US Patent Issued to Sandisk Technologies on March 11 for "Method of making a three-dimensional memory device using composite hard masks for formation of deep via openings" (Japanese, American Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,250,817, issued on March 11, was assigned to Sandisk Technologies Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.).

"Method of making a three-dimensional memory device using composite hard masks for formation of deep via openings" was invented by Katsufumi Okamoto (Yokkaichi, Japan) and Monica Titus (Santa Clara, Calif.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers is formed over a substrate. A hard mask layer is formed over the alternating stack and cavities are formed in the hard mask layer. A cladding liner is formed on sidewalls of the cavities in the hard mask layer. Via openings are formed through ...