Method for making a p-i-n diode crystallized adjacent to a silicide in series with a dielectric antifuse
AssigneeSanDisk 3D LLC
InventorS. Brad Herner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is described for forming a nonvolatile one-time-programmable memory cell having reduced programming voltage. A contiguous p-i-n diode is paired with a dielectric rupture antifuse formed of a high-dielectric-constant material, having a dielectric constant greater than about 8. In preferred embodiments, the high-dielectric-constant material is formed by atomic layer deposition. The diode is preferably formed of deposited low-defect semiconductor material, crystallized in contact with a silicide. A monolithic three dimensional memory array of such cells can be formed in stacked memory levels above the wafer substrate.
Claims15
A method for forming and programming a nonvolatile memory cell, the method comprising:
- forming a contiguous p-i-n diode, the contiguous p-i-n diode comprising deposited semiconductor material;
- forming a layer of a silicide, silicide-germanide, or germanide in contact with the deposited semiconductor material;
- crystallizing the deposited semiconductor material in contact with the layer of silicide, silicide-germanide, or germanide;
- forming a layer of a dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than 8;
- and
- subjecting a portion of the layer of dielectric material to dielectric breakdown,
- wherein the memory cell comprises the contiguous p-i-n diode and the layer of dielectric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.