# US 2017/0256589 A1 · Switching element, switching element array, and resistive random access memory including switching element, and methods of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 2017/0256589 A1
- Document ID: US20170256589A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/231,686
- Filed: 2016-08-08
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-02
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Jae Yeon LEE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256589A1

## CPC

- H10B 63/22: {of the metal-insulator-metal type}
- H10B 63/84: {arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, e.g. 3D cell arrays}
- H10B 63/80: {Arrangements comprising multiple bistable or multi-stable switching components of the same type on a plane parallel to the substrate, e.g. cross-point arrays}
- H10N 70/00: Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N79/00)
- H10N 70/043: {by implantation}
- H10N 70/826: {adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices}
- H10N 70/841: {Electrodes}
- H10N 70/8833: {Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx}
- H10N 70/20: Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
- H10N 70/8822: {Sulfides, e.g. CuS}
- H10N 70/8825: {Selenides, e.g. GeSe}
- H10N 70/8836: {Complex metal oxides, e.g. perovskites, spinels}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A first electrode and an insulation material layer are sequentially formed over a substrate. A doping mask pattern is formed over the insulation material layer. The doping mask pattern exposes a portion of the insulation material layer. Dopants are injected into the exposed portion of the insulation material layer. The doping mask pattern is removed. A second electrode layer is formed over the insulation material layer. One or more pillar-shaped structures, each of which includes a second electrode, an insulation layer and a first electrode formed by respectively patterning the second electrode layer, the insulation material layer, and the first electrode layer. Each of the one or more pillar-shaped structures includes, in the insulation layer, a part of the exposed portion of the insulation material layer that is doped with the dopants. A threshold switching operation is performed in a region doped with the dopants of the insulation layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a switching element, the method comprising:
sequentially forming a first electrode layer and an insulation material layer over a substrate;
forming a doping mask pattern over the insulation material layer, the doping mask pattern exposing a portion of the insulation material layer;
injecting dopants into the exposed portion of the insulation material layer;
removing the doping mask pattern;
forming a second electrode layer over the insulation material layer; and
forming one or more pillar-shaped structures, each of which includes a second electrode, an insulation layer, and a first electrode, by respectively patterning the second electrode layer, the insulation material layer, and the first electrode layer,
wherein each of the one or more pillar-shaped structures includes, in the insulation layer, a part of the exposed portion of the insulation material layer that is doped with the dopants, and
wherein a threshold switching operation is performed in a region of the insulation layer that is doped with the dopants.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the region doped with the dopants covers a portion of the insulation layer, the insulation layer being cut off along a direction that is nonparallel to a height direction of the pillar-shaped structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation material layer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide material, a silicon nitride material, metal oxide material, and a metal nitride material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the metal oxide material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an aluminum oxide material, a zirconium oxide material, a hafnium oxide material, a tungsten oxide material, a titanium oxide material, a nickel oxide material, a copper oxide material, a manganese oxide material, a tantalum oxide material, a niobium oxide material, and an iron oxide material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein injecting the dopants into the exposed portion of the insulation material layer comprises doping the exposed portion of the insulation material layer with N-type dopants or P-type dopants.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the dopant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), lanthanum (La), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), chrome (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein injecting the dopants into the exposed portion of the insulation material layer comprises forming a dopant distribution region using an ion implantation process.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the dopant distribution region extends from a top surface of the insulation material layer to an interface of the insulation material layer and the first electrode layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein at least one boundary of the dopant distribution region is located in a bulk region of the insulation material layer.

### Claim 10

A switching element array comprising:
an array of pillar-shaped structures, each of the array of pillar-shaped structures including a first electrode, an insulation layer, and a second electrode; and
a threshold switching operation region disposed in the insulation layer of each of the array of pillar-shaped structures, each of the threshold switching operation regions extending from an outer peripheral surface of the respective pillar-shaped structures to an inside region of the respective pillar-shaped structures,
wherein each of the threshold switching operation regions comprises dopants that dope the insulation layer into an N-type region or a P-type region, and
wherein each of the threshold switching operation regions faces another threshold switching operation region of an adjacent pillar-shaped structure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The switching element array of claim 10, wherein the threshold switching operation region covers a portion of the insulation layer, the insulation layer being cut off along a direction that is nonparallel to a height direction of the pillar-shaped structure.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The switching element array of claim 10, wherein the insulation layer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide material, a silicon nitride material, metal oxide material, and a metal nitride material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The switching element array of claim 12, wherein the metal oxide material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an aluminum oxide material, a zirconium oxide material, a hafnium oxide material, a tungsten oxide material, a titanium oxide material, a nickel oxide material, a copper oxide material, a manganese oxide material, a tantalum oxide material, a niobium oxide material, and an iron oxide material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The switching element array of claim 10, wherein the dopant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), lanthanum (La), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), chrome (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf).