US 12,302,571 B2
Microelectronic devices with pillars or openings extending through a tiered stack
John D. Hopkins, Meridian, ID (US); Nancy M. Lomeli, Boise, ID (US); Justin B. Dorhout, Boise, ID (US); and Damir Fazil, Boise, ID (US)
Assigned to Lodestar Licensing Group LLC, Evanston, IL (US)
Filed by Lodestar Licensing Group, LLC, Evanston, IL (US)
Filed on Jul. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/353,794.
Application 18/053,134 is a division of application No. 17/032,384, filed on Sep. 25, 2020, granted, now 11,495,617, issued on Nov. 8, 2022.
Application 17/032,384 is a division of application No. 16/157,927, filed on Oct. 11, 2018, granted, now 10,825,828, issued on Nov. 3, 2020.
Application 18/353,794 is a continuation of application No. 18/053,134, filed on Nov. 7, 2022, granted, now 11,706,925.
Prior Publication US 2023/0363168 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H10B 43/27 (2023.01); H10B 41/27 (2023.01); H10B 41/35 (2023.01); H10B 41/41 (2023.01); H10B 43/35 (2023.01); H10B 43/40 (2023.01)
CPC H10B 43/27 (2023.02) [H10B 41/27 (2023.02); H10B 41/35 (2023.02); H10B 41/41 (2023.02); H10B 43/35 (2023.02); H10B 43/40 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a tiered stack above a base region, the tiered stack comprising a vertically repeated group of material regions comprising insulative materials and conductive materials; and
a pillar extending through the tiered stack and into the base region, the pillar comprising at least one channel material,
a width of the pillar narrowing through multiple groups of the vertically repeated groups of materials,
the width of the pillar broadening adjacent a lowest surface of the tiered stack, the broadening being within an elevation of a lowest of the insulative materials of the vertically repeated group of material regions of the tiered stack, to define a shoulder portion of the pillar adjacent an upper surface of the base region.
 
17. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a tiered stack above a base region, the tiered stack comprising a vertically repeated group of material regions comprising insulative materials and conductive materials, the tiered stack being arranged in decks; and
a pillar extending through the decks of the tiered stack and into the base region, the pillar comprising at least one channel material,
in each of multiple of the decks, a width of the pillar narrowing through multiple groups of the vertically repeated groups of materials,
the width of the pillar broadening adjacent a lowest surface of each of the decks, the broadening being within an elevation of at least a lowest of the insulative materials of the vertically repeated group of material regions of each of the decks.
 
18. A microelectronic device structure, comprising:
a tiered stack above a base material, the tiered stack comprising a vertically repeated group of material regions comprising insulative materials and conductive materials; and
at least one high aspect ratio opening extending through the tiered stack and into the base material to a source region,
a width of the at least one high aspect ratio opening narrowing through multiple groups of the vertically repeated groups of materials,
the width of the at least one high aspect ratio opening broadening through at least a lowest of the insulative materials of the material regions of the tiered stack, the lowest of the insulative materials being directly adjacent the base material.