SELECTIVE DEPOSITION OF SILVER FOR NON-VOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE FABRICATION
A method of forming a non-volatile memory device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region, thereafter forming a first dielectric layer overlying, thereafter forming a first wiring material, thereafter forming amorphous silicon layer, and patterning and etching these layers to form first structures extending in a first direction and having a switching element. Thereafter, a method may include depositing a second dielectric layer overlying the first structures and having a dielectric surface region, forming an opening region in the second dielectric material to exposing part of the switching element, and depositing a silver material in the opening region, but not on the dielectric surface region.
1 .- 12 . (canceled)
13 . A non-volatile memory device, comprising:
a first wiring structure spatially configured to extend in a first direction;
a junction material comprising a p+ polycrystalline silicon material overlying the first wiring structure;
a switching region comprising an amorphous silicon material having an intrinsic semiconductor characteristic overlying the junction material;
a dielectric material overlying the switching material, the dielectric material having a surface region and an opening region overlying and exposing at least a portion of the switching region;
a silver material configured in at least a portion of the opening region, the silver material being in contact with the amorphous silicon material while the surface region of the dielectric material is maintained substantially free of any of the silver material; and
a second wiring structure overlying dielectric material and the silver material, wherein the second wiring structure is spatially configured to extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
14 . The device of claim 13 wherein the silver material forms a silver region in a portion in the amorphous silicon material to change a resistance characteristic of the amorphous silicon material upon application of a voltage to the first wiring structure or the second wiring structure.
15 . The device of claim 14 wherein the silver region further comprises a silver filament structure, wherein the silver filament structure is characterized by a length and a distance between silver particles.
16 . The device of claim 14 wherein the length of the silver filament structure determines the resistance characteristic, and the length of the silver filament structure depends at least on the voltage applied to the first wiring structure or the second wiring structure.
17 . The device of claim 14
wherein the first wiring layer overlies a semiconductor substrate;
wherein the semiconductor substrate includes CMOS devices.
18 . The device of claim 17 wherein the CMOS devices are selected from a group consisting of: control logic, a processor, processing logic, interface devices.
19 . The device of claim 18 further comprising: a housing, a display, communication circuitry.