Abstract: A touchscreen pattern includes detection electrodes, drive electrodes, floating electrodes, and wide detection electrodes. The detection electrodes extend along a first direction and are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The drive electrodes extend along the second direction and are arranged along the first direction to overlap the detection electrodes in a plan view. The drive electrodes and the detection electrodes form capacitors. The floating electrodes are arranged adjacent to the detection electrodes 38, respectively, in the plan view and to overlap the drive electrodes in the plan view. The floating electrodes and the adjacent detection electrodes form capacitors. The floating electrodes and the overlapping drive electrodes form capacitors. The wide detection electrodes are arranged at the outermost with respect to the second direction. The wide detection electrodes have a width larger than a width of the detection electrodes closer to the middle.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus, for generating a plasma from a gas by a high frequency energy and etching a substrate in a processing chamber by radicals in the plasma, includes a high frequency power supply configured to supply the high frequency energy into the processing chamber, a gas supply source configured to introduce the gas into the processing chamber, a mounting table configured to mount the substrate thereon, and a partition plate provided in the processing chamber and configured to divide an inner space of the processing chamber into a plasma generation space and a substrate processing space and suppress passage of ions therethrough. The partition plate and a portion of an inner wall surface of the processing chamber which is positioned at least above the mounting table are covered by a dielectric material having a recombination coefficient of 0.002 or less.

Abstract: The total chip area for a three-dimensional memory device can be reduced employing a design layout in which the word line decoder circuitry is formed underneath an array of memory stack structures. The interconnection between the word lines and the word line decoder circuitry can be provided by forming discrete word line contact via structures. The discrete word line contact via structures can be formed by employing multiple sets of etch masks with overlapping opening areas and employed to etch a different number of pairs of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, thereby obviating the need to form staircase regions having stepped surfaces. Sets of at least one conductive interconnection structure can be employed to provide vertical electrical connection to the word line decoder circuitry. Bit line drivers can also be formed underneath the array of memory stack structures to provide greater areal efficiency.

Abstract: An annular dielectric spacer can be formed at a level of a joint-level dielectric material layer between vertically neighboring pairs of alternating stacks of insulating layers and spacer material layers. After formation of a memory opening through multiple alternating stacks and formation of a memory film therein, an anisotropic etch can be performed to remove a horizontal bottom portion of the memory film. The annular dielectric spacer can protect underlying portions of the memory film during the anisotropic etch. In addition, a silicon nitride barrier may be employed to suppress hydrogen diffusion at an edge region of peripheral devices.

Abstract: Contacts to peripheral devices extending through multiple tier structures of a three-dimensional memory device can be formed with minimal additional processing steps. First peripheral via cavities through a first tier structure can be formed concurrently with formation of first memory openings. Sacrificial via fill structures can be formed in the first peripheral via cavities concurrently with formation of sacrificial memory opening fill structures that are formed in the first memory openings. Second peripheral via cavities through a second tier structure can be formed concurrently with formation of word line contact via cavities that extend to top surfaces of electrically conductive layers in the first and second tier structures. After removal of the sacrificial via fill structures, the first and second peripheral via cavities can be filled with a conductive material to form peripheral contact via structures concurrently with formation of word line contact via structures.

Abstract: The total chip area for a three-dimensional memory device can be reduced employing a design layout in which the word line decoder circuitry is formed underneath an array of memory stack structures. The interconnection between the word lines and the word line decoder circuitry can be provided by forming discrete word line contact via structures. The discrete word line contact via structures can be formed by employing multiple sets of etch masks with overlapping opening areas and employed to etch a different number of pairs of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, thereby obviating the need to form staircase regions having stepped surfaces. Sets of at least one conductive interconnection structure can be employed to provide vertical electrical connection to the word line decoder circuitry. Bit line drivers can also be formed underneath the array of memory stack structures to provide greater areal efficiency.

Abstract: A stepless transmission includes: a transmission shaft; first to fourth power transmission elements; a plurality of rolling bodies clamped by the first and second power transmission elements disposed in confrontation with each other, and tiltably held by the fourth power transmission element; an axial force generator configured to generate axial force in an axial direction for pressing at least one of the first and second power transmission elements against the rolling bodies; and a transmission device configured to change a gear ratio between an input and output by tilting the rolling bodies. Young's moduli of a contact section and an additional contact section, in contact with the rolling body, of one of the first and second power transmission elements are larger than those of other one of the first and second power transmission elements.

Abstract: A three-dimensional NAND device includes a first set of word line contacts in contact with a contact portion of respective odd numbered word lines in a first stepped word line contact region, and a second set of word line contacts in contact with a contact portion of respective even numbered word lines in a second stepped word line contact region. The even numbered word lines in the first word line contact region do not contact a word line contact while the odd numbered word lines in the second word line contact region do not contact a word line contact.

Abstract: A stack of material layers includes first material layers, second material layers located between a respective pair of an overlying first material layer and an underlying first material layer, and at least one temporary material layer located between a respective pair of an overlying first material layer and an underlying first material layer. After formation of a memory opening and a memory stack structure, at least one first backside recess is formed by removing the at least one temporary material layer and adjoining portions of a memory film. A physically exposed portion of a semiconductor channel is doped with electrical dopants to form a doped semiconductor channel portion. Second backside cavities are formed by removal of the second material layers. The backside cavities are then filled with a dielectric liner and electrically conductive layers, such as select and control gate electrodes of a memory device.

