Granted Patent B2

US 12,256,557 · App. 17/579,147 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventors: Oleksandr Mosendz (Campbell, CA); James Reiner (Palo Alto, CA); Bruce Terris (Sunnyvale, CA); John Read (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Sandisk Technologies, Inc.

H10B63/24H10N70/231H10N70/823H10N70/8828

Abstract

Claims (89)

1. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first carbon-based electrode and a first metallic layer;

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metallic layer and a second carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

the first carbon-based electrode;

the first metallic layer located on the first carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch material portion located on the first metallic layer;

the second metallic layer located on the ovonic threshold switch material portion; and

the second carbon-based electrode located on the second metallic layer; and

each of the first carbon-based electrode and the second carbon-based electrode comprises carbon atoms at an atomic concentration greater than 50%.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first carbon-based electrode and the second carbon-based electrode comprises a respective material selected from diamond-like carbon (DLC), a nitrogen doped carbon material, or a carbon-rich conductive compound of carbon atoms and non-carbon atoms.

3. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first carbon-based electrode and a first metallic layer;

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metallic layer and a second carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

the first carbon-based electrode;

the first metallic layer located on the first carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch material portion located on the first metallic layer;

the second metallic layer located on the ovonic threshold switch material portion; and

the second carbon-based electrode located on the second metallic layer; and

at least one of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer consists essentially of tungsten carbide.

4. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first carbon-based electrode and a first metallic layer;

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metallic layer and a second carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

the first carbon-based electrode;

the first metallic layer located on the first carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch material portion located on the first metallic layer;

the second metallic layer located on the ovonic threshold switch material portion; and

the second carbon-based electrode located on the second metallic layer;

a ratio of a thickness of the first carbon-based electrode to a thickness of the first metallic layer is in a range from 3 to 500; and

a ratio of a thickness of the second carbon-based electrode to a thickness of the second metallic layer is in a range from 3 to 500.

5. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first carbon-based electrode and a first metallic layer;

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metallic layer and a second carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

the first carbon-based electrode;

the first metallic layer located on the first carbon-based electrode;

the ovonic threshold switch material portion located on the first metallic layer;

the second metallic layer located on the ovonic threshold switch material portion; and

the second carbon-based electrode located on the second metallic layer;

the first metallic layer has a thickness in a range from 0.2 nm to 10 nm; and

the second metallic layer has a thickness in a range from 0.2 nm to 10 nm.

6. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first metal-carbon alloy electrode;

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metal-carbon alloy electrode;

the first metal-carbon alloy electrode comprises 1 to 50 atomic percent metal and 70 to 99 atomic percent carbon; and

the second metal-carbon alloy electrode comprises 1 to 50 atomic percent metal and 70 to 99 atomic percent carbon.

7. A memory device, comprising:

a memory material portion; and

an ovonic threshold switch selector element, wherein the ovonic threshold switch selector element comprises:

a first carbon-containing electrode comprising carbon and a metal;

a second carbon-containing electrode comprising the carbon and the metal; and

an ovonic threshold switch material portion located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

wherein:

the first carbon-containing electrode comprises a first metal-carbon alloy electrode; and

the second carbon-containing electrode comprises a second metal-carbon alloy electrode;

the first metal-carbon alloy electrode comprises 1 to 50 atomic percent metal, 10 to 40 atomic percent nitrogen, and 50 to 85 atomic percent carbon; and

the second metal-carbon alloy electrode comprises 1 to 50 atomic percent metal, 10 to 40 atomic percent nitrogen, and 50 to 85 atomic percent carbon.

Assignments (9)