IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,054,295
Granted Patent B2
US 9,054,295 · App. 13/215,706 · Granted Jun 9, 2015

Phase change memory cells including nitrogenated carbon materials, methods of forming the same, and phase change memory devices including nitrogenated carbon materials

Inventors: Andrea Gotti (Pozzo D'adda, IT); Luca Fumagalli (Milan, IT)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L45/06H01L45/1253H01L45/143H01L45/144H01L27/2463
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,054,295
App. No.
13/215,706
Granted
Jun 9, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A phase change memory cell comprising a first chalcogenide compound on a first electrode, a first nitrogenated carbon material directly on the first chalcogenide compound, a second chalcogenide compound directly on the first nitrogenated carbon material, and a second nitrogenated carbon material directly on the second chalcogenide compound and directly on a second electrode. Other phase change memory cells are described. A method of forming a phase change memory cell and a phase change memory device are also described.

Claims (38)

1. A phase change memory cell, comprising:

a first chalcogenide compound on a first electrode;

a first nitrogenated carbon electrode directly on the first chalcogenide compound;

a second chalcogenide compound directly on the first nitrogenated carbon electrode; and

a second nitrogenated carbon electrode exhibiting a different thickness than the first nitrogenated carbon electrode that is located directly on each of the second chalcogenide compound and a second electrode, the second nitrogenated carbon electrode and the first nitrogenated carbon electrode each independently comprising carbon at greater than or equal to about 80 atomic percent and nitrogen at less than or equal to about 20 atomic percent.

2. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , further comprising a third nitrogenated carbon electrode directly on the first electrode and directly on the first chalcogenide compound.

3. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first chalcogenide compound comprises a phase change material, and wherein the second chalcogenide compound comprises a threshold switching material.

4. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first chalcogenide compound comprises a threshold switching material, and wherein the second chalcogenide compound comprises a phase change material.

5. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein each of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode independently comprises carbon at greater than or equal to about 90 percent and nitrogen at less than or equal to about 10 atomic percent.

6. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the first nitrogenated carbon electrode is different than an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

7. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the first nitrogenated carbon electrode is the same as an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

8. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode is within a range of from about 100 Å to about 2000 Å.

9. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode comprises a uniform nitrogen concentration profile.

10. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode comprises a non-uniform nitrogen concentration profile.

11. The phase change memory cell of claim 10 , wherein the non-uniform nitrogen concentration profile varies continuously across a thickness of the at least one of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

12. The phase change memory cell of claim 10 , wherein the non-uniform nitrogen concentration profile varies stepwise across a thickness of the at least one of the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

13. A method of forming a phase change memory cell, comprising:

forming a first chalcogenide compound on a first electrode;

forming a first nitrogenated carbon electrode directly on the first chalcogenide compound;

forming a second chalcogenide compound directly on the first nitrogenated carbon electrode;

forming a second nitrogenated carbon electrode exhibiting a different thickness than the first nitrogenated carbon electrode directly on the second chalcogenide compound; and forming a second electrode directly on the second nitrogenated carbon electrode, wherein the second nitrogenated carbon electrode and the first nitrogenated carbon electrode each independently comprises carbon at greater than or equal to about 80 atomic percent and nitrogen at less than or equal to about 20 atomic percent.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a third nitrogenated carbon electrode comprising carbon and nitrogen between the first electrode and the first chalcogenide compound.

15. A phase change memory device, comprising:

a plurality of word lines;

a plurality of digit lines perpendicular to the plurality of word lines; and

a plurality of phase change memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns, each phase change memory cell of the plurality of phase change memory cells coupled to a respective word line of the plurality of word lines and coupled to a respective digit line of the plurality of digit lines and comprising:

a first chalcogenide compound;

a first nitrogenated carbon electrode directly on the first chalcogenide compound;

a second chalcogenide compound directly on the first nitrogenated carbon electrode; and

a second nitrogenated carbon electrode exhibiting a different thickness than the first nitrogenated carbon electrode that is located directly on the second chalcogenide compound, the second nitrogenated carbon electrode and the first nitrogenated carbon electrode each independently comprising carbon at greater than or equal to about 80 atomic percent and nitrogen at less than or equal to about 20 atomic percent.

16. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode consist of carbon and nitrogen.

17. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogenated carbon electrode and the second nitrogenated carbon electrode are crystalline.

18. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogenated carbon electrode exhibits a different amount of nitrogen than the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

19. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogenated carbon electrode exhibits a different nitrogen concentration profile than the second nitrogenated carbon electrode.

20. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first chalcogenide compound comprises at least one of Sb 2 Te 3 , GeTe, In 2 Se 3 , SnTe, Bi 2 Te 3 , SbTe, Sb 2 Te 3 , SnSe, GeSe, GaSeTe, Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 , SnSb 2 Te 4 , Au 25 Ge 4 Sn 11 Te 60 , AgInSbTe, Ag 2 Se, InTe, and InSbTe.

21. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the first chalcogenide compound comprises In, Sb, and Te.

22. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the second chalcogenide compound comprises at least one of As 2 Te 3 , As 2 Se 3 , As 30 Te 45 Ge 25 , As 28 Se 42 Ge 30 , As 30 S 12 Se 33 Ge 25 , and As 37 Te 39 Ge 9 Si 14 In.

23. The phase change memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the second chalcogenide compound comprises As, Te, Ge, Si, and In.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2011
From: GOTTI, ANDREA; FUMAGALLI, LUCA
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 026792/0555 →
Continuity (1)
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