# US 9,520,445 B2 · Integrated non-volatile memory elements, design and use

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- Number: US 9,520,445 B2
- Document ID: US9520445B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/131,956
- Filed: 2012-07-12
- Published: 2014-10-23
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-12
- Assignees: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf E. V.
- Applicants: Heidemarie Schmidt; Yao Shuai; Shengqiang Zhou; Ilona Skorupa; Xin Ou; Nan Du; Christian Mayr; Wenbo Luo
- Inventors: Heidemarie Schmidt; Yao Shuai; Shengqiang Zhou; Ilona Skorupa; Xin Ou; Nan Du; Christian Mayr; Wenbo Luo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520445B2

## CPC

- H10B 61/22: {of the field-effect transistor [FET] type}
- H01G 7/06: having a dielectric selected for the variation of its permittivity with applied voltage, i.e. ferroelectric capacitors (electrets H01G7/02)
- H10B 63/82: {the switching components having a common active material layer}
- H10D 64/60: Electrodes characterised by their materials
- H10F 30/10: the devices being sensitive to infrared radiation, visible or ultraviolet radiation, and having no potential barriers, e.g. photoresistors
- H10F 77/12: Active materials
- H10F 77/164: Polycrystalline semiconductors
- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10N 70/235: {between different crystalline phases, e.g. cubic and hexagonal}
- H10N 70/253: {having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistor-like devices}
- H10N 70/823: {adapted for essentially horizontal current flow, e.g. bridge type devices}
- 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}
- G06N 3/065: Analogue means
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Various embodiments describe an integrated non-volatile component. The component may include a surface contact with associated mating contact wherein a ferroelectric layer is used as a conductive channel having variable conductivity and the surface contact and/or the associated mating contact are/is embodied as a rectifying contact and, as a result of an applied voltage between the surface contact and the associated mating contact, a non-volatile space charge zone forms in the surface contact terminal region and/or mating contact terminal region in the ferroelectric layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An integrated non-volatile component, comprising:
a surface contact with associated mating contact,
a ferroelectric layer used as a conductive channel having variable conductivity and the surface contact and/or the associated mating contact are/is embodied as a rectifying contact and, as a result of an applied voltage between the surface contact and the associated mating contact, a non-volatile space charge zone forms around the surface contact and/or above the mating contact in the ferroelectric layer, wherein the surface contact is in direct contact with the ferroelectric layer; and
a drain terminal and a source terminal, wherein the surface contact is configured as a control gate terminal controlling the conductivity of the conductive channel between the drain terminal and the source terminal; wherein the drain terminal and the source terminal are respectively in direct contact with the ferroelectric layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface contact terminal region and/or the mating contact terminal region are/is locally modified by ion implantation with subsequent thermal treatment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rectifying contact is embodied as a Schottky contact.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulating layer is introduced between the ferroelectric layer and the mating contact and the insulating layer is interrupted in the mating contact terminal region.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein a resistance of the non-volatile space charge zone is defined by application of a voltage between surface contact and the associated mating contact and by the material used.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ferroelectric layer consists of BiFeO3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The integrated non-volatile component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the contacts consists of ferromagnetic material having in-plane magnetization in order to achieve a coupling to the out-of-plane ferroelectricity of the ferroelectric layer.

### Claim 8

An integrated non-volatile component, comprising a surface contact with associated mating contact, a BiFeO3 layer with a concentration of free charge carriers in a range of 1015 to 1018 cm−3 used as a conductive channel having variable conductivity and the surface contact and/or the associated mating contact are/is embodied as a rectifying contact and, as a result of an applied voltage between the surface contact and the associated mating contact, a non-volatile space charge zone forms around the surface contact and/or above the mating contact in the BiFeO3 layer, wherein the surface contact is in direct contact with the BiFeO3 layer; and
a drain terminal and a source terminal, wherein the surface contact is configured as a control gate terminal controlling the conductivity of the conductive channel between the drain terminal and the source terminal; wherein the drain terminal and the source terminal are respectively in direct contact with the BiFeO3 layer.