Three-dimensional non-volatile memory device, memory system including the same and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorsYong Mook Baek, Jung Ryul Ahn
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Abstract
A three-dimensional (3-D) non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of vertical channel layers protruding from a substrate, a plurality of interlayer insulating layers and a plurality of memory cells stacked alternately along the plurality of vertical channel layers, and an air gap formed in the plurality of interlayer insulating layers disposed between the plurality of memory cells, so that capacitance between word lines is reduced to thus improve a program speed.
Claims19
A three-dimensional (3-D) non-volatile memory device, comprising:
- a plurality of vertical channel layers protruding from a substrate;
- a plurality of interlayer insulating layers and a plurality of memory cells stacked alternately along the plurality of vertical channel layers, wherein the memory cells include memory layers and word line conductive layers;
- slits passing through the word line conductive layers between the vertical channel layers;
- and
- an air gap formed in the plurality of interlayer insulating layers disposed between the word line conductive layers,
- wherein each of the word line conductive layers has a width that increases in a direction from the vertical channel layers to the slits.
A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional (3-D) non-volatile memory device, the method comprising:
- forming a stacked structure by alternately stacking a plurality of first sacrificial layers and a plurality of second sacrificial layers over a substrate;
- forming a plurality of vertical holes passing through the stacked structure;
- forming a plurality of channels by forming memory layers and channel layers along surfaces of the plurality of vertical holes;
- forming slits passing through the stacked structure between the plurality of channels to expose sidewalls of the first sacrificial layers and the second sacrificial layers;
- etching portions of the sidewalls of the first sacrificial layers such that the sidewalls of the first sacrificial layer have a semi-circular shape;
- removing the second sacrificial layers;
- forming word line conductive layers in spaces from which the second sacrificial layers are removed;
- removing the first sacrificial layers;
- and
- forming an interlayer insulating layer in the spaces from which the second sacrificial layers are removed such that an air gap is formed between the word line conductive layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.