PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15956139
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2019-07
Patent Classification: ["257", "324000"]

Abstract:
A three-dimensional NAND memory string includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and word line layers extending in a word line direction, a memory array region in the alternating stack containing memory stack structures, a group of more than two column stairs located in the alternating stack and extending in the word line direction from one side of the memory array region, and bit lines electrically contacting the vertical semiconductor channels and extending in a bit line direction which is perpendicular to the word line direction. Each column stair of the group of N column stairs has a respective step in a first vertical plane which extends in the bit line direction, and the respective steps in the first vertical plane decrease and then increase from one end column stair to another end column stair.

Claim (Index 18):
The method of  claim 17 , wherein:\n column stairs within each group of N column stairs of a respective alternating stack are located between a respective neighboring pair of trenches including a respective first trench and a respective second trench that border the respective alternating stack; top surfaces of each group of N column stairs have vertical cross-sectional profiles along vertical cross-sectional planes that are perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, each of the vertical cross-sectional profiles include both a stepwise decreasing profile and a stepwise increasing profile; the stepwise decreasing profile continuously extends from the respective first trench to the stepwise increasing profile and the stepwise increasing profile continuously extends to the respective second trench within the vertical cross-sectional profile for each of the vertical cross-sectional profiles; and each vertical cross-sectional view that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and cuts through each column stair within a group of N column stairs includes both a respective stepwise decreasing profile and a respective stepwise increasing profile between the respective first trench and the respective second trench.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 17.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.27419
- Patent Class: 257.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: none
- Component Type: 0
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15943859', '15717102', '15834261', '15628495', '15685254']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.941885454255782
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5312806396816985
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.9008249727983736
- Mean Citation Score: 356.93722599999984
- Max Citation Score: 362.49683
- Similarity Product: 253.06174886280297

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test