Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vertical memory device includes: providing a substrate including a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region; forming a mold structure in the cell array region; forming a mold protection film in a portion of the cell array region and the peripheral circuit region, the mold protection film contacting the mold structure; forming an opening for a common source line that passes through the mold structure and extends in a first direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate; forming a peripheral circuit contact hole that passes through the mold protection film and extends in the first direction in the peripheral circuit region; and simultaneously forming a first contact plug and a second contact plug, respectively, in the opening for the common source line and in the peripheral circuit contact hole.

Abstract: According to example embodiments, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a preliminary stack structure including upper and lower preliminary stack structures by alternately stacking a plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers on a cell, first pad area, dummy area and second pad area of a substrate; removing an entire portion of the upper preliminary stack structure on the second pad area; forming a first mask defining openings over parts of the first and second pad areas; etching an etch depth corresponding to ones of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers through a remaining part of the preliminary stack structure exposed by the first mask; and repetitively performing a first staircase forming process that includes shrinking sides of the first mask and etching the etch depth through remaining parts of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers exposed by the shrunken first mask.

Abstract: According to example embodiments, a memory device includes a substrate, a channel region on the substrate, a plurality of gate electrode layers stacked on each other on the substrate, and a plurality of contact plugs. The gate electrode layers are adjacent to the channel region and extend in one direction to define a pad region. The gate electrode layers include first and second gate electrode layers. The contact plugs are connected to the gate electrode layers in the pad region. At least one of the contact plugs is electrically insulated from the from the first gate electrode layer and electrically connected to the second gate electrode layer by penetrating through the first gate electrode layer.

Abstract: According to example embodiments, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a preliminary stack structure including upper and lower preliminary stack structures by alternately stacking a plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers on a cell, first pad area, dummy area and second pad area of a substrate; removing an entire portion of the upper preliminary stack structure on the second pad area; forming a first mask defining openings over parts of the first and second pad areas; etching an etch depth corresponding to ones of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers through a remaining part of the preliminary stack structure exposed by the first mask; and repetitively performing a first staircase forming process that includes shrinking sides of the first mask and etching the etch depth through remaining parts of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers exposed by the shrunken first mask.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate including a cell region and peripheral region. The cell region is equipped with a photolithographic reference mark pattern and includes a memory cell array region and a staircase-shaped connection region connected to memory cells of the memory cell array region.

Abstract: Provided is a staircase-shaped connection structure of a three-dimensional semiconductor device. The device includes an electrode structure on a substrate, the electrode structure including an upper staircase region, a lower staircase region, and a buffer region therebetween. The electrode structure includes horizontal electrodes sequentially stacked on the substrate, the horizontal electrodes include a plurality of pad regions constituting a staircase structure of each of the upper and lower staircase regions, and the buffer region has a width that is larger than that of each of the pad regions.

Abstract: According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a method of fabricating a 3D semiconductor device may include: forming a stack structure including a plurality of horizontal layers sequentially stacked on a substrate including a cell array region and a contact region; forming a first mask pattern covering the cell array region and defining openings extending in one direction over the contact region; performing a first etching process with a first etch-depth using the first mask pattern as an etch mask on the stack structure; forming a second mask pattern covering the cell array region and exposing a part of the contact region; and performing a second etching process with a second etch-depth using the second mask pattern as an etch mask structure on the stack structure. The second etch-depth may be greater than the first etch-depth.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-floor step pattern structure includes forming a stacked structure having alternating insulating interlayers and sacrificial layers on a substrate. A first photoresist pattern is formed on the stacked structure. A first preliminary step pattern structure is formed by etching portions of the stacked structure using the first photoresist pattern as an etching mask. A passivation layer pattern is formed on upper surfaces of the first photoresist pattern and the first preliminary step pattern structure. A second photoresist pattern is formed by removing a side wall portion of the first photoresist pattern exposed by the passivation layer pattern. A second preliminary step pattern structure is formed by etching exposed insulating interlayers and underlying sacrificial layers using the second photoresist pattern as an etching mask. The above steps may be repeated on the second preliminary step pattern structure to form the multi-floor step pattern structure.

Abstract: According to example embodiments, a memory device includes a substrate, a channel region on the substrate, a plurality of gate electrode layers stacked on each other on the substrate, and a plurality of contact plugs. The gate electrode layers are adjacent to the channel region and extend in one direction to define a pad region. The gate electrode layers include first and second gate electrode layers. The contact plugs are connected to the gate electrode layers in the pad region. At least one of the contact plugs is electrically insulated from the from the first gate electrode layer and electrically connected to the second gate electrode layer by penetrating through the first gate electrode layer.

Abstract: According to example embodiments, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a preliminary stack structure including upper and lower preliminary stack structures by alternately stacking a plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers on a cell, first pad area, sacrificial area and second pad area of a substrate; removing an entire portion of the upper preliminary stack structure on the second pad area; forming a first mask defining openings over parts of the first and second pad areas; etching an etch depth corresponding to ones of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers through a remaining part of the preliminary stack structure exposed by the first mask; and repetitively performing a first staircase forming process that includes shrinking sides of the first mask and etching the etch depth through remaining parts of the plurality of interlayer insulating and sacrificial layers exposed by the shrunken first mask.

Abstract: According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a method of fabricating a 3D semiconductor device may include: forming a stack structure including a plurality of horizontal layers sequentially stacked on a substrate including a cell array region and a contact region; forming a first mask pattern covering the cell array region and defining openings extending in one direction over the contact region; performing a first etching process with a first etch-depth using the first mask pattern as an etch mask on the stack structure; forming a second mask pattern covering the cell array region and exposing a part of the contact region; and performing a second etching process with a second etch-depth using the second mask pattern as an etch mask structure on the stack structure. The second etch-depth may be greater than the first etch-depth.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-floor step pattern structure includes forming a stacked structure having alternating insulating interlayers and sacrificial layers on a substrate. A first photoresist pattern is formed on the stacked structure. A first preliminary step pattern structure is formed by etching portions of the stacked structure using the first photoresist pattern as an etching mask. A passivation layer pattern is formed on upper surfaces of the first photoresist pattern and the first preliminary step pattern structure. A second photoresist pattern is formed by removing a side wall portion of the first photoresist pattern exposed by the passivation layer pattern. A second preliminary step pattern structure is formed by etching exposed insulating interlayers and underlying sacrificial layers using the second photoresist pattern as an etching mask. The above steps may be repeated on the second preliminary step pattern structure to form the multi-floor step pattern structure.