US 12,089,403 B2
Memory arrays comprising strings of memory cells and methods used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells
M. Jared Barclay, Middleton, ID (US); Merri L. Carlson, Boise, ID (US); Saurabh Keshav, Boise, ID (US); George Matamis, Eagle, ID (US); Young Joon Moon, Boise, ID (US); Kunal R. Parekh, Boise, ID (US); Paolo Tessariol, Arcore (IT); and Vinayak Shamanna, Boise, ID (US)
Filed by Lodestar Licensing Group LLC, Evanston, IL (US)
Filed on Feb. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/590,266.
Application 17/590,266 is a division of application No. 16/382,932, filed on Apr. 12, 2019, granted, now 11,271,002.
Prior Publication US 2022/0157844 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. H10B 41/27 (2023.01); H01L 21/311 (2006.01); H10B 41/10 (2023.01); H10B 43/10 (2023.01); H10B 43/27 (2023.01)
CPC H10B 41/27 (2023.02) [H01L 21/31144 (2013.01); H10B 41/10 (2023.02); H10B 43/10 (2023.02); H10B 43/27 (2023.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A memory array, comprising:
laterally-spaced memory blocks, wherein each of the laterally-spaced memory blocks comprises sub-blocks that are defined at least in part by channel openings and laterally-spaced upper select gates and lower select gates on each of the laterally-spaced memory blocks;
an isolation structure that laterally separates immediately adjacent sub-blocks which are defined at least by the laterally-spaced upper select gates;
a dummy channel-material string that extends elevationally above the lower select gates and through the isolation structure;
a vertical stack below the upper select gates having alternating insulative tiers and wordline tiers; and
channel-material strings extending elevationally through the upper select gates and through the insulative tiers and the wordline tiers within the sub-blocks, the channel-material strings having a common horizontal pitch-spacing within individual of the sub-blocks along parallel horizontally-straight lines between longitudinal edges of the individual laterally-spaced memory blocks, the channel-material strings along the parallel horizontally-straight lines being horizontally spaced from one another by the isolation structure between the immediately-adjacent sub-blocks by a distance that is greater than the common horizontal pitch-spacing.