Patents by Inventor Si-Woo Lee

Si-Woo Lee 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: 11476251
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for a three-node access device in vertical three dimensional (3D) memory. An example method includes a method for forming arrays of vertically stacked memory cells, having horizontally oriented access devices and vertically oriented access lines. The method includes depositing alternating layers of a dielectric material and a sacrificial material in repeating iterations to form a vertical stack. An etchant process is used to form a first vertical opening exposing vertical sidewalls in the vertical stack adjacent a first region. The first region is selectively etched to form a first horizontal opening removing the sacrificial material a first horizontal distance back from the first vertical opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Sills, John A. Smythe, III, Si-Woo Lee, Gurtej S. Sandhu, Armin Saeedi Vahdat
  • Patent number: 11469232
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and storage nodes. The horizontally oriented access devices having a first source/drain regions and a second source drain regions separated by epitaxially grown channel regions. Gates opposing the channel regions formed fully around every surface of the channel region as gate all around (GAA) structures separated from a channel regions by a gate dielectrics. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain regions and digit lines coupled to the first source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Si-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11469236
    Abstract: Integrated circuitry comprises a first conductive line buried within semiconductive material of a substrate. The first conductive line comprises conductively-doped semiconductor material directly above and directly against metal material in a vertical cross-section. A second conductive line is above the semiconductive material and is laterally-spaced from the first conductive line in the vertical cross-section. The second conductive line comprises metal material in the vertical cross-section. Insulative material is directly above the first and second conductive lines. A first conductive via extends through the insulative material and through the conductively-doped semiconductor material to the metal material of the first conductive line. A second conductive via extends through the insulative material to the metal material of the second conductive line. Other embodiments and aspects, including method, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Si-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20220320103
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and access lines and vertically oriented digit lines having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region formed fully around every surface of the channel region as gate all around (GAA) structures, horizontal oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region and vertically oriented digit lines coupled to the first source/drain regions. A vertical body contact is formed in direct electrical contact with a body region of one or more of the horizontally oriented access devices and separate from the first source/drain region and the vertically oriented digit lines by a dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Sangmin Hwang
  • Patent number: 11450693
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region, vertically oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have epitaxially grow single crystal silicon to fill the first horizontal opening and house a first source/drain in electrical contact with a conductive material and to form part of an integral, horizontally oriented, conductive digit line. The memory cells also have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region and horizontally oriented digit lines coupled to the first source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Haitao Liu, Si-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20220285357
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having digit-line-contact-regions between pairs of capacitor-contact-regions. The capacitor-contact-regions are arranged with six adjacent capacitor-contact-regions in a substantially rectangular configuration. Conductive plugs are coupled with the capacitor-contact-regions. Conductive redistribution material is coupled with the conductive plugs. Upper surfaces of the conductive redistribution material are arranged in a substantially hexagonal-close-packed configuration. Digit lines are over the digit-line-contact-regions. Insulative regions are between the digit lines and the conductive plugs. The insulative regions contain voids and/or low-k dielectric material. Capacitors are coupled with the upper surfaces of the conductive redistribution material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Guangjun Yang, Vinay Nair, Devesh Dadhich Shreeram, Ashwin Panday, Kangle Li, Zhiqiang Xie, Silvia Borsari, Mohd Kamran Akhtar, Si-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20220277987
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for single crystalline silicon stack formation and bonding to a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafer for formation of vertical three dimensional (3D) memory. An example method for forming arrays of vertically stacked layers for formation of memory cells includes providing a silicon substrate, forming a layer of single crystal silicon germanium onto a surface of the substrate, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon germanium layer, forming a layer of single crystal silicon onto a surface of the silicon germanium, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon layer, and forming, in repeating iterations, layers of silicon germanium and silicon to form a vertical stack of alternating silicon and silicon germanium layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Byung Yoon Kim
  • Publication number: 20220254784
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and storage nodes. The horizontally oriented access devices having a first source/drain regions and a second source drain regions separated by epitaxially grown channel regions. Gates opposing the channel regions formed fully around every surface of the channel region as gate all around (GAA) structures separated from a channel regions by a gate dielectrics. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain regions and digit lines coupled to the first source/drain regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventor: Si-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11393820
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and access lines, and vertically oriented digit lines having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region, horizontal oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region of the horizontally oriented access devices. The vertically oriented digit lines are formed in direct electrical contact with the first source/drain regions of the horizontally oriented access devices. A vertically oriented body contact line is integrated to form the body contact to the body region of the horizontally oriented access device and separate from the first source/drain region and the vertically oriented digit lines by a dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Sangmin Hwang
  • Publication number: 20220223602
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for epitaxial single crystalline silicon growth for a horizontal access device. One example method includes depositing layers of a first dielectric material, a semiconductor material, and a second dielectric material to form a vertical stack, forming first vertical openings to form elongated vertical, pillar columns with first vertical sidewalls in the vertical stack, and forming second vertical openings through the vertical stack to expose second vertical sidewalls. Further, the example method includes selectively removing first portions of the semiconductor material from the second vertical openings to form horizontal openings with a remaining second portion of the semiconductor material at a distal end of the horizontal openings from the second vertical openings, and epitaxially growing single crystalline silicon within the horizontal openings from the distal end of the horizontal openings toward the second vertical openings to fill the horizontal openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Armin Saeedi Vahdat, Gurtej S. Sandhu, Scott E. Sills, Si-Woo Lee, John A. Smythe, III
  • Patent number: 11367726
