IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,610,753
Granted Patent B2
US 12,610,753 · App. 18/186,229 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Stacked resistive random-access memory cross-point cell

Inventors: Min Gyu Sung (Latham, NY); Kangguo Cheng (Schenectady, NY); Julien Frougier (Albany, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Chanro Park (Clifton Park, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10N70/841H10B63/30H10B63/84H10B80/00H10N70/021H10N70/061H10W90/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,610,753
App. No.
18/186,229
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A three-dimensional semiconductor structure with a bottom electrode in an interlayer dielectric material. The bottom electrode material with a rectangular shape has a first notch is in a top portion of a portion of the bottom electrode material. The first notch occurs in an intersection of the bottom electrode material with a top electrode material. A dielectric material contacts the bottom electrode material and a top surface of the interlayer dielectric material. The dielectric material is between five sides of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material in the intersection of the bottom electrode material with the top electrode material and has a large contact area with of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode. When the bottom electrode material is a word line and the top electrode material is a bit line, the three-dimensional structure is a ReRAM cross point cell.

Claims (44)

1 . A semiconductor structure comprising:

a bottom electrode material in an interlayer dielectric material, wherein a first notch is in a top portion of the bottom electrode material in an intersection of the bottom electrode material with a top electrode material;

a dielectric material directly contacting the bottom electrode material and a top surface of the interlayer dielectric material, wherein in the intersection of the bottom electrode material with the top electrode material, the dielectric material is between five sides of the bottom electrode material and a top electrode material; and

the top electrode material directly on the dielectric material, wherein a second notch in a bottom portion of the top electrode material is in the intersection of the bottom electrode material with the top electrode material.

2 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material is a high-k dielectric material.

3 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material has a contact area with four sidewalls of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material and with a horizontal surface of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material in the intersection.

4 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material between the five sides of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material further comprises the dielectric material contacting two sidewalls of the top electrode material above a horizontal surface of the second notch, the horizontal surface of the second notch, and two sidewalls of the top electrode material below the horizontal surface of the second notch.

5 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein:

the top electrode material is a word line;

the bottom electrode material is a bit line; and

the semiconductor structure is a resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) cross-point cell.

6 . The semiconductor structure of claim 5 , wherein the ReRAM cross-point cell has a contact area of the dielectric material with a horizontal surface of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material and with four vertical sidewalls of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material in the intersection.

7 . The semiconductor structure of claim 5 , wherein:

the bottom electrode material extends orthogonally through the top electrode material; and

the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material each contact at least a second ReRAM cross-point cell for a ReRAM crossbar array.

8 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor structure is a three-dimensional metal-insulator-metal capacitor.

9 . The semiconductor structure of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric material is between four vertical sides of the bottom electrode material and the top electrode and a horizontal surface of the dielectric material between the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material in the intersection.

10 . The semiconductor structure of claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional metal-insulator-metal capacitor has a same horizontal area as the horizontal surface of the first notch in the bottom portion of the portion of the top electrode.

11 . The semiconductor structure of claim 8 , wherein:

the bottom electrode material extends orthogonally to the top electrode material; and

the bottom electrode material and the top electrode material each contact at least a second three-dimensional metal-insulator-metal capacitor in a three-dimensional metal-insulator-metal capacitor crossbar array.

12 . A semiconductor structure comprising:

a first bottom electrode in a first interlayer dielectric material, wherein a first notch is in a top portion of the first bottom electrode at an intersection of the first bottom electrode and a top electrode;

a first layer of a dielectric material directly contacting the first bottom electrode and a top surface of the first interlayer dielectric material, wherein the first layer of dielectric material is between five sides of the first bottom electrode and a bottom portion of the top electrode is at the intersection of the first bottom electrode and the top electrode;

the top electrode directly on the first layer of dielectric material, wherein a second notch in the bottom portion of the portion of the top electrode at the intersection of the first bottom electrode and the top electrode;

a second layer of the dielectric material directly on the top electrode and a second layer of the interlayer dielectric material, wherein the second layer of dielectric material between five sides of a top portion of the top electrode and a bottom portion of a second bottom electrode at an intersection of the top electrode and the second bottom electrode; and

the second bottom electrode surrounds a portion of the second layer of the dielectric material on the top portion of the top electrode material, wherein a third notch in the bottom portion of the second bottom electrode is at the intersection of the top electrode and the second bottom electrode.

13 . The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric material is a high-k dielectric material.

14 . The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , wherein the top electrode is a bit line, and wherein the first bottom electrode and the second bottom electrode are word lines.

15 . The semiconductor structure of claim 14 , further comprising the semiconductor structure is a double-stacked resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) cross-point cell.

16 . The semiconductor structure of claim 14 , wherein the first layer of the dielectric material is between the five sides of the first bottom electrode and the bottom portion of the top electrode in a first ReRAM cross point cell, and wherein the second layer of the dielectric material is between the five sides of the top portion of the top electrode material and the bottom portion of the second bottom electrode in a second ReRAM cross point cell.

17 . The semiconductor structure of claim 16 , wherein the double-stacked ReRAM cross-point cell has the first layer of the dielectric material between the five sides of the portion of the first bottom electrode and the bottom portion of the top electrode and the second layer of the dielectric material is between the five sides of a top portion of the portion of the top electrode material and the bottom portion of second bottom electrode.

18 . The semiconductor structure of claim 16 , wherein the second ReRAM cross point cell is vertically aligned with the first ReRAM cross point cell.

19 . The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , further comprising the semiconductor structure is a double-stacked three-dimensional MIM capacitor.

20 . A method of forming a semiconductor structure, the method comprising:

depositing a bottom electrode material in a first trench of an interlayer dielectric material;

depositing a layer of an optical planarization material (OPL);

patterning the OPL;

recessing a portion of the bottom electrode material;

etching a second trench orthogonal to the first trench, wherein the second trench extends over the recessed portion of the bottom electrode, wherein the second trench recesses a portion of the interlayer dielectric directly abutting the recessed portion of the bottom electrode;

removing the OPL;

depositing a layer of a dielectric material over the semiconductor structure;

depositing a top electrode material over the dielectric material, wherein a portion of the top electrode material covers sidewalls of the recessed portion of the bottom electrode material; and

performing a chemical mechanical polish using the dielectric material as an etch stop.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2023
From: SUNG, MIN GYU; CHENG, KANGGUO; FROUGIER, JULIEN; XIE, RUILONG; PARK, CHANRO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063028/0743 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240324476A1 · Sep 26, 2024
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