Patent ID: 8330208

Claim:
A monolithic three dimensional NAND string, comprising: a semiconductor channel, at least one end portion of the semiconductor channel extending substantially perpendicular to a major surface of a substrate; a plurality of control gate electrodes having a strip shape extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of control gate electrodes comprise at least a first control gate electrode located in a first device level and a second control gate electrode located in a second device level located over the major surface of the substrate and below the first device level; a blocking dielectric, the blocking dielectric comprising a plurality of blocking dielectric segments, wherein each of the plurality of blocking dielectric segments is located in contact with a respective one of the plurality of control gate electrodes, and wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of blocking dielectric segments has a clam shape; a plurality of discrete charge storage segments, wherein each of the plurality of discrete charge storage segments is located at least partially in a respective clam-shaped blocking dielectric segment, and wherein the plurality of discrete charge storage segments comprise at least a first discrete charge storage segment located in the first device level and a second discrete charge storage segment located in the second device level; and a tunnel dielectric located between each one of the plurality of the discrete charge storage segments and the semiconductor channel, wherein the tunnel dielectric is located entirely externally of the clam-shaped blocking dielectric segments.