Floating body memory cell apparatus and methods
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorPaul Grisham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods having a base; a memory cell including a body, a source, and a drain; and an insulation material electrically isolating the body, the source, and the drain from the base, where the body is configured to store information. The base and the body include bulk semiconductor material. Additional apparatus and methods are described.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming pillars from a first portion of a semiconductor material, each of the pillars including a first pillar portion and a second pillar portion, the second pillar portion being between the first pillar portion and a second portion of the semiconductor material;
- removing the second pillar portion of each of the pillars to electrically isolate the first portion of each of the pillars from the second portion of the semiconductor material;
- and
- forming memory cells that include at least the first portion of each of the pillars.
A method comprising:
- forming isolation structures extending in a first direction in a first portion of a bulk silicon material;
- forming trenches extending in a second direction in at least a part of the first portion of the bulk silicon material and in at least a part of the isolation structures to produce pillars in the first portion of the bulk silicon material, the pillars attached to and protruding from a second portion of the bulk silicon material;
- removing a selected pillar portion of each of the pillars to electrically isolate a remaining pillar portion of each of the pillars from the second portion of the bulk silicon material;
- and
- forming memory cells that include the remaining pillar portion of each of the pillars.
The method of claim 20 further comprising:
- oxidizing at least a part of the remaining pillar portion each of the pillars after the selected pillar portion is removed and before the filling the insulation material into the space.
The method of claim 20, wherein forming the memory cells includes forming a first region in each of the pillars to form a source of a memory cell and forming second region in each of the pillars to form a drain of a memory cell before the selected pillar portion of each of the pillars is removed.
The method of claim 24, wherein forming the memory cells includes forming gates extending in the second direction.
A method comprising:
- forming first isolation structures extending in a first direction in a first portion of a bulk silicon material;
- forming second isolation structures extending in the first direction in the first portion of the bulk silicon material, such that each of the second isolation structures is between two of the first isolation structures and such that each of the first isolation structures is formed to a first depth the first portion of the bulk silicon material and each of the second isolation structures is formed to a second depth the first portion of the bulk silicon material, wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth;
- forming trenches, extending in a second direction in the bulk silicon material perpendicular to the first and second isolation structures to produce pillars in the first portion of the bulk silicon material, the pillars attached to and protruding from a second portion of the bulk silicon material;
- removing a selected pillar portion of each of the pillars to electrically isolate a remaining pillar portion of each of the pillars from the second portion of the bulk silicon material;
- surrounding at least a part of the remaining pillar portion each of the pillars with an insulation material;
- and
- forming memory cells that include the remaining pillar portion of each of the pillars.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.