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US 10,873,023 B2Granted
Using aluminum as etch stop layer
AssigneeCrossbar, Inc.
InventorsSundar Narayanan, Natividad Vasquez, Zhen Gu, Yunyu Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two-terminal resistive switching device (TTRSD) such as a non-volatile two-terminal memory device or a volatile two-terminal selector device can be formed according to a manufacturing process. The process can include forming an etch stop layer that is made of aluminum and can include forming a buffer layer below the etch stop layer and/or between the etch stop layer and a top electrode of the TTRSD.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- forming layers of a two-terminal resistive switching device;
- forming a buffer layer overlaying and in contact with a top electrode layer of the layers of the two-terminal resistive switching device, wherein the top electrode layer at least in part comprises an aluminum material;
- forming an etch stop layer comprising at least in part the aluminum material and overlaying and in contact with the buffer layer;
- forming a top cap layer comprising TiN or TaN overlaying and in contact with the etch stop layer;
- etching with a first etch procedure of a two-step etch at least a portion of the top cap layer and terminating the first etch procedure when the etch stop layer comprising aluminum is reached, wherein the first etch procedure comprises employing a chemical etch procedure, and wherein the terminating the etching comprises terminating the chemical etch procedure in response to an indication that the aluminum of the etch stop layer has been exposed;
- and
- etching with a second etch procedure of the two-step etch a portion of the etch stop layer exposed by the first etch procedure and respective portions of the buffer layer and of the top electrode layer underlying the portion of the etch stop layer.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming layers of a two-terminal resistive switching device, comprising a top electrode layer comprising aluminum, a bottom electrode layer, and an interface layer;
- forming an etch stop layer comprising aluminum overlaying the top electrode layer;
- forming a top cap layer from a material selected from a group consisting of:
- TiN and TaN overlaying and in contact with the etch stop layer;
- employing a first chemical etching procedure comprising etching at least a portion of the top cap layer and stopping the etching in response to the first chemical etching procedure exposing aluminum material of the etch stop layer;
- and
- employing a second etching procedure comprising removing a portion of the etch stop layer exposed by the first chemical etching procedure and a portion at least of the top electrode layer of the two-terminal resistive switching device underlying the portion of the etch stop layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.