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US 2017/0288139 A1Published application
Using aluminum as etch stop layer
AssigneeCrossbar, Inc.
InventorsSundar Narayanan, Natividad Vasquez, Zhen Gu, Yunyu Wang
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Abstract
A two-terminal resistive switching device (TTRSD) such as a non-volatile two-terminal memory device or a volatile two-terminal selector device can be formed according to a manufacturing process. The process can include forming an etch stop layer comprising aluminum and can include forming a buffer layer below the etch stop layer and/or between the etch stop layer and a top electrode of the TTRSD.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- forming layers of a two-terminal resistive switching device;
- forming a buffer layer overlaying and in contact with a top electrode layer of the layers of the two-terminal resistive switching device;
- forming an etch stop layer comprising aluminum overlaying and in contact with the buffer layer;
- forming a top cap layer overlaying and in contact with the etch stop layer;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the top cap layer and terminating the etching when the etch stop layer comprising aluminum is reached.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming layers of a two-terminal resistive switching device, comprising a top electrode layer, a bottom electrode layer, and an interface layer;
- forming an etch stop layer comprising aluminum overlaying the top electrode layer;
- forming a top cap layer overlaying and in contact with the etch stop layer;
- and
- employing a first etching procedure comprising etching at least a portion of the top cap layer and stopping the etching in response to the first etching procedure exposing aluminum material of the etch stop layer.
2 more elements
A semiconductor device comprises:
- a two-terminal resistive switching device comprising:
- a top electrode comprising a material selected from a group consisting essentially of:
- silver, a silver compound, a silver alloy, aluminum, an aluminum compound, and an aluminum alloy;
- a bottom electrode;
- and
- an active region disposed between the top electrode and the bottom electrode;
- a buffer material overlaying and in contact with the top electrode of the two-terminal resistive switching device, wherein the buffer material is selected from a group comprising:
- TiN and TaN;
- an etch stop material overlaying and in contact with the buffer material, the etch stop material comprising a material selected from a second group consisting essentially of:
- silver, a silver compound, a silver alloy, aluminum, an aluminum compound, and an aluminum alloy;
- and
- a top cap overlaying and in contact with the etch stop material, wherein the top cap comprises an electrically conductive material that is selected from a third group consisting essentially of:
- TiN and TaN;
- wherein the top cap is formed from a layer of the electrically conductive material using a chemical etchant selected from a group consisting of:
- boron trichloride (BCl3), chlorine (Cl), a compound comprising Cl, Cl2, or BCl3;
- and
- wherein the top electrode is substantially free of chlorine impurities from the chemical etchant.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.