Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate stack including gate electrodes stacked vertically on a substrate. Channel holes penetrate through the gate stack to extend vertically to the substrate. Each of the channel holes includes a channel region. First channel pads are each disposed at an end of a respective channel hole opposite the substrate. Each of the first channel pads includes at least one first conductivity-type impurity. Second channel pads are each disposed at an end of a respective channel hole opposite the substrate. Each of the second channel pads includes at least one second conductivity-type impurity.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a plurality of memory cell arrays, and an air gap structure. The substrate includes a cell region, a peripheral circuit region, and a boundary region. The boundary region is between the cell region and the peripheral circuit region. The plurality of memory cell arrays are on the cell region. The air gap structure includes a trench formed in the boundary region of the substrate. The air gap structure defines an air gap.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a logic structure including a logic circuit disposed in a circuit region and a lower insulation covering the logic circuit, a memory structure on the logic structure, a stress relaxation structure interposed between the logic structure and the memory structure in the circuit region, and a connection structure electrically connecting the memory structure to the logic circuit along a conductive path that extends through a connection region of the device beside the circuit region.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices may include forming a stopper layer, a lower hard mask layer, an intermediate hard mask layer, and an upper hard mask pattern on a substrate, forming first spacer patterns on sidewalls of the upper hard mask pattern, selectively etching the intermediate hard mask layer using the first spacer patterns as an etching mask, forming second spacer patterns on sidewalls of the etched intermediate hard mask layer, selectively etching the lower hard mask layer using the etched second spacer layer as an etching mask, forming a patterning mask pattern that exposes a cell area and covers a common source line area on the etched lower hard mask layer and the stopper layer, and selectively etching the stopper layer using the etched lower hard mask layer and the patterning mask pattern as etching masks to form stopper patterns.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices may include forming a stopper layer, a lower hard mask layer, an intermediate hard mask layer, and an upper hard mask pattern on a substrate, forming first spacer patterns on sidewalls of the upper hard mask pattern, selectively etching the intermediate hard mask layer using the first spacer patterns as an etching mask, forming second spacer patterns on sidewalls of the etched intermediate hard mask layer, selectively etching the lower hard mask layer using the etched second spacer layer as an etching mask, forming a patterning mask pattern that exposes a cell area and covers a common source line area on the etched lower hard mask layer and the stopper layer, and selectively etching the stopper layer using the etched lower hard mask layer and the patterning mask pattern as etching masks to form stopper patterns.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a cell gate conductive pattern in a cell array area that extends to a step area, a cell vertical structure in the cell array area that extends through the cell gate conductive pattern, a cell gate contact structure on the cell gate conductive pattern in the step area, a cell gate contact region in the cell gate conductive pattern and aligned with the cell gate contact structure, a first peripheral contact structure spaced apart from the cell gate conductive pattern, a second peripheral contact structure spaced apart from the first peripheral contact structure, a first peripheral contact region under the first peripheral contact structure, and a second peripheral contact region under the second peripheral contact structure. The cell gate contact region may include a first element and a remainder of the cell gate conductive pattern may not substantially include the first element.

Abstract: The inventive concepts provide methods for fabricating a semiconductor device and semiconductor devices fabricated by the same. According to the method, conductive lines having a fine pitch smaller than the minimum pitch realized by an exposure process may be formed using two or three photolithography processes and two spacer formation processes. In addition, node separation regions of the conductive lines may be easily formed without a misalignment problem.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of line patterns including at least two continuous line repetition units having, as one of the line repetition unit, four line patterns continuously arranged in a first direction and having variable widths based on location. To form the plurality of line patterns including the at least two continuous line repetition units, a plurality of reference patterns are formed repeatedly at a uniform reference pitch on a feature layer. A plurality of first spacers covering both side walls of each of the plurality of reference patterns are formed. A plurality of second spacers covering both side walls of each of the plurality of first spacers are formed by removing the plurality of reference patterns. The feature layer is etched using the plurality of second spacers as an etch mask by removing the plurality of first spacers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a logic structure including a logic circuit disposed in a circuit region and a lower insulation covering the logic circuit, a memory structure on the logic structure, a stress relaxation structure interposed between the logic structure and the memory structure in the circuit region, and a connection structure electrically connecting the memory structure to the logic circuit along a conductive path that extends through a connection region of the device beside the circuit region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a cell semiconductor pattern disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor dummy pattern is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor dummy pattern is co-planar with the cell semiconductor pattern. A first circuit is disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the cell semiconductor pattern. A first interconnection structure is disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the cell semiconductor pattern. A first dummy structure is disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the cell semiconductor pattern. Part of the first dummy structure is co-planar with part of the first interconnection structure. A second dummy structure not overlapping the cell semiconductor pattern is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Part of the second dummy structure is co-planar with part of the first interconnection structure.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a semiconductor pattern including an opening on a semiconductor substrate. A peripheral transistor and a peripheral interconnection structure may be disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor pattern. The peripheral interconnection structure may be electrically connected to the peripheral transistor. Cell gate conductive patterns may be disposed on the semiconductor pattern. The cell vertical structures may extend through the cell gate conductive patterns and may be connected to the semiconductor pattern. Cell bit line contact plugs may be disposed on the cell vertical structures. A bit line may be disposed on the cell bit line contact plugs. A peripheral bit line contact structure may be disposed between the bit line and the peripheral interconnection structure. The peripheral bit line contact structure may extend through the opening of the semiconductor.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which uses a triple patterning process, a porous layer covering sidewalls and an upper surface of a polymer-containing pattern is formed on a layer to be etched. A decomposition gas is supplied to the polymer-containing pattern through the porous layer, and a portion of the polymer-containing pattern is decomposed to form a reduced polymer-containing pattern and form a void between the reduced polymer-containing pattern and the porous layer. A portion of the porous layer is removed to form a porous spacer pattern spaced apart from the reduced polymer-containing pattern. The layer to be etched is etched by using the reduced polymer-containing pattern and the porous spacer pattern as an etch mask.

