Memory structure and method of forming the same

A structure, comprising:

• a conductive feature disposed in a first dielectric layer;
• an etch stop layer over the conductive feature and the first dielectric layer;
• a stack disposed over the conductive feature, the stack comprising:
• a bottom electrode layer electrically coupled to the conductive feature,
• a ferroelectric layer over the bottom electrode layer, and
• a top electrode layer on the ferroelectric layer;
• a hard mask layer over the top electrode layer;
• a spacer disposed along and interfacing sidewalls of the stack and sidewalls of the hard mask layer;
• a second dielectric layer disposed over the spacer and the stack;
• and
• a contact via extending through the second dielectric layer and the hard mask layer to contact a top surface of the top electrode layer,
• wherein the top electrode layer is formed of a conductive metal oxide that allows transmission of radiation from a helium-neon (He-Ne) laser source, a Neodymium:
• Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd:
• YAG) laser source, an argon ion (Ar+) laser source, a continuous-wave (CW) argon laser source, a krypton ion (Kr+) laser source, a GaAs diode laser source, or a helium-cadmium (He-Cd) laser source through an entire depth of the top electrode layer,
• wherein a portion of the bottom electrode layer extends through the etch stop layer to form a recess,
• wherein the ferroelectric layer extends into the recess in the bottom electrode layer.

A structure, comprising:

• a conductive feature disposed in a first dielectric layer;
• an etch stop layer disposed over the conductive feature and the first dielectric layer;
• a stack disposed over the conductive feature, the stack comprising:
• a bottom electrode layer electrically coupled to the conductive feature,
• a ferroelectric layer over the bottom electrode layer, and
• a top electrode layer on the ferroelectric layer;
• a hard mask layer over the top electrode layer;
• a spacer disposed along and interfacing sidewalls of the stack and sidewalls of the hard mask layer;
• a second dielectric layer disposed over the spacer and the stack;
• and
• a contact via extending through the second dielectric layer and the hard mask layer to contact a top surface of the top electrode layer,
• wherein the top electrode layer is formed of a conductive metal oxide that allows transmission of visible light,
• wherein a portion of the bottom electrode layer extends through the etch stop layer to form a recess,
• wherein the ferroelectric layer extends into the recess in the bottom electrode layer.