Phase change memory and fabrication method

1. A method for fabricating a phase change memory, comprising:

providing a substrate containing a bottom electrode structure through the substrate, the bottom electrode structure having a top surface flushed with a top surface of the substrate;

forming a mask layer on the flushed top surfaces of the substrate and the bottom electrode structure;

forming a first opening in the mask layer to expose the top surface of the bottom electrode structure;

forming a spacer on sidewalls and bottom surface portions of the first opening to expose a surface portion of the bottom electrode structure, wherein the first opening including the spacer therein has a width at a bottom of the first opening less than a width at a top of the first opening;

forming a heating layer at least on the surface portion of the bottom electrode structure exposed by the spacer, the heating layer having a top surface lower than a top surface of the mask layer;

forming a phase change layer on the heating layer to completely fill the first opening, wherein the width at the bottom of the first opening to expose the bottom electrode structure by the spacer bottom ranges from about 10 nm to about 80 nm; and

forming a top electrode on the phase change layer and the mask layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate further includes a peripheral metal interconnect structure disposed through the substrate and having a top surface flushed with the top surface of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including:

forming a second opening in the mask layer prior to forming the first opening, the second opening exposing the top surface of the peripheral metal interconnect structure, and

forming a metal layer on the peripheral metal interconnect structure and completely filling the second opening, the metal layer having a top surface flushed with the top surface of the mask layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phase change layer is made of chalcogenides.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phase change layer is made of Si—Sb—Te, Ge—Sb—Te, Ag—In—Te, Ge—Bi—Te, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the spacer includes:

forming a spacer material layer covering the sidewalls and the bottom of the first opening and covering the top surface of the mask layer, and

etching the spacer material layer using a maskless etching process to remove a portion of the spacer material layer that covers the top surface of the mask layer and a portion of the bottom surface of the first opening to form the spacer covering the sidewalls and bottom surface portions of the first opening.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is made of SiN.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the heating layer includes:

forming a heating material layer on the mask layer, on the spacer, and on the exposed surface portion of the bottom electrode structure, and etching back the heating material layer to remove a portion of the heating material layer that is on the mask layer and on a surface portion of the spacer to form the heating layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the heating material layer includes a physical vapor deposition process.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein etching back the heating material layer includes a dry etching process.

11. A method for fabricating a phase change memory, comprising:

providing a substrate containing a bottom electrode structure through the substrate, the bottom electrode structure having a top surface flushed with a top surface of the substrate;

forming a mask layer on the flushed top surfaces of the substrate and the bottom electrode structure;

forming a first opening in the mask layer to expose the top surface of the bottom electrode structure;

forming a spacer on sidewalls and bottom surface portions of the first opening to expose a surface portion of the bottom electrode structure, wherein the first opening including the spacer therein has a width at a bottom of the first opening less than a width at a top of the first opening;

forming a heating layer at least on the surface portion of the bottom electrode structure exposed by the spacer, the heating layer having a top surface lower than a top surface of the mask layer, wherein forming the heating layer includes:

forming a heating material layer on the mask layer, on the spacer, and on the exposed surface portion of the bottom electrode structure, and etching back the heating material layer to remove a portion of the heating material layer that is on the mask layer and on a surface portion of the spacer to form the heating layer,

wherein the heating material layer has a thickness of less than about 20 nm;

forming a phase change layer on the heating layer to completely fill the first opening; and

forming a top electrode on the phase change layer and the mask layer.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the heating material layer is made of a material including TiN, Ti, TaN, Ta, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate further includes a peripheral metal interconnect structure disposed through the substrate and having a top surface flushed with the top surface of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including:

forming a second opening in the mask layer prior to forming the first opening, the second opening exposing the top surface of the peripheral metal interconnect structure, and

forming a metal layer on the peripheral metal interconnect structure and completely filling the second opening, the metal layer having a top surface flushed with the top surface of the mask layer.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the phase change layer is made of chalcogenides.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the phase change layer is made of Si—Sb—Te, Ge—Sb—Te, Ag—In—Te, Ge—Bi—Te, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the heating material layer includes a physical vapor deposition process.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein etching back the heating material layer includes a dry etching process.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the heating material layer is made of a material including TiN, Ti, TaN, Ta, or a combination thereof.