Intermolecular, Inc.

Elpida Memory, Inc.

Other

Pragati Kumar

Tony P Chiang

Sandra Guy Malhotra

Prashant B Phatak

Hanhong Chen

Sunil Shanker

Sean Barstow

Edward L Haywood

Imran Hashim

Xiangxin Rui

Nobi Fuchigami

Nobumichi Fuchigami

Michael A Miller

Wen Wu

Indranil De

Toshiyuki Hirota

Yun Yu Wang

Monica Sawkar Mathur

Wayne R French

Michael Miller

Resistive switching nonvolatile memory elements are provided. A metal-containing layer and an oxide layer for a memory element can be heated using rapid thermal annealing techniques. During heating, the oxide layer may decompose and react with the metal-containing layer. Oxygen from the decomposing oxide layer may form a metal oxide with metal from the metal-containing layer. The resulting metal oxide may exhibit resistive switching for the resistive switching memory elements.

Methods for forming resistive switching memory elements by heating deposited layers

This disclosure provides a nonvolatile memory device and related methods of manufacture and operation. The device may include one or more resistive random access memory (ReRAM) approaches to provide a memory device with more predictable operation. In particular, the forming voltage required by particular designs may be reduced through the use of a barrier layer, a reverse polarity forming voltage pulse, a forming voltage pulse where electrons are injected from a lower work function electrode, or an anneal in a reducing environment. One or more of these techniques may be applied, depending on the desired application and results.

Reduction of forming voltage in semiconductor devices

Non-volatile resistive-switching memories are described, including a memory element having a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal oxide between the first electrode and the second electrode. The metal oxide switches using bulk-mediated switching, has a bandgap greater than 4 electron volts (eV), has a set voltage for a set operation of at least one volt per one hundred angstroms of a thickness of the metal oxide, and has a leakage current density less than 40 amps per square centimeter (A/cm) measured at 0.5 volts (V) per twenty angstroms of the thickness of the metal oxide.

Non-volatile resistive-switching memories

ALD processing techniques for forming non-volatile resistive-switching memories are described. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a first electrode on a substrate, maintaining a pedestal temperature for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process of less than 100&#xb0; Celsius, forming at least one metal oxide layer over the first electrode, wherein the forming the at least one metal oxide layer is performed using the ALD process using a purge duration of less than 20 seconds, and forming a second electrode over the at least one metal oxide layer.

ALD processing techniques for forming non-volatile resistive switching memories

This disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor stack and associated device, such as a capacitor and DRAM cell. In particular, a bottom electrode has a material selected for lattice matching characteristics. This material may be created from a relatively inexpensive metal oxide which is processed to adopt a conductive, but difficult-to-produce oxide state, with specific crystalline form; to provide one example, specific materials are disclosed that are compatible with the growth of rutile phase titanium dioxide (TiO) for use as a dielectric, thereby leading to predictable and reproducible higher dielectric constant and lower effective oxide thickness and, thus, greater part density at lower cost.

Inexpensive electrode materials to facilitate rutile phase titanium oxide

Nonvolatile memory elements that are based on resistive switching memory element layers are provided. A nonvolatile memory element may have a resistive switching metal oxide layer. The resistive switching metal oxide layer may have one or more layers of oxide. A resistive switching metal oxide may be doped with a dopant that increases its melting temperature and enhances its thermal stability. Layers may be formed to enhance the thermal stability of the nonvolatile memory element. An electrode for a nonvolatile memory element may contain a conductive layer and a buffer layer.

Nonvolatile memory elements

Nonvolatile memory elements including resistive switching metal oxides may be formed in one or more layers on an integrated circuit. Each memory element may have a first conductive layer, a metal oxide layer, and a second conductive layer. Electrical devices such as diodes may be coupled in series with the memory elements. The first conductive layer may be formed from a metal nitride. The metal oxide layer may contain the same metal as the first conductive layer. The metal oxide may form an ohmic contact or a Schottky contact with the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer may form an ohmic contact or Schottky contact with the metal oxide layer. The first conductive layer, the metal oxide layer, and the second conductive layer may include sublayers. The second conductive layer may include an adhesion or barrier layer and a workfunction control layer.

Resistive-switching nonvolatile memory elements

Enhanced work function layer supporting growth of rutile phase titanium oxide

This disclosure provides (a) methods of making an oxide layer (e.g., a dielectric layer) based on yttrium and titanium, to have a high dielectric constant and low leakage characteristic and (b) related devices and structures. An oxide layer having both yttrium and titanium may be fabricated either as an amorphous oxide or as an alternating series of monolayers. In several embodiments, the oxide is characterized by a yttrium contribution to total metal that is specifically controlled. The oxide layer can be produced as the result of a reactive process, if desired, via either a PVD process or, alternatively, via an atomic layer deposition process that employs specific precursor materials to allow for a common process temperature window for both titanium and yttrium reactions.

Yttrium and titanium high-K dielectric film

Yttrium and titanium high-k dielectric films

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Pragati Kumar