Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Industrial Technology Research Institute

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Ritek Corporation

Wen-Chin Lin

Denny Tang

Chao-Hsiung Wang

Li-Shyue Lai

Denny Duan-Lee Tang

Hsu Chen Cheng

Chia-Shiung Tsai

Yeur-Luen Tu

Yu-Jen Wang

Lan-Lin Chao

Chung-Long Chang

Hung-Chang Yu

Yuan-Hung Liu

Chih-Huang Lai

Chih-Ta Wu

Chun-Hon Chen

Chuan-Ying Lee

Hsu-Chen Cheng

Yu Der Chih

Horng-Huei Tseng

Wai-Yi Lien

Kuo-Tung Tiao

Fang-Shi Jordan Lai

Wei-Hsiang Wang

Hung-chang Yu

Ying-Tso Lin

Lih-Gen Sheu

Yen-Zen Lee

Danny D Tang

Yeh Jin Ching

Victor Hwang

Yuan-Chieh Tseng

Teng-Chien Yu

Hui-Fang Tsai

Jaw-Yeu Liang

Shyhyeu Wang

Yun-Chieh Pai

Mark Hsieh

Yu-Jung Chou

Fan-Shi Jordan Lai

A method to control a memory cell in a memory device, where the memory cell includes a switch, a memory element, and a negative resistance device coupled in series, the method includes: determine whether the memory cell is in a read operation or not; during the read operation in the memory cell, apply a read voltage greater than a predetermined threshold voltage of the negative resistance device for making the negative resistance device entering into a negative resistance state. A memory device that includes a memory cell array is also provided.

Enhancing tunnel magnetoresistance in memory device comprising a memory cell with a memory element coupled between a switch and a negative resistance device

Method for enhancing tunnel magnetoresistance in memory device

A method to control a memory cell in a memory device, where the memory cell includes a switch, a memory element and a negative resistance device coupled in series, the method includes: determine whether the memory cell is in a read operation or not; during the read operation in the memory cell, apply a read voltage greater than a predetermined threshold voltage of the negative resistance device for making the negative resistance device entering into a negative resistance state. A memory device that includes a memory cell array is also provided.

A hydrogen sensing device includes a multi-layered structure member. The multi-layered structure member includes a stack of alternatingly disposed magnetic layers and non-ferromagnetic layers. One of the magnetic layers is a topmost layer of the multi-layered structure member. The topmost layer includes a palladium-based material to detect hydrogen.

Hydrogen sensing device

A method of manufacturing a memory device is provided. The method includes forming an electrode over a substrate. The method also includes forming an opening in the electrode to provide a tapered electrode contact surface proximate the opening. The method further includes forming a phase change feature over the electrode and on the tapered electrode contact surface.

Phase change memory device and method of manufacture thereof

A phase change memory structure and method for forming the same, the method including providing a substrate comprising a conductive area; forming a spacer having a partially exposed sidewall region at an upper portion of the spacer defining a phase change memory element contact area; and, wherein the spacer bottom portion partially overlaps the conductive area. Both these two methods can reduce active area of a phase change memory element, therefore, reducing a required phase changing electrical current.

Method for forming a reduced active area in a phase change memory structure

A phase change memory device and a method of forming the same are provided. The phase change memory device includes a conducting electrode in a dielectric layer, a bottom electrode over the conducting electrode, a phase change layer over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode over the phase change layer. The phase change memory device may further include a heat sink layer between the phase change layer and the top electrode. The resistivities of the bottom electrode and the top electrode are preferably greater than the resistivity of the phase change material in the crystalline state.

Phase change memory devices with reduced programming current

A semiconductor substrate includes semi-insulating portions beneath openings in a patterned hardmask film formed over a semiconductor substructure to a thickness sufficient to prevent charged particles from passing through the hardmask. The semi-insulating portions include charged particles and may extend deep into the semiconductor substrate and electrically insulate devices formed on opposed sides of the semi-insulating portions. The charged particles may advantageously be protons and further substrate portions covered by the patterned hardmask film are substantially free of the charged particles.