Abstract: A vertical, columnar resistor in a semiconductor device is provided, along with techniques for fabricating such a resistor. The resistor may be provided in a peripheral area of a 3D memory device which has a two-tier or other multi-tier stack of memory cells. The structure and fabrication of the resistor can be integrated with the structure and fabrication of the stack of memory cells. The resistor may comprise doped polysilicon. In an example implementation, a polysilicon pillar extends a height of a first tier of the stack and a metal pillar above the polysilicon pillar extends a height of a second tier of the stack.

Abstract: A three dimensional NAND memory device includes word line driver devices located on or over a substrate, an alternating stack of word lines and insulating layers located over the word line driver devices, a plurality of memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and through-memory-level via structures which electrically couple the word lines in a first memory block to the word line driver devices. The through-memory-level via structures extend through a through-memory-level via region located between a staircase region of the first memory block and a staircase region of another memory block.

Abstract: A three dimensional NAND memory device includes word line driver devices located on or over a substrate, an alternating stack of word lines and insulating layers located over the word line driver devices, a plurality of memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and through-memory-level via structures which electrically couple the word lines in a first memory block to the word line driver devices. The through-memory-level via structures extend through a through-memory-level via region located between a staircase region of the first memory block and a staircase region of another memory block.

Abstract: A three dimensional NAND memory device includes word line driver devices located on or over a substrate, an alternating stack of word lines and insulating layers located over the word line driver devices, a plurality of memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and through-memory-level via structures which electrically couple the word lines in a first memory block to the word line driver devices. The through-memory-level via structures extend through a through-memory-level via region located between a staircase region of the first memory block and a staircase region of another memory block.

Abstract: A three dimensional NAND memory device includes word line driver devices located on or over a substrate, an alternating stack of word lines and insulating layers located over the word line driver devices, a plurality of memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and through-memory-level via structures which electrically couple the word lines in a first memory block to the word line driver devices. The through-memory-level via structures extend through a through-memory-level via region located between a staircase region of the first memory block and a staircase region of another memory block.

Abstract: A three dimensional NAND memory device includes word line driver devices located on or over a substrate, an alternating stack of word lines and insulating layers located over the word line driver devices, a plurality of memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, each memory stack structure including a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel, and through-memory-level via structures which electrically couple the word lines in a first memory block to the word line driver devices. The through-memory-level via structures extend through a through-memory-level via region located between a staircase region of the first memory block and a staircase region of another memory block.

Abstract: A vertical, columnar resistor in a semiconductor device is provided, along with techniques for fabricating such a resistor. The resistor may be provided in a peripheral area of a 3D memory device which has a two-tier or other multi-tier stack of memory cells. The structure and fabrication of the resistor can be integrated with the structure and fabrication of the stack of memory cells. The resistor may comprise doped polysilicon. In an example implementation, a polysilicon pillar extends a height of a first tier of the stack and a metal pillar above the polysilicon pillar extends a height of a second tier of the stack.

Abstract: A non-volatile data storage device comprises pairs of immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines that are independently driven by respective and vertically oriented bit line selector devices. The isolation between the immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines also isolates from one another respective memory cells of the non-volatile data storage device such that leakage currents cannot flow from memory cells connected to a first of the immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines to memory cells connected to the second of the pair of immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines. A method programming a desire one of the memory cells includes applying boosting voltages to word lines adjacent to the bit line of the desired memory cell while not applying boosting voltages to word lines adjacent to the other bit line of the pair.

Abstract: Split memory cells can be provided within an alternating stack of insulating layers and word lines. At least one lower-select-gate-level electrically conductive layers and/or at least one upper-select-level electrically conductive layers without a split memory cell configuration can be provided by limiting the levels of separator insulator structures within the levels of the word lines. At least one etch stop layer can be formed above at least one lower-select-gate-level spacer material layer. An alternating stack of insulating layers and spacer material layers is formed over the at least one etch stop layer. Separator insulator structures are formed through the alternating stack employing the etch stop layer as a stopping structure. Upper-select-level spacer material layers can be subsequently formed. The spacer material layers and the select level material layers are formed as, or replaced with, electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack and arranged in at least five rows that extend along a first horizontal direction, contact via structures arranged in a same number of rows as the memory stack structures and overlying the memory stack structures, each of the contact via structures being electrically connected to a semiconductor channel of a respective memory stack structure, bit lines contacting a respective contact via structure and extending along a second horizontal direction that is different from the first horizontal direction, and a pair of wall-shaped via structures extending through the alternating stack and laterally extending along the first horizontal direction.

Abstract: An alternating stack of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers are formed over a substrate. Memory stack structures are formed through the alternating stack. A backside trench is formed and the sacrificial material layers are replaced with electrically conductive layers. After formation of an insulating spacer in the trench, an epitaxial pedestal structure is grown from a semiconductor portion underlying the backside trench. A source region is formed by introducing dopants into the epitaxial pedestal structure and an underlying semiconductor portion during and/or after epitaxial growth. Alternatively, the backside trench can be formed concurrently with formation of memory openings. An epitaxial pedestal structure can be formed concurrently with formation of epitaxial channel portions at the bottom of each memory opening.