Patent ID: 8853765

Claim:
A monolithic three-dimensional semiconductor memory device, said memory device comprising: a plurality of horizontally separated pillar structures disposed above a silicon substrate wherein each of said pillar structures includes two or more memory elements vertically disposed relative to the silicon substrate and vertically separated from each other, each of said pillar structures comprising: a vertical semiconductor region; a charge storage medium comprising one or more layers, wherein said charge storage medium is laterally disposed relative to the vertical semiconductor region; and at least one control gate laterally disposed relative to the charge storage medium wherein said pillar structures are arranged in two or more horizontal rows, each of said horizontal rows having two or more said pillar structures and wherein said control gate is common among at least two said pillar structures in one of said horizontal rows and among at least two said pillar structures in a different one of at least two said horizontal rows; and driver circuitry associated with the operation of one or more of said memory elements.