Patent ID: 8187932

Claim:
A method of making a non-volatile memory device, comprising: forming a stack of alternating layers of a first material and a second material in a trench of an insulating material, wherein the first material comprises a semiconductor material and wherein the second material is insulating; etching the stack to form at least one first rail-shaped opening in the stack, the at least one first rail-shaped opening extending in a first direction; selectively etching the first material exposed in the at least one first rail-shaped opening to form first recesses in the first material such that the second material overhangs the first recesses; doping a first outer portion of the first material exposed in the first recesses to form first conductivity type semiconductor portions of diodes; forming a first conductive material in the first recesses and in the at least one first rail-shaped opening; removing a portion of the first conductive material that is located in the at least one first rail-shaped opening to form separate horizontal bit lines in the first recesses; forming a first insulating filling material in the at least one first rail-shaped opening; etching the stack to separate the first material into a plurality of semiconductor features extending in a second direction different from the first direction; forming a second insulating filling material between the plurality of semiconductor features; etching the stack to form at least one second rail-shaped opening in the stack, the at least one second rail-shaped opening extending in the first direction; doping a second outer portion of the first material exposed in the at least one second rail-shaped opening to form second conductivity type semiconductor portions of the diodes; forming a storage material on a side wall of the at least one second rail-shaped opening in electrical contact of the second conductivity type semiconductor portions of the diodes such that at least a middle portion of the at least one second rail-shaped opening remains unfilled; forming a second conductive material in the middle portion of the at least one second rail-shaped opening in electrical contact with the storage material; and etching the second conductive material to form separate word lines extending substantially vertically.