# US 8,772,841 B2 · Reactive metal implated oxide based memory > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,841 B2 - Document ID: US8772841B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/616,307 - Filed: 2012-09-14 - Published: 2013-01-17 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-22 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: D.V. Nirmal Ramaswamy; Gurtej S. Sandhu - Inventors: D.V. Nirmal Ramaswamy; Gurtej S. Sandhu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772841B2 ## CPC - H10N 70/24: {based on migration or redistribution of ionic species, e.g. anions, vacancies} - H10N 70/043: {by implantation} - H10N 70/883: {Oxides or nitrides} - G11C 13/0007: {comprising metal oxide memory material, e.g. perovskites} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract Methods, devices, and systems associated with oxide based memory can include a method of forming an oxide based memory cell. Forming an oxide based memory cell can include forming a first conductive element, forming an oxide over the first conductive element, implanting a reactive metal into the oxide, and forming a second conductive element over the oxide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oxide based memory cell, comprising: a first conductive element; a second conductive element; and an oxide between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, wherein the oxide is implanted with a metal, between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, that is reactive with respect to the oxide; wherein the oxide is implanted with a first metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide and a second metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide, and wherein the first metal and the second metal include different activation energies for oxygen ion diffusion so as to form a portion of the memory cell over the oxide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein the second conductive element comprises a metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein the second conductive element comprises a same metal as the metal implanted into the oxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein the oxide between the first conductive element and the second conductive element comprises a first oxide; and the memory cell includes a metal second oxide between the second conductive element and the first oxide, wherein the metal second oxide comprises a combination of the metal and the first oxide and provides a tunnel barrier between the first oxide and the second conductive element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein: the first conductive element comprises a platinum electrode; the oxide comprises a perovskite metal oxide; the reactive metal comprises titanium; and the second conductive element comprises a titanium electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein the memory cell includes a metal, which is reactive with respect to the oxide, between the oxide and the second conductive element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The memory cell of claim 1, wherein the memory cell includes a sub-oxide in the oxide proximal to the second conductive element in response to the second conductive element being biased with a positive voltage relative to the first conductive element. ### Claim 8 An oxide based memory cell, comprising: a first conductive element; a second conductive element; an oxide between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, wherein the oxide is implanted with a first metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide and a second metal, which is reactive with respect to the oxide, between the oxide and the second conductive element; wherein the memory cell includes a graded tunnel barrier in a portion of the oxide proximal to the second metal, wherein the graded tunnel barrier includes a first portion having first activation energy for oxygen ion diffusion and a second portion having a second activation energy for oxygen ion diffusion different than the first activation energy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The memory cell of claim 8, wherein the second metal is the same metal as the first metal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The memory cell of claim 8, wherein the oxide is implanted with a third metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The memory cell of claim 8, wherein the first portion of the graded tunnel barrier corresponds to the first metal and wherein the second portion of the graded tunnel barrier corresponds to the third metal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The memory cell of claim 8, wherein the memory cell includes a sub-oxide in the oxide proximal to the second metal in response to the second conductive element being biased with a positive voltage relative to the first conductive element. ### Claim 13 An oxide based memory cell, comprising: a first conductive element; a second conductive element; an oxide between the first conductive element and the second conductive element; and a graded tunnel barrier in a portion of the oxide proximal to the second conductive element, wherein the graded tunnel barrier includes a first portion having a first activation energy for oxygen ion diffusion and a second portion having a second activation energy for oxygen ion diffusion different than the first activation energy; wherein the memory cell includes a sub-oxide in the oxide proximal to the second conductive element in response to the second conductive element being biased with a positive voltage relative to the first conductive element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The memory cell of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the graded tunnel barrier includes a first reactive metal implanted therein and wherein the second portion of the graded tunnel barrier includes a second reactive metal implanted therein. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The memory cell of claim 14, wherein the first reactive metal provides the first activation energy for ion diffusion and wherein the second reactive metal provides the second activation energy for ion diffusion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The memory cell of claim 13, wherein the memory cell includes a metal, which is reactive with respect to the oxide, between the oxide and the second conductive element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The memory cell of claim 13, wherein the second conductive element comprises a metal that is reactive with respect to the oxide.