Structure and method to fabricate resistive memory with vertical pre-determined filament

A semiconductor structure comprising:

• a target metal contact;
• a horizontal dielectric layer;
• and
• one or more vertically oriented memory cells, each vertically oriented memory cell comprising:
• a vertical memory resistive element having top and bottom electrical contacts, and wherein the vertical memory resistive element comprises dielectric material which is formed in, and fills, a vertically-oriented cell contact hole in the horizontal dielectric layer, and including only one vertically-oriented seam formed in the vertical memory resistive element and surrounded by, and in direct contact with, the dielectric material forming the vertical memory resistive element, and comprising conductive material extending vertically from, and electrically connected to, the bottom electrical contact and the top electrical contact, the only one vertically-oriented seam and the bottom electrical contact entirely located in the horizontal dielectric layer;
• and
• one of the top and bottom electrical contacts being electrically connected to the target metal contact;
• and
• wherein the only one vertically-oriented seam comprises a conductive material selected from any one or more of:
• a doped mobile element and a doped non-stoichiometric compound including reactive elements, or a combination of previously listed conductive materials.

A non-volatile memory device comprising”

• a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell comprising:
• a vertical memory resistive element having top and bottom electrical contacts, and wherein the vertical memory resistive element comprises dielectric material which is formed in, and fills, a vertically-oriented cell contact hole in a horizontal dielectric layer, and including only one vertically-oriented seam formed in the vertical memory resistive element and surrounded by, and in direct contact with, the dielectric material forming the vertical memory resistive element, the only one vertically-oriented seam comprising conductive material extending vertically from, and electrically connected to, the bottom electrical contact and the top electrical contact, the only one vertically-oriented seam and the bottom electrical contact entirely located in the horizontal dielectric layer;
• and
• wherein the bottom electrical contact being electrically connected to a target metal contact;
• and
• wherein the only one vertically-oriented seam comprises a conductive material selected from any one or more of:
• a doped mobile element and a doped non-stoichiometric compound including reactive elements, or a combination of previously listed conductive materials.