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and access lines and vertically oriented digit lines having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region formed fully around every surface of the channel region as gate all around (GAA) structures, horizontal oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region and vertically oriented digit lines coupled to the first source/drain regions. A vertical body contact is formed in direct electrical contact with a body region of one or more of the horizontally oriented access devices and separate from the first source/drain region and the vertically oriented digit lines by a dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Sangmin Hwang
  • Patent number: 11342218
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for single crystalline silicon stack formation and bonding to a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafer for formation of vertical three dimensional (3D) memory. An example method for forming arrays of vertically stacked layers for formation of memory cells includes providing a silicon substrate, forming a layer of single crystal silicon germanium onto a surface of the substrate, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon germanium layer, forming a layer of single crystal silicon onto a surface of the silicon germanium, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon layer, and forming, in repeating iterations, layers of silicon germanium and silicon to form a vertical stack of alternating silicon and silicon germanium layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Byung Yoon Kim
  • Patent number: 11329051
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for a three-node access device in vertical three-dimensional (3D) memory. An example method includes a method for forming arrays of vertically stacked memory cells, having horizontally oriented access devices and vertically oriented access lines. The method includes depositing alternating layers of a dielectric material and a sacrificial material to form a vertical stack. Forming a plurality of first vertical openings to form elongated vertical, pillar columns with sidewalls in the vertical stack. Conformally depositing a gate dielectric in the plurality of first vertical openings. Forming a conductive material on the gate dielectric. Removing portions of the conductive material to form a plurality of separate, vertical access lines. Repairing a first side of the gate dielectric exposed where the conductive material was removed. Forming a second vertical opening to expose sidewalls adjacent a first region of the sacrificial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Smythe, III, Gurtej S. Sandhu, Armin Saeedi Vahdat, Si-Woo Lee, Scott E. Sills
  • Publication number: 20220139767
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for single crystalline silicon stack formation and bonding to a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafer for formation of vertical three dimensional (3D) memory. An example method for forming arrays of vertically stacked layers for formation of memory cells includes providing a silicon substrate, forming a layer of single crystal silicon germanium onto a surface of the substrate, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon germanium layer, forming a layer of single crystal silicon onto a surface of the silicon germanium, epitaxially growing the silicon germanium to form a thicker silicon layer, and forming, in repeating iterations, layers of silicon germanium and silicon to form a vertical stack of alternating silicon and silicon germanium layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Byung Yoon Kim
  • Publication number: 20220130834
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and access lines and vertically oriented digit lines having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region formed fully around every surface of the channel region as gate all around (GAA) structures, horizontal oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region and vertically oriented digit lines coupled to the first source/drain regions. A vertical body contact is formed in direct electrical contact with a body region of one or more of the horizontally oriented access devices and separate from the first source/drain region and the vertically oriented digit lines by a dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Sangmin Hwang
  • Publication number: 20220130831
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for an array of vertically stacked memory cells having horizontally oriented access devices and access lines, and vertically oriented digit lines having a first source/drain region and a second source drain region separated by a channel region, and gates opposing the channel region, horizontal oriented access lines coupled to the gates and separated from a channel region by a gate dielectric. The memory cells have horizontally oriented storage nodes coupled to the second source/drain region of the horizontally oriented access devices. The vertically oriented digit lines are formed in direct electrical contact with the first source/drain regions of the horizontally oriented access devices. A vertically oriented body contact line is integrated to form the body contact to the body region of the horizontally oriented access device and separate from the first source/drain region and the vertically oriented digit lines by a dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Sangmin Hwang
  • Patent number: 11309315
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for digit line formation for horizontally oriented access devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Terrence B. McDaniel, Si-Woo Lee, Vinay Nair, Luca Fumagalli
  • Publication number: 20220108988
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus including conductive line contact regions having multiple multi-direction conductive lines and staircase conductive line contact structures for semiconductor devices. One memory device comprises arrays of vertically stacked memory cells, having multiple multi-direction conductive lines arrays of vertically stacked memory cells, including a vertical stack of layers formed from repeating iterations of a group of layers, the group of layers comprising: a first dielectric material layer, a semiconductor material layer, and a second dielectric material layer, the second dielectric material layer having a conductive line formed in a horizontal plane therein, and the vertical stack of layers having multiple multi-direction conductive lines in an interconnection region with a first portion of the interconnection region formed in an array region and a second portion formed in a conductive line contact region that is spaced from the array region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Byung Yoon Kim, Sheng Wei Yang, Si-Woo Lee, Mark Zaleski
  • Publication number: 20220108987
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus including multi-direction conductive lines and staircase contacts for semiconductor devices. One memory device includes an array of vertically stacked memory cells, the array including: a vertical stack of horizontally oriented conductive lines, each conductive line comprising: a first portion extending in a first horizontal direction; and a second portion extending in a second horizontal direction at an angle to the first horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Si-Woo Lee, Byung Yoon Kim, Kyuseok Lee, Sangmin Hwang, Mark Zaleski
  • Publication number: 20220102356
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for epitaxial single crystalline silicon growth for a horizontal access device. One example method includes depositing layers of a first dielectric material, a semiconductor material, and a second dielectric material to form a vertical stack, forming first vertical openings to form elongated vertical, pillar columns with first vertical sidewalls in the vertical stack, and forming second vertical openings through the vertical stack to expose second vertical sidewalls. Further, the example method includes selectively removing first portions of the semiconductor material from the second vertical openings to form horizontal openings with a remaining second portion of the semiconductor material at a distal end of the horizontal openings from the second vertical openings, and epitaxially growing single crystalline silicon within the horizontal openings from the distal end of the horizontal openings toward the second vertical openings to fill the horizontal openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Armin Saeedi Vahdat, Gurtej S. Sandhu, Scott E. Sills, Si-Woo Lee, John A. Smythe III