Sealed resistive change elements
Methods for scaling dimensions of resistive change elements, resistive change element arrays of scalable resistive change elements, and sealed resistive change elements are disclosed. According to some aspects of the present disclosure the methods for scaling dimensions of resistive change elements and the resistive change element arrays of scalable resistive change elements reduce the impact of overlapping materials on the switching characteristics of resistive change elements. According to some aspects of the present disclosure the methods for scaling dimensions of resistive change elements include sealing surfaces of resistive change elements. According to some aspects of the present disclosure the methods for scaling dimensions of resistive change elements include forming barriers to copper migration in a copper back end of the line.
1. A sealed resistive change element comprising:
a bottom electrode having a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a nanotube fabric layer in contact with said bottom electrode, wherein said nanotube fabric layer has a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a top electrode in contact with said nanotube fabric layer, wherein said top electrode has a horizontal cross-sectional shape; and
at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film comprising a portion formed around said nanotube fabric layer, wherein said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer has a ring shape based on said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer.
2. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer is a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer is a rectangular ring shape.
3. The sealed resistive change element of claim 2 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer is a square horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer is a square ring shape.
4. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer is a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer is a circular ring shape.
5. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film further comprises a portion formed around said top electrode, and wherein said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode has a ring shape based on said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode.
6. The sealed resistive change element of claim 5 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode is a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode is a rectangular ring shape.
7. The sealed resistive change element of claim 6 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode is a square horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode is a square ring shape.
8. The sealed resistive change element of claim 5 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode is a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode is a circular ring shape.
9. The sealed resistive change element of claim 5 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode is different from said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer, and wherein said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode is different from said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer.
10. The sealed resistive change element of claim 5 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode and said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer are the same horizontal cross-sectional shape, and wherein said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer are the same ring shape.
11. The sealed resistive change element of claim 5 , wherein said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film further comprises a portion formed around said bottom electrode, and wherein said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode has a ring shape based on said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode.
12. The sealed resistive change element of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode is a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode is a rectangular ring shape.
13. The sealed resistive change element of claim 12 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode is a square horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode is a square ring shape.
14. The sealed resistive change element of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode is a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode is a circular ring shape.
15. The sealed resistive change element of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode, said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer, and said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode are different horizontal cross-sectional shapes, and wherein said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode, said ring shape of said portion of said at least one thin directionally deposited dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer, and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode are different ring shapes.
16. The sealed resistive change element of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said top electrode, said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said nanotube fabric layer, and said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said bottom electrode are the same horizontal cross-sectional shape, and wherein said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said top electrode, said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said nanotube fabric layer, and said ring shape of said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said bottom electrode are the same ring shape.
17. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film is formed from SiO x , SiC, and SiCO.
18. The sealed resistive change element of claim 17 , wherein said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film is additionally formed from SiON.
19. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed by a single layer film that provides a barrier to metal migration from an interconnect conductor.
20. The sealed resistive change element of claim 19 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed by a material selected from the group consisting of Ru and RuO x .
21. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed by a bilayer film that provides a barrier to metal migration from an interconnect conductor.
22. The sealed resistive change element of claim 21 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed by a material selected from the group consisting of RuO x /Ru, RuO x /Ta, TiN/Ta, TaN/Ta, TiN/RuO x , and TiN/Ru.
23. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed by a material selected from the group consisting of Ta 36 Si 14 N 50 and Ti 34 Si 23 N 43 .
24. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said nanotube fabric layer is formed with nanotubes that are relatively defect free.
25. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said nanotube fabric layer is formed with nanotubes having defects introduced post nanotube deposition.
26. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said nanotube fabric layer is formed with nanotubes having intrinsic nanotube defects introduced prior to nanotube deposition.
27. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said nanotube fabric layer is formed with nanotubes having intrinsic nanotube defects introduced prior to nanotube deposition and additional defects introduced post nanotube deposition.
28. The sealed resistive change element of claim 1 , wherein said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film is formed from SiN.
29. A sealed resistive change element comprising:
a bottom electrode having a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a layer of buckyballs in contact with said bottom electrode, wherein said layer of buckyballs has a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a top electrode in contact with said layer of buckyballs, wherein said top electrode has a horizontal cross-sectional shape; and
at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film comprising a portion formed around said layer of buckyballs, wherein said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said layer of buckyballs has a ring shape based on said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said layer of buckyballs.
30. A sealed resistive change element comprising:
a bottom electrode having a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a layer of graphene flakes in contact with said bottom electrode, wherein said layer of graphene flakes has a horizontal cross-sectional shape;
a top electrode in contact with said layer of graphene flakes, wherein said top electrode has a horizontal cross-sectional shape; and
at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film comprising a portion formed around said layer of graphene flakes, wherein said portion of said at least one directionally deposited thin dielectric sidewall film formed around said layer of graphene flakes has a ring shape based on said horizontal cross-sectional shape of said layer of graphene flakes.