SOCKET STRUCTURE FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY

摘要

Socket structures that are configured to use area efficiently, and methods for providing socket regions that use area efficiently, are provided. The staircase type contact area or socket region includes dielectric layers between adjacent planar electrodes that partially cover a portion of a planar electrode that does directly underlie an adjacent planar electrode. The portion of a dielectric layer between adjacent planar electrodes can be sloped, such that it extends from an edge of an overlying planar electrode to a point between the edge of an underlying planar electrode and a point corresponding to an edge of the overlying planar electrode.

主权项

1. A three-dimensional memory structure, comprising:
a memory array volume, wherein the memory array volume extends in x, y, and z dimensions, and wherein the memory array volume includes a plurality of memory cells; a socket region, wherein the socket region is located along one side of the memory array volume such that it extends along the one side of the memory array volume in the x dimension, and extends from the memory array volume in the y dimension; a plurality of dielectric layers that lie in planes extending in the x and y dimensions; a plurality of horizontal electrodes that lie in planes extending in the x and y dimensions,
wherein horizontal electrodes included in the plurality of horizontal electrodes are stacked in the z dimension,wherein adjacent horizontal electrodes included in the plurality of horizontal electrodes are separated from one another in the z dimension by at least one of the dielectric layers included in the plurality of dielectric layers,wherein moving in at least a first direction along the z dimension, the horizontal electrodes extend from the memory array area to the first socket region by a greater amount, forming a staircase structure,wherein an edge of a dielectric layer disposed between a first horizontal electrode and a second horizontal electrode is located between an edge of the first horizontal electrode and an edge of the second horizontal electrode,wherein within the first socket region each horizontal electrode of the plurality of horizontal electrodes includes a portion that is not covered by a dielectric layer such that each of the horizontal electrodes is accessible along one or more lines that are parallel to the z dimension.