Micron Technology Incorporated

Rhett T Brewer

Durai Vishak Nirmal Ramaswamy

Matthew N Rocklein

Arup Bhattacharyya

Ronald Allen Weimer

Thomas M Graettinger

Kyu S Min

Tejas Krishnamohan

Memory devices might include an array of memory cells and a control logic to control access of the array of memory cells, where a memory cell of the array of memory cells might include a first dielectric adjacent a semiconductor, a control gate, a second dielectric between the control gate and the first dielectric, and a charge storage structure between the first dielectric and the second dielectric, wherein the charge storage structure comprises a charge-storage material and a gettering agent.

Memory devices including gettering agents in memory charge storage structures

Apparatus having a processor and a memory device in communication with the processor, the memory device including an array of memory cells and a control logic to control access of the array of memory cells, wherein the array of memory cells includes a memory cell having a first dielectric adjacent a semiconductor, a control gate, a second dielectric between the control gate and the first dielectric, and a charge storage structure between the first dielectric and the second dielectric, and wherein the charge storage structure includes a charge-storage material and a gettering agent.

Apparatus including gettering agents in memory charge storage structures

Memories, systems, and methods for forming memory cells are disclosed. One such memory cell includes a charge storage node that includes nanodots over a tunnel dielectric and a protective film over the nanodots. In another memory cell, the charge storage node includes nanodots that include a ruthenium alloy. Memory cells can include an inter-gate dielectric over the protective film or ruthenium alloy nanodots and a control gate over the inter-gate dielectric. The protective film and ruthenium alloy can be configured to protect at least some of the nanodots from vaporizing during formation of the inter-gate dielectric.

Fortification of charge-storing material in high-K dielectric environments and resulting apparatuses

Methods of forming memory cells including a charge storage structure having a gettering agent therein can be useful for non-volatile memory devices. Providing for gettering of oxygen from a charge-storage material of the charge storage structure can facilitate a mitigation of detrimental oxidation of the charge-storage material.

Gettering agents in memory charge storage structures

Fortification of charge storing material in high K dielectric environments and resulting apparatuses

Memory cells including a charge storage structure having a gettering agent therein can be useful for non-volatile memory devices. Providing for gettering of oxygen from a charge-storage material of the charge storage structure can facilitate a mitigation of detrimental oxidation of the charge-storage material.

Some embodiments include memory cells having vertically-stacked charge-trapping zones spaced from one another by dielectric material. The dielectric material may comprise high-k material. One or more of the charge-trapping zones may comprise metallic material. Such metallic material may be present as a plurality of discrete isolated islands, such as nanodots. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells in which two charge-trapping zones are formed over tunnel dielectric, with the zones being vertically displaced relative to one another, and with the zone closest to the tunnel dielectric having deeper traps than the other zone. Some embodiments include electronic systems comprising memory cells. Some embodiments include methods of programming memory cells having vertically-stacked charge-trapping zones.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Rhett T Brewer