International Business Machines Corporation

Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Qimonda North America Corporation

Simone Raoux

Chung H Lam

Chieh-Fang Chen

Hsiang-Lan Lung

Matthew Joseph Breitwisch

Huai-Yu Cheng

Alejandro Gabriel Schrott

Yen-Hao Shih

Yi-Chou Chen

Frances Anne Houle

Hemantha Kumar Wickramasinghe

Jonathan Zanhong Sun

Charles Thomas Rettner

Thomas Happ

Stephen Mark Rossnagel

Jan Boris Philipp

David Brian Mitzi

Ming-Hsiang Hsueh

Shih Hung Chen

Chia Hua Ho

Hemantha Wichramasinghe

Guy M Cohen

Chao-I Wu

Christopher Vincent Jahnes

Ming-Hsiu Lee

Dennis Merton Newns

Bipin Rajendran

Geoffrey W Burr

Lia Krusin-Elbaum

Mark Whitney Hart

Gary Miles McClelland

Philip L Flaitz

Ming Hsiu Lee

Daniel Krebs

Frieder Heinrich Baumann

Christie R K Marrian

Rudolf Ludeke

Jonathan Zanhung Sun

A phase change memory cell. The phase change memory cell includes a substrate and a phase change material. The phase change material is deposited on the substrate for performing a phase change function in the phase change memory cell. The phase change material is an alloy having a mass density change of less than three percent during a transition between an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase.

Phase change memory cell with improved phase change material

A phase change material comprises GeSbTe, wherein a Ge atomic concentration x is within a range from 30% to 65%, a Sb atomic concentration y is within a range from 13% to 27% and a Te atomic concentration z is within a range from 20% to 45%. A Ge-rich family of such materials is also described. A memory device, suitable for integrated circuits, comprising such materials is described.

Ge-Rich GST-212 phase change memory materials

Techniques for producing a single-crystal phase change material and the incorporation of those techniques in an electronic device fabrication process flow are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an electronic device is provided which includes the following steps. A single-crystal phase change material is formed on a first substrate. At least one first electrode in contact with a first side of the single-crystal phase change material is formed. The single-crystal phase change material and the at least one first electrode in contact with the first side of the single-crystal phase change material form a transfer structure on the first substrate. The transfer structure is transferred to a second substrate. At least one second electrode in contact with a second side of the single-crystal phase change material is formed. A single-crystal phase change material-containing structure and electronic device are also provided.

Single-crystal phase change material on insulator for reduced cell variability

A layer of phase change material with silicon or another semiconductor, or a silicon-based or other semiconductor-based additive, is formed using a composite sputter target including the silicon or other semiconductor, and the phase change material. The concentration of silicon or other semiconductor is more than five times greater than the specified concentration of silicon or other semiconductor in the layer being formed. For silicon-based additive in GST-type phase change materials, sputter target may comprise more than 40 at % silicon. Silicon-based or other semiconductor-based additives can be formed using the composite sputter target with a flow of reactive gases, such as oxygen or nitrogen, in the sputter chamber during the deposition.

Composite target sputtering for forming doped phase change materials

A phase change memory cell with a single element phase change thin film layer; and a first electrode and a second electrode coupled to the single element phase change thin film layer. A current flows from the first electrode to the single element phase change thin film layer, and through to the second electrode. The single element phase change thin film layer includes a single element phase change material. The single element phase change thin film layer can be less than 5 nanometers thick. The temperature of crystallization of the single element phase change material can be controlled by its thickness. In one embodiment, the single element phase change thin film layer is configured to be amorphous at room temperature (25 degrees Celsius). In one embodiment, the single element phase change thin film layer is comprised of Antimony (Sb).

Phase change memory random access device using single-element phase change material

A phase change memory device with a memory element including a basis phase change material, such as a chalcogenide, and one or more additives, where the additive or additives have a non-constant concentration profile along an inter-electrode current path through a memory element. The use of 'non-constant' concentration profiles for additives enables doping the different zones with different materials and concentrations, according to the different crystallographic, thermal and electrical conditions, and different phase transition conditions.

Phase change memory having one or more non-constant doping profiles

A method for manufacturing a memory device, and a resulting device, is described using silicon oxide doped chalcogenide material. A first electrode having a contact surface; a body of phase change memory material in a polycrystalline state including a portion in contact with the contact surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode in contact with the body of phase change material are formed. The process includes melting and cooling the phase change memory material one or more times within an active region in the body of phase change material without disturbing the polycrystalline state outside the active region. A mesh of silicon oxide in the active region with at least one domain of chalcogenide material results. Also, the grain size of the phase change material in the polycrystalline state outside the active region is small, resulting in a more uniform structure.

Dielectric mesh isolated phase change structure for phase change memory

A phase change memory cell that includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode separated from the bottom electrode, and growth-dominated phase change material deposited between the bottom electrode and the top electrode and contacting the bottom electrode and the top electrode and surrounded by insulation material at sidewalls thereof. The phase change memory cell in a reset state only includes an amorphous phase of the growth-dominated phase change material within an active volume of the phase change memory cell.

Phase change memory device suitable for high temperature operation

A method for reducing recrystallization time for a phase change material of a memory cell element in conjunction with the manufacture of a memory cell device can be carried out as follows. A phase change material, a buffer layer material and a cladding layer material are selected. The buffer layer material is deposited on the substrate, the phase change material is deposited on the buffer layer, and the cladding layer material is deposited on the phase change material to form a memory cell element. The thickness of the phase change material is preferably less than 30 nm and more preferably less than 10 nm. The recrystallization time of the phase change material of the memory cell element is determined. If the recrystallization time is not less than a length of time X, these steps are repeated while changing at least one of the selected materials and material thicknesses.

Methods for reducing recrystallization time for a phase change material

Amorphous inorganic oxides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Cu, Co, Sb, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Amorphous oxide release layers for imprint lithography, and method of use

Amorphous inorganic nitrides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Mn, B, Co, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Amorphous nitride release layers for imprint lithography, and method of use

A layer of nanoparticles having a dimension on the order of 10 nm is employed to form a current constricting layer or as a hardmask for forming a current constricting layer from an underlying insulator layer. The nanoparticles are preferably self-aligning and/or self-planarizing on the underlying surface. The current constricting layer may be formed within a bottom conductive plate, within a phase change material layer, within a top conductive plate, or within a tapered liner between a tapered via sidewall and a via plug contains either a phase change material or a top conductive material. The current density of the local structure around the current constricting layer is higher than the surrounding area, thus allowing local temperature to rise higher than surrounding material. The total current required to program the phase change memory device, and consequently the size of a programming transistor, is reduced due to the current constricting layer.

Current constricting phase change memory element structure

A memory cell (and method of fabricating the memory cell) includes a stencil layer having a first opening, a phase-change material layer formed on a first electrode layer, and an electrically conductive layer formed on the first electrode layer, the electrically conductive layer having a pillar-shaped portion which is formed on the phase-change material layer and fills the first opening.

Phase-change memory cell and method of fabricating the phase-change memory cell

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Simone Raoux