Demonstration of High-Growth-Rate Epitaxially Grown Si Channel on 3D NAND Test Vehicle with Memory Functionality

The solid selective epitaxial (Epi) channel with high growth rate > 400 nm/min is demonstrated on a short stack 3D NAND test vehicle in this work. The Epi channel grown from the bottom to the top features well-aligned crystalline orientations with the substrate and large domain sizes. To our knowledge, this represents a significant advancement, showcasing the successful demonstration of high channel current with good memory functionality, including a large memory window > 10V. The insights gained from this study contribute to the ongoing efforts in optimizing memory architectures for improved read current margins for more than 500 wordlines.