Hydrogen and hydrocarbon plasma treatment of phase change memory material

Abstract

Techniques for sidewall passivation and removal of redeposited materials and processing damage from phase change memory materials are provided. In one aspect, a phase change memory device includes: one or more phase change memory cells, where each of the phase change memory cells includes a phase change material between a bottom electrode and a top electrode; and a carbon and oxygen-containing passivation layer on sidewalls of the phase change material. An ovonic threshold switch can also be present between the bottom and top electrodes, in series with the phase change material, and the carbon and oxygen-containing passivation layer can also be present on sidewalls of the ovonic threshold switch. A method of fabricating the present phase change memory devices is also provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.