Metal/semiconductor/metal current limiter
View Patent ↗A method is provided for forming a metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) current limiter and resistance memory cell with an MSM current limiter. The method provides a substrate; forms an MSM bottom electrode overlying the substrate; forms a ZnOx semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode, where x is in the range between about 1 and about 2, inclusive; and, forms an MSM top electrode overlying the semiconductor layer. The ZnOx semiconductor can be formed through a number of different processes such as spin-coating, direct current (DC) sputtering, radio frequency (RF) sputtering, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), or atomic layer deposition (ALD).
1. A resistance memory device with a metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) current limiter, the device comprising:
a memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor material overlying the memory resistor bottom electrode;
a memory resistor top electrode overlying the memory resistor material;
an MSM bottom electrode overlying the memory resistor top electrode;
a ZnOx semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode, where x is in the range between about 1 and about 2, inclusive; and,
an MSM top electrode overlying the ZnOx semiconductor layer.
2. The resistance memory device with the MSM current limiter of claim 1 wherein the memory resistor material is a material selected from the group comprising Pr 0.3 Ca 0.7 MnO 3 (PCMO), colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) film, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators, high-temperature super conductor (HTSC), and perovskite materials.
3. A metal/semiconductor/metal (MSM) current limiter, the MSM current limiter comprising:
a substrate;
an MSM bottom electrode overlying the substrate;
a ZnOx semiconductor layer overlying the MSM bottom electrode, where x is in the range between about 1 and about 2, inclusive; and,
an MSM top electrode overlying the ZnOx semiconductor layer.
4. The MSM current limiter of claim 3 wherein the ZnOx semiconductor layer has a C-axis orientation.
5. The MSM current limiter of claim 3 wherein the ZnOx semiconductor layer has a thickness in the range of about 10 to 1000 nanometers (nm).
6. The MSM current limiter of claim 3 wherein the MSM top and bottom electrodes each have a thickness in the range of about 30 to 200 nm.
7. The MSM current limiter of claim 3 wherein the MSM top and bottom electrodes are a material selected from the group comprising Pt, Ir, Au, Ag, TiN, Ti, Al, AlCu, Pd, Rh, W, Cr, and conductive oxides.