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US 7,247,531 B2Granted
Field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures and methods of forming the same
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsXiaofeng Yang, Pavel Komilovich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to field-effect-transistor (FET) multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures and methods for fabricating them. One of these FET multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures enables decoding of an array of tightly pitched conductive structures. Another enables efficient decoding of various types of conductive-structure arrays, tightly pitched or otherwise. Also, processes for forming FET multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures are disclosed that use alignment-independent processing steps. One of these processes uses one, low-accuracy imprinting step and further alignment-independent processing steps.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures including forming, over a conductive layer, elongate rows of structures, the structures having two or more different thicknesses and forming the array of conductive structures by removing the conductive layer in regions defined by one or more of the different thicknesses;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures with an alignment-independent technique;
- and
- forming a plurality of address lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures effective to define a field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures;
- and
- the forming the array of conductive structures includes forming, over a semi-conductive layer and a highly conductive layer, elongate rows of structures, the structures having two or more different thicknesses, forming an array of conductive-structure precursors by removing the semi-conductive and highly conductive layers in regions defined by one of the different thicknesses, and forming the array of conductive structures from the array of conductive-structure precursors by removing material from the conductive-structure precursors at regions defined by another of the different thicknesses.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures;
- and
- the forming the array of conductive structures includes forming, over a semi-conductive layer, elongate rows of two or more structures, the structures having different thicknesses;
- forming highly conductive structures over the semi-conductive layer at regions defined by one of the structures, and forming the array of conductive structures by removing the semi-conductive layer at regions defined by another of the structures effective to form the conductive structures of semi-conductive and highly conductive materials.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures;
- and
- the forming the array of conductive structures includes forming elongate rows of structures, the structures having two or more different thicknesses, and forming the array of conductive structures in regions defined by one or more but not all of the different thicknesses.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures, comprising forming a plurality of similar-thickness dielectric structures and differentiating the similar-thickness dielectric structures into the differing-thickness dielectric structures;
- and
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures, comprising forming thinner and thicker dielectric structures, the thinner dielectric structures comprising gates of the field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture;
- and
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures, comprising forming thinner and thicker dielectric structures, the thinner dielectric structures comprising gates of the field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture;
- and
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures, comprising forming rows of the differing-thickness dielectric structures oriented at a non-zero angle relative to an elongate dimension of the array of conductive structures and each of the rows having a unique arrangement of the differing-thickness dielectric structures;
- and
- forming a plurality of lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming an array of conductive structures;
- forming a plurality of differing-thickness dielectric structures over the array of conductive structures with an alignment-independent technique;
- forming a plurality of address lines over the differing-thickness dielectric structures effective to define a field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture;
- and
- altering a conductivity of the conductive structures at regions near gates of the field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.