US Patent Issued to Sandisk Technologies on March 18 for "Three-dimensional memory device containing etch-stop structures and self-aligned insulating spacers and method of making the same" (Japanese Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 19 -- United States Patent no. 12,256,544, issued on March 18, was assigned to Sandisk Technologies Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.).

"Three-dimensional memory device containing etch-stop structures and self-aligned insulating spacers and method of making the same" was invented by Kazuto Watanabe (Yokkaichi, Japan) and Youko Furihata (Yokkaichi, Japan).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Contact via openings are formed through a retro-stepped dielectric material portion in a three-dimensional memory device to underlying etch stop structures. The etch stop structures may include a stepped conductive or semiconductor etch stop plate overlying stepped surfaces in the staircase region. Th...