# US 10,770,656 B2 · Method for manufacturing phase change memory

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,770,656 B2
- Document ID: US10770656B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/136,464
- Filed: 2018-09-20
- Published: 2020-03-26
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-20
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation; ULVAC Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Gloria Wing Yun Fraczak; Matthew Brightsky; Chung Hon Lam; Fabio Carta; Robert Bruce; Takeshi Masuda; Koukou Suu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770656B2

## CPC

- H10N 70/8828: {Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe}
- H10N 70/023: {by chemical vapor deposition, e.g. MOCVD, ALD}
- H10N 70/066: {by filling of openings, e.g. damascene method}
- H10N 70/231: {based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect}
- H10N 70/841: {Electrodes}
- H10N 70/8613: {Heating or cooling means other than resistive heating electrodes, e.g. heater in parallel}
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Method(s) and apparatuses for forming a phase change memory. A method includes: forming a crystalline phase-change layer at a first position in along a surface of a first semiconductor layer, and forming an amorphous phase-change layer at a second position along the surface of a second semiconductor layer, wherein the crystalline phase-change layer and the amorphous phase-change layer are in contact.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a phase-change memory the method comprising:
forming a crystalline phase-change layer at a first position within a recess of an insulation layer; and
forming an amorphous phase-change layer at second position which differs from the first position within the recess; and
forming a recess liner layer that bounds side and bottom portions of the recess.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the amorphous phase-change layer is performed after forming the crystalline phase-change layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the crystalline phase-change layer is performed after forming the amorphous phase-change layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein
forming the amorphous phase-change layer includes forming a first amorphous phase-change layer, and
the method further comprises forming a second amorphous phase-change layer at a third position in the recess after forming the crystalline phase-change layer, wherein the third position differs from the first position and the second position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
forming the crystalline phase-change layer and forming the amorphous phase-change layer fills a cavity defined by the recess with the crystalline phase-change layer and the amorphous phase-change layer, and
the amorphous phase-change layer and the crystalline phase-change layer are formed in the cavity of the recess so that the amorphous phase-change layer has a smaller volume than the crystalline phase-change layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the crystalline phase-change layer comprises:
forming the crystalline phase-change layer with a different material composition than the amorphous phase-change layer but includes elements that are also included in the amorphous phase-change layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the insulation layer is set to have a higher temperature when the crystalline phase-change layer is formed than when the amorphous phase-change layer is formed.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
forming a crystalline phase-change layer at a first position within a recess along a surface of a first semiconductor layer;
forming an amorphous phase-change layer at a second position within the recess, wherein the crystalline phase-change layer and the amorphous phase-change layer contact; and
forming a recess liner layer that bounds side and bottom portions of the recess.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 further comprising:
forming a single polycrystalline phase-change layer from the amorphous phase-change layer and the the crystalline phase-change layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9 further comprising:
forming a first electrode and a second electrode in contact with the single polycrstalline phase-change layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein forming the crystalline phase-change layer is performed after forming the amorphous phase-change layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
forming a liner in contact with the crystalline phase-change layer without contacting the amorphous-change layer; and
forming a first electrode in contact with the liner.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12 further comprising:
forming a single polycrystalline phase-change layer from the amorphous phase-change layer and the the crystalline phase-change layer, wherein the single polycrstalline phase-change layer is in contact with the liner.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein forming the single polycrystalline phase-change layer from the amorphous phase-change layer and the the crystalline phase-change layer comprises:
heating the amorphous phase-change layer and the crystalline phase-change layer to a crystalline temperature or higher.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 further comprising:
forming a second electrode over the single polycrstalline phase-change layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the single polycrstalline phase-change layer is between ninety-three percent to ninety-seven percent void free.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the single polycrstalline phase-change layer is approximately ninety-seven percent void free.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the single polycrstalline phase-change layer is a germanium antimony telluride (GexSbyTez:GST) layer.