Patents by Inventor Naiming Liu

Naiming Liu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12295140
    Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers in the memory blocks. A through-array-via (TAV) region comprises TAV constructions that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The TAV constructions individually comprise a radially-outer insulative lining and a conductive core radially-inward of the insulative lining. The insulative lining comprises a radially-inner insulative material and a radially-outer insulative material that are of different compositions relative one another. The radially-outer insulative material is in radially-outer recesses that are in the first tiers as compared to the second tiers. The radially-inner insulative material extends elevationally along the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee, Allen McTeer, Rita J. Klein, John D. Hopkins, Nancy M. Lomeli, Xiao Li, Alyssa N. Scarbrough, Jiewei Chen, Naiming Liu, Shuangqiang Luo, Silvia Borsari, John Mark Meldrim, Shen Hu
  • Publication number: 20240244845
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a stack of alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials, a pillar region extending vertically through the stack, an oxide material within the pillar region and laterally adjacent to the dielectric materials and the conductive materials of the stack, and a storage node laterally adjacent to the oxide material and within the pillar region. A charge confinement region of the storage node is in horizontal alignment with the conductive materials of the stack. A height of the charge confinement region in a vertical direction is less than a height of a respective, laterally adjacent conductive material of the stack in the vertical direction. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Yifen Liu, Yan Song, Albert Fayrushin, Naiming Liu, Yingda Dong, George Matamis
  • Publication number: 20240215246
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a stack structure comprising a vertically alternating sequence of insulative structures and additional insulative structures, at least some of the additional insulative structures comprising silicon nitride having a ratio of nitrogen atoms to silicon atoms greater than about 1.58:1.00, forming openings through the stack structure, and forming cell pillar structures within the openings, the cell pillar structures individually comprising a semiconductor channel material vertically extending through the stack structure. Related methods, microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: Swapnil A. Lengade, Jeremy Adams, Naiming Liu, Jeslin J. Wu, Kadir Abdul, Carlo Mendoza Orofeo
  • Patent number: 12004346
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a stack structure comprising a vertically alternating sequence of insulative structures and additional insulative structures, at least some of the additional insulative structures comprising silicon nitride having a ratio of nitrogen atoms to silicon atoms greater than about 1.58:1.00, forming openings through the stack structure, and forming cell pillar structures within the openings, the cell pillar structures individually comprising a semiconductor channel material vertically extending through the stack structure. Related methods, microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Swapnil Lengade, Jeremy Adams, Naiming Liu, Jeslin J. Wu, Kadir Abdul, Carlo Mendoza Orofeo
  • Patent number: 11956954
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a stack of alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials, a pillar region extending vertically through the stack, an oxide material within the pillar region and laterally adjacent to the dielectric materials and the conductive materials of the stack, and a storage node laterally adjacent to the oxide material and within the pillar region. A charge confinement region of the storage node is in horizontal alignment with the conductive materials of the stack. A height of the charge confinement region in a vertical direction is less than a height of a respective, laterally adjacent conductive material of the stack in the vertical direction. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yifen Liu, Yan Song, Albert Fayrushin, Naiming Liu, Yingda Dong, George Matamis
  • Publication number: 20230397424
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure, a memory pillar, and a boron-containing material. The stack structure comprises alternating conductive structures and dielectric structures. The memory pillar extends through the stack structure and defines memory cells at intersections of the memory pillar and the conductive structures. The boron-containing material is on at least a portion of the conductive structures of the stack structure. Related methods and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee, Everett A. McTeer, Rita J. Klein, John D. Hopkins, Nancy M. Lomeli, Xiao Li, Christopher R. Ritchie, Alyssa N. Scarbrough, Jiewei Chen, Sijia Yu, Naiming Liu
  • Publication number: 20230387229
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises conductive structures and insulative structures vertically alternating with the conductive structures. At least one of the insulative structures includes interfacial regions extending inward from vertical boundaries of the at least one of the insulative structures, and central region vertically interposed between the interfacial regions. The interfacial regions are doped with one or more of carbon and boron. The insulative structures comprise a lower concentration of the one or more of carbon and boron than the interfacial regions. Additional microelectronic devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Everett A. McTeer, Farrell M. Good, John M. Meldrim, Jordan D. Greenlee, Justin D. Shepherdson, Naiming Liu, Yifen Liu
  • Publication number: 20230209819
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a stack structure including insulative structures and conductive structures vertically alternating with the insulative structures. At least one of the insulative structures includes interfacial regions proximate interfaces between the at least one of the insulative structures and two of the conductive structures vertically neighboring the at least one of the insulative structures; and an intermediate region interposed between the interfacial regions. The intermediate region has a different material composition and relatively greater strength than the interfacial regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Jiewei Chen, Naiming Liu
  • Publication number: 20220293625
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device comprises forming a stack structure comprising a vertically alternating sequence of insulative structures and additional insulative structures, at least some of the additional insulative structures comprising silicon nitride having a ratio of nitrogen atoms to silicon atoms greater than about 1.58:1.00, forming openings through the stack structure, and forming cell pillar structures within the openings, the cell pillar structures individually comprising a semiconductor channel material vertically extending through the stack structure. Related methods, microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Swapnil Lengade, Jeremy Adams, Naiming Liu, Jeslin J. Wu, Kadir Abdul, Carlo Mendoza Orofeo
  • Publication number: 20220149068
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a stack of alternating dielectric materials and conductive materials, a pillar region extending vertically through the stack, an oxide material within the pillar region and laterally adjacent to the dielectric materials and the conductive materials of the stack, and a storage node laterally adjacent to the oxide material and within the pillar region. A charge confinement region of the storage node is in horizontal alignment with the conductive materials of the stack. A height of the charge confinement region in a vertical direction is less than a height of a respective, laterally adjacent conductive material of the stack in the vertical direction. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Yifen Liu, Yan Song, Albert Fayrushin, Naiming Liu, Yingda Dong, George Matamis