Abstract: An operating method of a nonvolatile memory device is provided which sequentially performs a plurality of erase loops to erase at least one of a plurality of memory blocks. The operating method comprises performing at least one of the plurality of erase loops; performing a post-program operation on the at least one memory block after the at least one erase loop is executed; and performing remaining erase loops of the plurality of erase loops. The post-program operation is not performed when each of the remaining erase loops is executed.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which uses a triple patterning process, a porous layer covering sidewalls and an upper surface of a polymer-containing pattern is formed on a layer to be etched. A decomposition gas is supplied to the polymer-containing pattern through the porous layer, and a portion of the polymer-containing pattern is decomposed to form a reduced polymer-containing pattern and form a void between the reduced polymer-containing pattern and the porous layer. A portion of the porous layer is removed to form a porous spacer pattern spaced apart from the reduced polymer-containing pattern. The layer to be etched is etched by using the reduced polymer-containing pattern and the porous spacer pattern as an etch mask.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a peripheral circuit region and a first memory region that are side by side on a substrate. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes a second memory region that is on the peripheral circuit region and the first memory region. Related methods of programming semiconductor devices are also provided.

Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate having an active region defined therein that extends linearly along a first direction. The device also includes a select line on the substrate and extending along a second direction to perpendicularly cross the active region, first and second floating gate patterns on the active region and spaced apart along the first direction, and first and second dielectric patterns on respective ones of the first and second floating gate patterns. The device further includes first and second word lines on respective ones of the first and second dielectric patterns and extending in parallel with the select line along the first direction. A first area of overlap of the first word line with the first floating gate pattern and the first dielectric pattern is less than a second area of overlap of the second word line with the second floating gate pattern and the second dielectric pattern. The first word line may be disposed between the select line and the second word line.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and a methods of fabricating the semiconductor devices are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a pattern on a substrate. The semiconductor devices may also include a capping dielectric layer on the pattern. The semiconductor devices may further include a first nitride layer on the capping dielectric layer. Moreover, the semiconductor devices may include a second nitride layer on the first nitride layer. A concentration of nitrogen in the first nitride layer may be greater than that in the second nitride layer.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and a methods of fabricating the semiconductor devices are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a pattern on a substrate. The semiconductor devices may also include a capping dielectric layer on the pattern. The semiconductor devices may further include a first nitride layer on the capping dielectric layer. Moreover, the semiconductor devices may include a second nitride layer on the first nitride layer. A concentration of nitrogen in the first nitride layer may be greater than that in the second nitride layer.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and a methods of fabricating the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a pattern on a substrate, forming a capping dielectric layer on the pattern, and thermally processing the substrate. After thermally processing the substrate, the methods may further include forming a diffusion barrier layer by a nitride process that may include supplying nitrogen to the capping dielectric layer. The methods may also include forming an etching stop layer on the diffusion barrier layer, forming an inter-layer dielectric layer on the etching stop layer, and planarizing the inter-layer dielectric layer.

Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate having an active region defined therein that extends linearly along a first direction. The device also includes a select line on the substrate and extending along a second direction to perpendicularly cross the active region, first and second floating gate patterns on the active region and spaced apart along the first direction, and first and second dielectric patterns on respective ones of the first and second floating gate patterns. The device further includes first and second word lines on respective ones of the first and second dielectric patterns and extending in parallel with the select line along the first direction. A first area of overlap of the first word line with the first floating gate pattern and the first dielectric pattern is less than a second area of overlap of the second word line with the second floating gate pattern and the second dielectric pattern. The first word line may be disposed between the select line and the second word line.