# US 2019/0172871 A1 · Selector Device Incorporating Conductive Clusters for Memory Applications

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- Number: US 2019/0172871 A1
- Document ID: US20190172871A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/251,008
- Filed: 2019-01-17
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-18
- Assignees: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Hongxin Yang; Woojin Kim; Yiming Huai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172871A1

## CPC

- H10B 61/10: {comprising components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes or MIM elements}
- G11C 11/161: {details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell}
- G11C 11/1659: {Cell access}
- G11C 13/0004: {comprising amorphous/crystalline phase transition cells}
- G11C 13/003: {Cell access}
- H01F 10/3254: {the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]}
- H01F 10/3286: {Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy}
- H10N 50/80: Constructional details
- H10N 70/245: {the species being metal cations, e.g. programmable metallization cells}
- 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}
- G11C 2213/76: Array using an access device for each cell which being not a transistor and not a diode
- H01F 10/3272: {by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets}
- H10B 63/20: {comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes}
- H10B 63/24: {of the Ovonic threshold switching type}
- H10N 70/231: {based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect}
- H10N 70/8828: {Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The present invention is directed to a memory device that includes an array of memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a memory element connected to a two-terminal selector element. The two-terminal selector element includes a first electrode and a second electrode with a volatile switching layer interposed therebetween. The second electrode is deposited on top of the volatile switching layer during fabrication. The first electrode has a composition comprising a metal element and the second electrode has a composition comprising the metal element and aluminum element. The metal element may be silver, copper, or nickel. The volatile switching layer may have a composite structure comprising a plurality of conductive particles embedded in an insulating matrix. Alternatively, the volatile switching layer may have a multilayer structure comprising one or more conductive layers interleaved with two or more insulating layers. The memory element may include a magnetic tunnel junction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising an array of memory cells, each of said memory cells including a memory element connected to a two-terminal selector element, said two-terminal selector element comprising a first electrode and a second electrode with a volatile switching layer interposed therebetween, said first electrode having a composition comprising a metal element and said second electrode having a composition comprising said metal element and aluminum element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said metal element is silver, copper, or nickel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said composition of said first electrode further comprises aluminum element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said second electrode is deposited onto said volatile switching layer during fabrication.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said volatile switching layer is made of an insulator.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The memory device of claim 5, wherein said insulator is hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The memory device of claim 5, wherein said insulator is tantalum oxide, niobium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said volatile switching layer has a composite structure comprising a plurality of conductive particles embedded in an insulating matrix.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The memory device of claim 8, wherein said insulating matrix is made of hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The memory device of claim 8, wherein said insulating matrix is made of tantalum oxide, niobium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The memory device of claim 8, wherein said plurality of conductive particles are made of silver, copper, nickel, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The memory device of claim 8, wherein said plurality of conductive particles are made of zinc, titanium, tungsten, arsenic, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said volatile switching layer has a multilayer structure comprising one or more conductive layers interleaved with two or more insulating layers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The memory device of claim 13, wherein said two or more insulating layers are made of hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The memory device of claim 13, wherein said two or more insulating layers are made of tantalum oxide, niobium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The memory device of claim 13, wherein said one or more conductive layers are made of silver, copper, nickel, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The memory device of claim 13, wherein said one or more conductive layers are made of zinc, titanium, tungsten, arsenic, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein each of said memory cells further includes an intermediate electrode interposed between said memory element and said two-terminal selector element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein said memory element includes a magnetic free layer and a magnetic reference layer with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The memory device of claim 19, wherein said magnetic free layer has a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof, said magnetic reference layer has a fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof.