ANTIFUSE-BASED MEMORY CELLS HAVING MULTIPLE MEMORY STATES AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME

1 . A memory cell comprising:

a steering element; and

a metal-insulator-metal (“MIM”) stack coupled in series with the steering element, wherein the MIM stack comprises a first dielectric material layer and a second dielectric material layer disposed on the first dielectric material layer, without a metal or other conductive layer disposed between the first dielectric material layer and the second dielectric material layer.

2 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the steering element comprises a diode.

3 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the steering element comprises a vertically oriented diode.

4 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the steering element comprises a p-n or p-i-n diode.

5 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the steering element comprises a thin film transistor.

6 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the MIM stack is disposed above or below the steering element.

7 . The memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the MIM stack further comprises a third dielectric material layer disposed on the second dielectric material layer, without a metal or other conductive layer disposed between the second dielectric material layer and the third dielectric material layer.

8 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the first dielectric material layer has a first band gap, the second dielectric material layer has a second band gap smaller than the first band gap, and the third dielectric material layer 12 c is formed using a dielectric material that has a third band gap larger than the second band gap.

9 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the first dielectric material layer comprises one or more of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , or Si 3 N 4 .

10 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the second dielectric material layer comprises one or more or of HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , La 2 O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , TiO 2 , and SrTiO 3 .

11 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the third dielectric material layer comprises one or more of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , or Si 3 N 4 .

12 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the first dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 10 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

13 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the second dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 20 angstroms and about 40 angstroms.

14 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the third dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 10 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

15 . The memory cell of claim 7 , wherein the MIM stack further comprises a bottom electrode disposed below the first dielectric material layer, and a top electrode disposed above the third dielectric material layer.

16 . The memory cell of claim 15 , wherein the MIM stack further comprises a first conductive layer disposed between the bottom electrode and the first dielectric material layer.

17 . The memory cell of claim 16 , wherein the first conductive layer comprises highly doped polysilicon.

18 . The memory cell of claim 15 , wherein the MIM stack further comprises a second conductive layer disposed between the top electrode and the third dielectric material layer.

19 . The memory cell of claim 18 , wherein the third conductive layer comprises highly doped polysilicon.

20 . A method of programming a memory cell that includes a metal-insulator-metal (“MIM”) stack comprising a first dielectric material layer, a second dielectric material layer disposed on the first dielectric material layer, and a third dielectric material layer disposed on the second dielectric material layer, without a metal or other conductive layer disposed between the dielectric material layers, wherein the memory cell has a first memory state upon fabrication corresponding to a first read current, wherein the method comprises:

applying a first programming pulse to the memory cell, wherein the first programming pulse does not result in breakdown of the dielectric material layers, and programs the memory cell to a second memory state that corresponds to a second read current greater than the first read current.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising applying a second programming pulse to the memory cell, wherein the second programming pulse results in soft breakdown of one or more of the dielectric material layers, and programs the memory cell to a third memory state that corresponds to a third read current greater than the second read current.

22 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising applying a third programming pulse to the memory cell, wherein the third programming pulse results in substantially complete breakdown of the dielectric material layers, and programs the memory cell to a fourth memory state that corresponds to a fourth read current greater than the third read current.

23 . A monolithic three-dimensional memory array comprising:

a first memory level monolithically formed above a substrate, the first memory level comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell comprises:

a steering element; and

a metal-insulator-metal (“MIM”) stack coupled in series with the steering element, wherein the MIM stack comprises a first dielectric material layer and a second dielectric material layer disposed on the first dielectric material layer, without a metal or other conductive layer disposed between the first dielectric material layer and the second dielectric material layer; and

a second memory level monolithically formed above the first memory level.

24 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein each steering element comprises a diode.

25 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein each steering element comprises a vertically oriented diode.

26 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein each steering element comprises a p-n or p-i-n diode.

27 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein each steering element comprises a thin film transistor.

28 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein the MIM stacks are disposed above or below the steering element.

29 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 23 , wherein each MIM stack further comprises a third dielectric material layer disposed on the second dielectric material layer, without a metal or other conductive layer disposed between the second dielectric material layer and the third dielectric material layer.

30 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the first dielectric material layer has a first band gap, the second dielectric material layer has a second band gap smaller than the first band gap, and the third dielectric material layer 12 c is formed using a dielectric material that has a third band gap larger than the second band gap.

31 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the first dielectric material layer comprises one or more of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , or Si 3 N 4 .

32 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the second dielectric material layer comprises one or more or of HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , La 2 O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , TiO 2 , and SrTiO 3 .

33 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the third dielectric material layer comprises one or more of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , or Si 3 N 4 .

34 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the first dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 10 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

35 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the second dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 20 angstroms and about 40 angstroms.

36 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein the third dielectric material layer has a thickness between about 10 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

37 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 29 , wherein each MIM stack further comprises a bottom electrode disposed below the first dielectric material layer, and a top electrode disposed above the third dielectric material layer.

38 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 37 , wherein each MIM stack further comprises a first conductive layer disposed between the bottom electrode and the first dielectric material layer.

39 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 38 , wherein the first conductive layer comprises highly doped polysilicon.

40 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 37 , wherein the MIM stack further comprises a second conductive layer disposed between the top electrode and the third dielectric material layer.

41 . The monolithic three-dimensional memory array of claim 40 , wherein the third conductive layer comprises highly doped polysilicon.