line material at cross-points of the insulating pillars in the plurality of distinct series and the layers of word line material;
• semiconductor channel material between the insulating pillars in the plurality of distinct series and the data storage structures at cross-points of the insulating pillars in the plurality of distinct series with the layers of word line material, the semiconductor channel material extending around outside surfaces of the insulating pillars in the plurality of distinct series and contacting adjacent conductive pillars on both sides in the plurality of distinct series;
• a plurality of conductive strips disposed in a pillar select layer over the stack, including for each distinct subarray of the array, a corresponding conductive strip of the plurality of conductive strips, and including for each distinct subarray of the array a plurality of vertical channel structures through the corresponding conductive strip contacting respective conductive pillars in the distinct subarray;
• a plurality of bit line conductors disposed over the pillar select layer over the stack, each bit line conductor having contacts to one vertical channel transistor in a plurality of vertical channel transistors in each of the distinct subarrays;
• and
• conductor filled slots disposed in intervals along the plurality of series of alternating conductive pillars and insulating pillars, and extending through the stack to contact a conductive layer beneath the stack, wherein the conductor filled slots are elongated in a direction orthogonal to the plurality of series of alternating conductive pillars and insulating pillars.