# US 8,785,213 B2 · Method of fabricating non-volatile memory device having small contact and related devices

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- Number: US 8,785,213 B2
- Document ID: US8785213B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/494,206
- Filed: 2012-06-12
- Published: 2013-04-25
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-19
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Gyu-Hwan Oh; Doo-Hwan Park
- Inventors: Gyu-Hwan Oh; Doo-Hwan Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785213B2

## CPC

- H10N 70/20: Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
- 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}
- H10N 70/066: {by filling of openings, e.g. damascene method}
- H10N 70/231: {based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect}
- H10N 70/826: {adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices}
- H10N 70/841: {Electrodes}
- H10N 70/8828: {Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe}
- H10N 70/8836: {Complex metal oxides, e.g. perovskites, spinels}
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

A sacrificial pattern is formed to partially cover the pipe-shaped electrode. A sacrificial spacer is formed on a lateral surface of the sacrificial pattern. The sacrificial spacer extends across the pipe-shaped electrode. The sacrificial spacer has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The sacrificial pattern is removed to expose the pipe-shaped electrode proximal to the first and second sides of the sacrificial spacer. The pipe-shaped electrode exposed on both sides of the sacrificial spacer may be primarily trimmed. The pipe-shaped electrode is retained under the sacrificial spacer to form a first portion, and a second portion facing the first portion. The second portion of the pipe-shaped electrode is secondarily trimmed. The sacrificial spacer is removed to expose the first portion of the pipe-shaped electrode. A data storage plug is formed on the first portion of the pipe-shaped electrode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, comprising:
forming an electrode on a substrate having a word line;
forming a sacrificial pattern to partially cover the electrode;
forming a sacrificial spacer on a lateral surface of the sacrificial pattern, the sacrificial spacer extending across the electrode, the sacrificial spacer having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
removing the sacrificial pattern to expose the electrode proximal to the first and second sides of the sacrificial spacer;
primarily trimming the electrode exposed proximal to the first and second sides of the sacrificial spacer, wherein the electrode is retained under the sacrificial spacer to form a first portion and a second portion facing the first portion;
secondarily trimming the second portion of the electrode;
removing the sacrificial spacer to expose the first portion of the electrode; and
forming a data storage plug on the first portion of the electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises a pipe-shaped electrode,
and wherein the forming of the sacrificial spacer comprises:
forming a spacer layer to cover a top surface of the substrate having the sacrificial pattern; and
removing the spacer layer until the pipe-shaped electrode is exposed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the forming of the spacer layer is performed using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a third portion and a fourth portion of the electrode in response to the primary trimming of the electrode, wherein are formed lower than a top end of the first portion, and higher than the second portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one lateral surface of the data storage plug is self-aligned with the first portion of the electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one lateral surface of the data storage plug is vertically aligned with one lateral surface of the first portion of the electrode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the electrode has substantially the same horizontal width as the data storage plug.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises a pipe-shaped electrode,
before forming the sacrificial pattern, further comprising forming a core pattern to fill the inside of the pipe-shaped electrode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, before forming the data storage plug, further comprising recessing the first portion of the electrode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein a bottom end of the data storage plug extends lower than a top end of the core pattern.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the data storage plug contacts a lateral surface of the core pattern.

### Claim 12

A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, comprising:
forming a molding layer on a substrate;
forming a plurality of contact holes in the molding layer;
forming lower electrodes on sidewalls of the contact holes;
forming a plurality of core patterns, each core pattern filling a contact hole of the contact holes, respectively;
forming sacrificial spacers that extend across the contact holes and parallel to one another;
primarily trimming the lower electrodes, the core patterns, and the molding layer in a first direction using the sacrificial spacers as a mask to form a plurality of first grooves, wherein first portions of the lower electrodes and second portions facing the first portions are retained under the sacrificial spacers;
forming first insulating patterns in the first grooves;
secondarily trimming the sacrificial spacers, the first insulating patterns, the second portions of the lower electrodes, the core patterns, and the molding layer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to form a plurality of second grooves;
forming second insulating patterns in the second grooves;
removing the sacrificial spacers to form trenches exposing the first portions of the lower electrodes; and
forming data storage plugs within the trenches, wherein the data storage plugs are respectively formed between the first insulating patterns and the second insulating patterns.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein a horizontal width of the first portions of the lower electrodes is less than half a diameter of the contact holes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the horizontal width of the first portions of the lower electrodes is between 1 nm and 10 nm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, before forming the lower electrodes, further comprising:
forming a plurality of diodes in the contact holes; and
forming metal silicide patterns on the diodes,
wherein the lower electrodes are self-aligned on the diodes.

### Claim 16

A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, comprising:
forming a pipe-shaped electrode on a substrate having a word line;
forming a sacrificial pattern to partially cover the pipe-shaped electrode;
forming a sacrificial spacer on a lateral surface of the sacrificial pattern, the sacrificial spacer extending across the pipe-shaped electrode, the sacrificial spacer having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
removing the sacrificial pattern to expose the pipe-shaped electrode proximal to the first and second sides of the sacrificial spacer;
primarily trimming the pipe-shaped electrode exposed proximal to the first and second sides of the sacrificial spacer, wherein the pipe-shaped electrode is retained under the sacrificial spacer to form a first portion and a second portion facing the first portion;
secondarily trimming the second portion of the pipe-shaped electrode;
removing the sacrificial spacer to expose the first portion of the pipe-shaped electrode; and
forming a data storage plug on the first portion of the pipe-shaped electrode.