# US 7,608,514 B2 · MSM binary switch memory

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,608,514 B2
- Document ID: US7608514B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/900,999
- Filed: 2007-09-15
- Published: 2008-01-10
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2005-07-18
- Assignees: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
- Inventors: Sheng Teng Hsu; Tingkai Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608514B2

## CPC

- G11C 13/0007: {comprising metal oxide memory material, e.g. perovskites}
- H10B 63/20: {comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes}
- 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}
- H10D 8/051: {of Schottky diodes}
- H10D 8/60: Schottky-barrier diodes
- G11C 2213/31: Material having complex metal oxide, e.g. perovskite structure
- H10N 70/20: Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
- H10N 70/826: {adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices}
- H10N 70/8836: {Complex metal oxides, e.g. perovskites, spinels}
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) binary switch memory device and fabrication process are provided. The device includes a memory resistor bottom electrode, a memory resistor material over the memory resistor bottom electrode, and a memory resistor top electrode over the memory resistor material. An MSM bottom electrode overlies the memory resistor top electrode, a semiconductor layer overlies the MSM bottom electrode, and an MSM top electrode overlies the semiconductor layer. The MSM bottom electrode can be a material such as Pt, Ir, Au, Ag, TiN, or Ti. The MSM top electrode can be a material such as Pt, Ir, Au, TiN, Ti, or Al. The semiconductor layer can be amorphous Si, ZnO2, or InO2.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) binary switch memory device comprising:
a memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor material overlying the memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor top electrode overlying the memory resistor material;
an MSM bottom electrode overlying the memory resistor top electrode;
a semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode, having a thickness in the range of 20 to 1000 nanometers; and,
an MSM top electrode overlying the semiconductor layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The MSM binary switch memory device of claim 1 wherein the memory resistor is a material selected from the group comprising Pr0.3Ca0.7MnO3 (PCMO), colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) film, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators, high-temperature super conductor (HTSC), and perovskite materials.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The MSM binary switch memory device claim 1 wherein the MSM bottom electrode is a material selected from the group comprising Pt, Ir, Au, Ag, TiN, and Ti.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The MSM binary switch memory device of claim 1 wherein the MSM top electrode is a material selected from the group comprising Pt, Ir, Au, TiN, Ti, and Al.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The MSM binary switch memory device of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode is a material selected from the group comprising amorphous Si, ZnO2, and InO2.

### Claim 6

A metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) binary switch crosspoint memory array comprising:
a first plurality of bit lines parallely aligned in a first direction;
a second plurality of MSM binary switch memory devices overlying each bit line;
a third plurality of word lines parallely aligned in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, each word line connected to each bit line through a unique intervening MSM binary switch memory device;
a memory resistor material overlying the bit line;
a memory resistor top electrode overlying the memory resistor material;
an MSM bottom electrode overlying the memory resistor top electrode;
a semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode;
an MSM top electrode overlying the semiconductor layer at the intersection of the MSM binary switch memory device with the word line; and,
wherein the memory resistor is a material selected from the group comprising Pr0.3Ca0.7MnO3 (PCMO), colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) film, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators, high-temperature super conductor (HTSC), and perovskite materials.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The MSM binary switch crosspoint memory array of claim 6 wherein the semiconductor layer has a thickness in the range of 20 to 1000 nanometers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The MSM binary switch crosspoint memory array of claim 6 wherein the MSM bottom electrode is a material selected from the group comprising Pt, Ir, Au, Ag, TiN, and Ti.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The MSM binary switch crosspoint memory array of claim 6 wherein the MSM top electrode is a material selected from the group including Pt, Ir, Au, TiN, Ti, and Al.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The MSM binary switch crosspoint memory array of claim 6 wherein the semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode is a material selected from the group comprising amorphous Si, ZnO2, and InO2.

### Claim 11

A metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) binary switch memory device comprising:
a memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor material overlying the memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor top electrode overlying the memory resistor material;
an MSM bottom electrode overlying the memory resistor top electrode;
a semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode;
an MSM top electrode overlying the semiconductor layer; and,
wherein the memory resistor is a material selected from the group comprising Pr0.3Ca0.7MnO3 (PCMO), colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) film, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators, high-temperature super conductor (HTSC), and perovskite materials.