Sandisk 3d LLC

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Kun Hou

Yung-Tin Chen

Steven Patrick Maxwell

Abhijit Bandyopadhyay

Chuanbin Pan

Andrei Mihnea

Zhida Lan

Roy E Scheuerlein

Tong Zhang

Perumal Ratnam

Raghuveer S Makala

Er-Xuan Ping

Christopher John Petti

April Dawn Schricker

Xiying Costa

Wu-Yi Henry Chien

Huiwen Xu

Yangyin Chen

Xiying Chen

Jingyan Zhang

Li Xiao

Brian Le

Yibo Nian

A vacancy-modulated conductive oxide (VMCO) resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device includes at least one interfacial layer between a semiconductor portion and a titanium oxide portion of a resistive memory element. The at least one interfacial layer includes an oxygen reservoir that can store oxygen atoms during operation of the resistive memory element. The at least one interfacial layer can include an interfacial metal oxide layer, a metal layer, and optionally, a ruthenium layer.

Vacancy-modulated conductive oxide resistive RAM device including an interfacial oxygen source layer

A three-dimensional array of memory elements that reversibly change a level of electrical conductance in response to a voltage difference being applied across them. The memory elements can be set to a low resistance state and reset to a high resistance state during standard operation by biasing appropriate voltages on the word lines and bit lines. Prior to standard operation, the memory elements undergo a forming operation, during which current through the bit lines is limited. A forming voltage is applied to the memory elements during forming with a polarity such that a higher voltage is applied to anodes and a lower voltage to cathodes.

Low forming voltage non-volatile storage device

In some embodiments, a memory cell is provided that includes a metal-insulator-metal stack and a steering element coupled to the metal-insulator-metal stack. The metal-insulator-metal stack includes a first conductive layer, a reversible resistivity switching layer above the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer above the reversible resistivity switching layer. The first conductive layer and/or the second conductive layer includes a first semiconductor material layer. The steering element includes the first semiconductor material layer. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Memory cells having storage elements that share material layers with steering elements and methods of forming the same

A memory cell is provided that includes a steering element, a metal-insulator-metal stack coupled in series with the steering element, and a conductor above the metal-insulator-metal stack. The steering element includes a diode having an n-region and a p-region. The metal-insulator-metal stack includes a reversible resistivity-switching material between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, and the top electrode includes a highly doped semiconductor material. The memory cell does not include a metal layer disposed between the metal-insulator-metal stack and the conductor. The bottom electrode includes the n-region or the p-region of the diode, and the reversible resistivity-switching material is directly adjacent the n-region or the p-region of the diode. Numerous other aspects are provided.

A method of forming a memory cell is provided, the method including forming a diode including a first region having a first conductivity type, counter-doping the diode to change the first region to a second conductivity type, and forming a memory element coupled in series with the diode. Other aspects are also provided.

Counter doping compensation methods to improve diode performance

In some aspects, a method of fabricating a memory cell is provided that includes fabricating a steering element above a substrate, and fabricating a reversible-resistance switching element coupled to the steering element by selectively fabricating carbon nano-tube ('CNT') material above the substrate, wherein the CNT material comprises a single CNT. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Memory cell that employs a selectively fabricated carbon nano-tube reversible resistance-switching element and methods of forming the same

A non-volatile memory cell includes a first electrode, a steering element, a metal oxide storage element located in series with the steering element, a dielectric resistor located in series with the steering element and the metal oxide storage element, and a second electrode.

Non-volatile memory cell containing an in-cell resistor

In a first aspect, a vertical semiconductor diode is provided that includes (1) a first semiconductor layer formed above a substrate; (2) a second semiconductor layer formed above the first semiconductor layer; (3) a first native oxide layer formed above the first semiconductor layer; and (4) a third semiconductor layer formed above the first semiconductor layer, second semiconductor layer and first native oxide layer so as to form the vertical semiconductor diode that includes the first native oxide layer. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Diodes with native oxide regions for use in memory arrays and methods of forming the same

A nonvolatile memory cell including a storage element in series with a diode steering element. At least one interface of the diode steering element is passivated.

In-situ passivation methods to improve performance of polysilicon diode

A semiconductor p-i-n diode and method for forming the same are described herein. In one aspect, a SiGe region is formed between a region doped to have one conductivity (either p+ or n+) and an electrical contact to the p-i-n diode. The SiGe region may serve to lower the contact resistance, which may increase the forward bias current. The doped region extends below the SiGe region such that it is between the SiGe region and an intrinsic region of the diode. The p-i-n diode may be formed from silicon. The doped region below the SiGe region may serve to keep the reverse bias current from increasing as result of the added SiGe region. In one embodiment, the SiGe is formed such that the forward bias current of an up-pointing p-i-n diode in a memory array substantially matches the forward bias current of a down-pointing p-i-n diode which may achieve better switching results when these diodes are used with the R/W material in a 3D memory array.

3D polysilicon diode with low contact resistance and method for forming same

In some embodiments, a memory cell is provided that includes a storage element formed from an MIM stack including (1) a first conductive layer; (2) an RRS layer formed above the first conductive layer; and (3) a second conductive layer formed above the RRS layer, at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprising a first semiconductor material layer. The memory cell includes a steering element coupled to the storage element, the steering element formed from the first semiconductor material layer of the MIM stack and one or more additional material layers. Numerous other aspects are provided.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Kun Hou