US 7,742,323 B2Granted

Continuous plane of thin-film materials for a two-terminal cross-point memory

AssigneeUnity Semiconductor Corporation

InventorsDarrell Rinerson, Jonathan Bornstein, Robin Cheung, David Hansen, Travis Byonghyop Oh

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Abstract

A structure for a memory device including a plurality of substantially planar thin-film layers or a plurality of conformal thin-film layers is disclosed. The thin-film layers form a memory element that is electrically in series with first and second cladded conductors and operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles. A select voltage applied across the first and second cladded conductors is operative to perform data operations on the memory device. The memory device may optionally include a non-ohmic device electrically in series with the memory element and the first and second cladded conductors. Fabrication of the memory device does not require the plurality of thin-film layers be etched in order to form the memory element. The memory element can include a CMO layer having a selectively crystallized polycrystalline portion and an amorphous portion. The cladded conductors can include a core material made from copper.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A memory device, comprising:

a first cladded conductor including a first core conductor and a first outer cladding in contact with and completely surrounding the first core conductor;
a first electrode in contact with a portion of the first outer cladding and including a substantially planar surface;
a second cladded conductor including a second core conductor and a second outer cladding in contact with and partially surrounding the second core conductor;
a memory element operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles and including a plurality of substantially planar thin-film layers, the thin-film layers including,
a layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO) including a selectively crystallized portion in contact with the substantially planar surface of the first electrode and having a polycrystalline structure and an amorphous portion having an amorphous structure, and
a layer of a first electrically insulating material including a first tunnel barrier in contact with the selectively crystallized portion;
and
a non-ohmic device including,
a second electrode in contact with the first tunnel barrier,
a second tunnel barrier made from a second electrically insulating material and in contact with the second electrode, and
a third electrode in contact with the second tunnel barrier and a portion of the second outer cladding,
wherein the memory element and the non-ohmic device are electrically in series with the first and second cladded conductors.

9 more elements

A memory device, comprising:

a first cladded conductor including a first core conductor and a first composite cladding that completely surrounds the first core conductor, the first composite cladding including a first material and a second material;
a first electrically conductive adhesion layer in contact with the second material;
a first electrode in contact with the first electrically conductive adhesion layer and including a substantially planar surface;
a second cladded conductor including a second core conductor and a second composite cladding that completely surrounds the second core conductor, the second composite cladding including a first material and a second material;
a memory element operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles and including a plurality of conformal thin-film layers, the conformal thin-film layers including,
a conformal layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO) including a selectively crystallized portion in contact with the substantially planar surface of the first electrode and having a polycrystalline structure and an amorphous portion having an amorphous structure, and
a conformal layer of a first electrically insulating material including a first tunnel barrier in contact with the selectively crystallized portion;
and
a second electrode in contact with the first tunnel barrier and a portion of the first material of the second composite cladding, wherein the memory element is electrically in series with the first and second cladded conductors.

6 more elements

A memory device, comprising:

a first cladded conductor including a first core conductor and a first composite cladding that completely surrounds the first core conductor, the first composite cladding including a first material and a second material;
a first electrically conductive adhesion layer in contact with the second material;
a first electrode in contact with the first electrically conductive adhesion layer and including a substantially planar surface;
a second cladded conductor including a second core conductor and a second composite cladding that completely surrounds the second core conductor, the second composite cladding including a first material and a second material;
a memory element operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles and including a plurality of substantially planar thin-film layers, the thin-film layers including,
a layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO) including a selectively crystallized portion in contact with the substantially planar surface of the first electrode and having a polycrystalline structure and an amorphous portion having an amorphous structure, and
a layer of a first electrically insulating material including a first tunnel barrier in contact with the selectively crystallized portion of the CMO;
and
a second electrode in contact with the first tunnel barrier and a portion of the first material of the second composite cladding, wherein the memory element is electrically in series with the first and second cladded conductors.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/881,474Filed 26 Jul 2007
Published: US 2009/0026441 A129 Jan 2009
Granted: 22 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H10N 70/801
Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching: constructional…
H10B 63/22
Comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes: of the metal-insulator-metal type
H10B 63/84
Arrangements comprising multiple bistable or multi-stable switching components of the same type on a plane parallel to the substrate, e.g.…:…
H10N 70/041
Manufacture or treatment of multistable switching devices: modification of switching materials after formation, e.g. doping