Phase change element configured to increase discrete data states
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorJau-Yi Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some embodiments relate to a method for forming an integrated circuit. The method includes forming a first conductive wire over a substrate. An insulator layer is deposited over the first conductive wire. A first electrode is formed in the insulator layer and over the first conductive wire. A phase change element (PCE) is deposited over the first electrode. The PCE comprises a first element, a chalcogen element, and a first dopant. An atomic percent of the first dopant in the PCE is less than an atomic percent of the first element. An atomic percent of the chalcogen element is at least twice the atomic percent of the first dopant. A second electrode is deposited over the PCE. The second electrode and the PCE are patterned to form a memory cell.
Claims20
A method for forming an integrated circuit, comprising:
- forming a first conductive wire over a substrate;
- depositing an insulator layer over the first conductive wire;
- forming a first electrode in the insulator layer and over the first conductive wire;
- depositing a phase change element (PCE) over the first electrode, wherein the PCE comprises a first element, a chalcogen element, and a first dopant, wherein an atomic percent of the first dopant in the PCE is less than an atomic percent of the first element, wherein an atomic percent of the chalcogen element is at least twice the atomic percent of the first dopant;
- depositing a second electrode over the PCE;
- and
- patterning the second electrode and the PCE to form a memory cell.
A method for forming an integrated circuit, comprising:
- forming a conductive interconnect over a substrate;
- forming a first electrode over the conductive interconnect;
- forming a phase change element (PCE) structure over the first electrode, the PCE structure comprising a first element, a chalcogen element, a first dopant, and a second dopant, wherein a first atomic percent of the first dopant and a second atomic percent of the second dopant in the PCE structure are both less than a third atomic percent of the first element in the PCE structure, wherein the first atomic percent is greater than the second atomic percent;
- and
- forming a second electrode over the PCE structure.
A method for forming an integrated circuit, comprising:
- forming a conductive interconnect over a substrate;
- forming a first electrode over the conductive interconnect;
- depositing a phase change element (PCE) structure comprising a chalcogenide material over the first electrode, the chalcogenide material comprises a chalcogenide element, a non-chalcogenide element, and a first dopant, wherein depositing the PCE structure comprises:
- depositing a first PCE layer over the first electrode, the first PCE layer having a first concentration of the first dopant;
- depositing a second PCE layer over the first PCE layer, the second PCE layer having a second concentration of the first dopant;
- and
- depositing a third PCE layer over the second PCE layer, the third PCE layer having a third concentration of the first dopant, wherein the first concentration, the second concentration, and the third concentration are different from one another;
- depositing a second electrode on the PCE structure;
- and
- etching the second electrode and the PCE structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.