# US 12,010,934 B2 · Selection element with a plurality of amorphous layers

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- Number: US 12,010,934 B2
- Document ID: US12010934B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/168,686
- Filed: 2021-02-05
- Published: 2021-08-12
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-07
- Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Applicants: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
- Inventors: Gabriele Navarro; Mathieu Bernard; Chiara Sabbione; Marie-Claire Cyrille; Camille Laguna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010934B2

## CPC

- H10B 63/10: Phase change RAM [PCRAM, PRAM] devices
- H10N 70/8825: {Selenides, e.g. GeSe}
- H10B 63/20: {comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes}
- H10N 70/026: {by physical vapor deposition, e.g. sputtering}
- H10N 70/231: {based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect}
- H10N 70/826: {adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices}
- H10N 70/8822: {Sulfides, e.g. CuS}
- H10N 70/8828: {Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A selection element including, in a first portion, a stack of amorphous layers, the thickness of each layer in the stack being smaller than or equal to 20 nm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A selection element comprising, in a first portion, a stack of at least two amorphous layers, the thickness of each layer in the stack being greater than 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 20 nm, wherein:
the stack comprises at least one assembly of first layers and one assembly of second layers, the first and second layers being made of different materials;
the first layers are made of an alloy comprising a group-15 element and a group-16 element; and
the second layers consist of one or more, nitrogen-doped, oxygen-doped, or carbon-doped group-14 elements.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers in the stack comprises a group-16 element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers in the stack comprises an element among selenium, tellurium, and sulfur.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein the stack comprises an alternation of first and of second layers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein:
the second layers consist of a nitrogen-doped germanium alloy, and
the first layers are made of an alloy of antimony and of selenium.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein the material of each first layer of the stack has stoichiometric proportions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, comprising a second portion crossing at least certain layers of the stack, made of an alloy of at least part of the components of the layers of the stack.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The selection element according to claim 7, comprising an electrode in contact with the second portion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The selection element according to claim 1, wherein layers of an assembly of layers of the stack are doped.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The selection element according to claim 9, wherein the layers of the layer assembly-are doped with one or a plurality of dopants among nitrogen, carbon, and silicon.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A memory device comprising a storage element arranged electrically in series with a selection element defined according to claim 1.

### Claim 12

A selection element comprising, in a first portion, a stack of at least two amorphous layers, the thickness of each layer in the stack being greater than 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 20 nm, wherein:
the stack comprises at least one assembly of first layers and one assembly of second layers, the first and second layers being made of different materials;
the first layers are made of an alloy comprising a group-15 element and a group-16 element;
the second layers consist of one or more, nitrogen-doped, oxygen-doped, or carbon-doped group-14 elements; and
the second layers consist of doped silicon or germanium.

### Claim 13

A method of manufacturing a selection element comprising forming a stack of at least two amorphous layers, the thickness of each layer being greater than 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 20 nm, wherein:
the stack comprises at least one assembly of first layers and one assembly of second layers, the first and second layers being made of different materials;
the first layers are made of an alloy comprising a group-15 element and a group-16 element; and
the second layers consist of one or more, nitrogen-doped, oxygen-doped, or carbon-doped group-14 elements.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, comprising a step during which a current pulse is sent through the stack of layers, to form a portion comprising an alloy of at least part of the components of the layers of the stack.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, comprising a step of manufacturing of a lower electrode and the manufacturing of an upper electrode.

### Claim 16

A selection element comprising, in a first portion, a stack of at least two amorphous layers, the thickness of each layer in the stack being greater than 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 20 nm, wherein:
the stack comprises at least one assembly of first layers and one assembly of second layers, the first and second layers being made of different materials;
the first layers are made of an alloy comprising a group-15 element and a group-16 element;
the second layers consist of one or more doped or undoped group-14 elements;
the second layers consist of a nitrogen-doped germanium alloy, and
the first layers are made of an alloy of antimony and of selenium.