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 19):
The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the vertically offset surfaces comprises:\n forming a patterned trimmable etch mask layer over the vertically alternating sequence, wherein the patterned trimmable etch mask layer includes first linear openings having a first width along the second horizontal direction and extending along the first horizontal direction and second linear openings having a second width along the second horizontal direction and extending along the first horizontal direction, the second width being greater than the first width; forming dielectric rail structures including a dielectric material in the first linear openings; trimming the patterned trimmable etch mask layer, wherein first trimmable etch mask layer portions laterally abutted by a respective pair of dielectric rail structures and second trimmable etch mask layer portions spaced from a respective neighboring pair of dielectric rail structures by gaps are formed; and etching physically exposed portions of the vertically alternating sequence through a topmost continuous insulating layer and through a topmost continuous sacrificial material layer.

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): 0.94203713420694
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5319588365715752
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.9010293044434036
- Mean Citation Score: 356.93722599999984
- Max Citation Score: 362.49683
- Similarity Product: 219.31612032674312

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