US Patent Issued to Sandisk Technologies on Nov. 3 for "Three-dimensional memory device with self-aligned word line contact via structures and method of making the same" (American, Japanese Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 3 -- United States Patent no. 12,787,293, issued on Nov. 3, was assigned to Sandisk Technologies Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.).

"Three-dimensional memory device with self-aligned word line contact via structures and method of making the same" was invented by Koichi Matsuno (Fremont, Calif.) and Kota Funayama (Yokkaichi, Japan).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers having stepped surfaces in a contact region, memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack, memory opening fill structures located in the memory openings, at least one retro-stepped die...