Semiconductor device with semi-insulating substrate portions

Reduced active area in a phase change memory structure

Disclosed herein is a technique for created an advanced MRAM array for constructing a memory integrated circuit chip. More specifically, the disclosed principles provide for an integrated circuit memory chip comprised of a combination of at least one of an array of high-speed magnetic memory cells, and at least one of an array of high-density magnetic memory cells. Accordingly, a memory chip constructed as disclosed herein provides the benefit of both high-speed and high-density memory cells on the same memory chip. As a result, applications benefiting from the use of (or perhaps even needing) high-speed memory cells are provided by the memory cells in the high-speed memory cell array.

Advanced MRAM design

A method for forming semi-insulating portions in a semiconductor substrate provides depositing a hardmask film over a semiconductor substructure to a thickness sufficient to prevent charged particles from passing through the hardmask. The hardmask is patterned creating openings through which charged particles pass and enter the substrate during an implantation process. The semi-insulating portions may extend deep into the semiconductor substrate and electrically insulate devices formed on opposed sides of the semi-insulating portions. The charged particles may advantageously be protons and further substrate portions covered by the patterned hardmask film are substantially free of the charged particles.

Semiconductor device with semi-insulating substrate portions and method for forming the same

Disclosed herein are toggle-mode magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) devices having small-angle toggle write lines, and related methods of toggle-mode switching MRAM devices. Also disclosed are layouts for MRAM devices constructed according to the disclosed principles. Generally speaking, the disclosed principles provide for non-orthogonally aligned toggle-mode write lines used to switch toggle-mode MRAM devices that employ a bias field to decrease the threshold needed to switch the magnetic state of each device. While the conventional toggle-mode write lines provide for the desired orthogonal orientation of the applied magnetic fields to optimize device switching, the use of a bias field affects this orthogonal orientation. By non-orthogonally aligning the two write lines as disclosed herein, the detrimental affect of the bias field may be compensated for such that the net fields applied to the device for both lines are again substantially orthogonal, as is desired.

Magnetoresistive random access memory device with small-angle toggle write lines

An improved magnetoresistive memory device has a reduced distance between the magnetic memory element and a conductive memory line used for writing to the magnetic memory element. The reduced distance is facilitated by forming the improved magnetoresistive memory device according to a method that includes forming a mask over the magnetoresistive memory element and forming an insulating layer over the mask layer, then removing portions of the insulating layer using a planarization process. A conductive via can then be formed in the mask layer, for example using a damascene process. The conductive memory line can then be formed over the mask layer and conductive via.

Magnetic memory cells and manufacturing methods

A circuit with an inter-module radiation interference shielding mechanism is disclosed. The circuit includes a circuit module producing a radiation field. At least one radiation shielding module is situated between the circuit module and another module that is vulnerable to the interference of the radiation field. The shielding module is substantially tangential to the radiation field.

Method and system for magnetic shielding in semiconductor integrated circuit

Disclosed herein is a magnetoresistive structure, for example useful as a spin-valve or GMR stack in a magnetic sensor, and a fabrication method thereof. The magnetoresistive structure uses twisted coupling to induce a perpendicular magnetization alignment between the free layer and the pinned layer. Ferromagnetic layers of the free and pinned layers are exchange-coupled using antiferromagnetic layers having substantially parallel exchange-biasing directions. Thus, embodiments can be realized that have antiferromagnetic layers formed of a same material and/or having a same blocking temperature. At least one of the free and pinned layers further includes a second ferromagnetic layer and an insulating layer, such as a NOL, between the two ferromagnetic layers. The insulating layer causes twisted coupling between the two ferromagnetic layers, rotating the magnetization direction of one 90 degrees relative to the magnetization direction of the other.

Magnetoresistive structures and fabrication methods

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Wen-Chin Lin