THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES WITH CURRENT PATH SELECTION STRUCTURE AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

摘要

Provided are three-dimensional semiconductor devices and methods of operating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor devices may include active patterns arranged on a substrate to have a multi-layered and multi-column structure and drain patterns connected to respective columns of the active patterns. The methods may include a layer-selection step connecting a selected one of layers of the active patterns selectively to the drain patterns. For example, the layer-selection step may be performed in such a way that widths of depletion regions to be formed in end-portions of the active patterns are differently controlled depending on to a height from the substrate.

主权项

1. A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device, comprising:
a common source structure, a string selection structure, and a memory structure on a substrate, the memory structure interposed between the common source structure and the string selection structure, wherein the memory structure comprises a plurality of sequentially stacked active patterns elongated parallel to a top surface of the substrate, gate patterns extending perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate, and memory elements interposed between the active patterns and the gate patterns, and wherein the string selection structure comprises:
drain patterns elongated perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate to connect end-portions of the active patterns to each other; andlayer-selection patterns sequentially stacked to control an energy band structure of respective ones of the end-portions of the sequentially stacked active patterns located at a same level.