Method for fabrication of a CEM device
Disclosed is a method for the fabrication of a correlated electron material (CEM) device comprising: forming a layer of a conductive substrate on a substrate; forming a layer of a correlated electron material on the layer of conductive substrate; forming a layer of a conductive overlay on the layer of correlated electron material; patterning these layers to form a stack comprising a conductive substrate, a CEM layer and a conductive overlay, on the substrate; forming a cover layer of an insulating material over the stack; and patterning the cover layer wherein: the patterning of the cover layer comprises etching a trench in the cover layer whereby to expose the conductive overlay; and the method further comprises treating the exposed conductive overlay to remove an oxidation layer there from.
1. A method for the fabrication of a device comprising:
forming a layer of a conductive substrate;
forming a layer of a correlated electron material (CEM) on the layer of conductive substrate;
forming a layer of a conductive overlay on the layer of the CEM;
patterning the layer of the conductive substrate, the layer of the CEM and the layer of the conductive overlay to form a stack;
forming a cover layer of an insulating material over the stack;
patterning the cover layer by etching a trench in the cover layer to expose at least a portion of the layer of the conductive overlay; and
treating the exposed at least a portion of the layer of the conductive overlay to remove at least a portion of an oxidation layer there from.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein treating the exposed conductive overlay removes the at least a portion of the oxidation layer from the at least a portion of the upper surface and at least a portion of sidewalls of the exposed conductive overlay.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein treating the exposed conductive overlay comprises sputtering the layer of the conductive overlay within the trench.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein treating the exposed conductive overlay comprises exposing the layer of the conductive overlay to a reducing gas.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the reducing gas comprises an inert gas comprising hydrogen, ammonia or hydrazine, or a combination thereof.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein treating the exposed at least a portion of the layer of the conductive overlay comprises contacting the exposed at least a portion of the layer of the conductive overlay with a wet etchant for application to the oxidation layer.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the etchant comprises dilute hydrofluoric acid.
8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising depositing a moisture barrier layer over the stack prior to the forming of the cover layer.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the moisture barrier layer comprises silica, silicon nitride or silicon carbon nitride, or a combination thereof.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising depositing a metal barrier layer over the treated exposed at least a portion of the conductive overlay and interior walls of the trench.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the metal barrier layer comprises tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, cobalt, ruthenium or tantalum, or a combination thereof.
12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising depositing a metal interconnect in the trench and over the metal barrier layer to substantially fill the trench.