Low temperature deposition of complex metal oxides (CMO) memory materials for non-volatile memory integrated circuits
View Patent ↗A memory fabrication apparatus includes a pair of targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another within a closed vacuum vessel, each target of said pair of targets having a sputtering surface facing the sputtering surface of the other target of said pair of targets; and substrate holder adapted to receive facing target sputtering a CMO material on an electrode.
1. A memory fabrication apparatus comprising:
a. a pair of targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another within a closed vacuum vessel, each target of said pair of targets having a sputtering surface facing the sputtering surface of the other target of said pair of targets; and
b. a substrate holder adapted to receive facing target sputtering a complex metal oxide (CMO) material on an electrode wherein the CMO material is adapted to operate within a cross point memory array and the CMO material is deposited on circuitry.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material comprises a manganite, titanate or zirconate.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material is a perovskite.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material is a non-perovskite.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the CMO material is deposited at a temperature above 350° C.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the CMO material is deposited at a temperature below 550° C.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises a metal or a conductive metal oxide.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises a diffusion barrier.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises a plug.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material is adapted to operate within an array of memory cells capable of storing at least a Megabit of information, each memory cell including a memory plug that includes a memory element that switches from a first resistance state to a second resistance state upon application of a first write voltage of a first polarity and reversibly switches from the second resistance state to the first resistance state upon application of a second write voltage of polarity opposite to the first polarity.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material is crystalline.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material is a polycrystalline structure, wherein the polycrystalline structure comprises a small grain size.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the small grain size is approximately 0.1 micron or less.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material comprises a conductive metal oxide material on the electrode.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material comprises a manganite.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material comprises a titanate.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CMO material comprises a zirconate.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum vessel comprises an ambient environment for annealing.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the ambient environment comprises nitrogen.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the ambient environment comprises argon.
21. A memory fabrication apparatus, comprising:
a. a pair of targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another within a closed vacuum vessel, each target of said pair of targets having a sputtering surface facing the sputtering surface of the other target of said pair of targets; and
b. a substrate holder adapted to receive facing target sputtering a complex metal oxide (CMO) material on an electrode;
wherein a memory resulting from the memory fabrication apparatus switches from a first resistance state to a second resistance state upon application of a first write voltage of a first polarity and reversibly switches from the second resistance state to the first resistance state upon application of a second write voltage of polarity opposite to the first polarity, wherein the CMO material is deposited on circuitry.
22. A semiconductor fabrication process, comprising:
a. providing at least a pair of facing targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another within a closed vacuum vessel, each target of said pair of targets having a sputtering surface facing the sputtering surface of the other target of said pair of targets; and
b. sputtering a CMO memory material on an eletrode, wherein the CMO memory material is adapted to operate within a cross point memory array and the CMO memory material is deposited on circuitry.
23. The process of claim 22 , wherein the electrode comprises a metal or a conductive metal oxide.
24. The process of claim 22 , wherein the electrode comprises a diffusion barrier.
25. The process of claim 22 , the electrode comprises a plug.
26. The process of claim 22 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a manganite, a titanate or a zirconate.
27. The process of claim 22 , wherein the CMO material is a perovskite.
28. The process of claim 22 , wherein the CMO material is a non-perovskite.
29. The process of claim 22 , wherein the CMO material is deposited at a temperature below 375° C.
30. The process of claim 22 , wherein the CMO material comprises a polycrystalline structure.
31. A semiconductor fabrication process, comprising:
a. providing a pair of targets arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another within a closed vacuum vessel, each target of said pair of targets having a sputtering surface facing the sputtering surface of the other target of said pair of targets;
b. applying an electric power to said pair of targets to cause sputtering from the sputtering surface of each target of said pair of targets;
c. generating at least a perpendicular magnetic field extending in a direction perpendicular to said sputtering surfaces to confine plasma-in a space between said sputtering surfaces; and
d. face target sputtering a CMO memory material on an eletrode, wherein the CMO memory material is adapted to operation within a cross point memory array and the CMO memory material is deposited on circuitry.
32. The process of claim 31 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a polycrystalline structure.
33. The process of claim 32 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a manganite.
34. The process of claim 32 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a rare earth metal and an alkaline earth metal.
35. The process of claim 32 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a zirconate.
36. The process of claim 32 , wherein the CMO memory material comprises a titanate.