IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,691,981
Granted Patent B2
US 9,691,981 · App. 13/899,919 · Granted Jun 27, 2017

Memory cell structures

Inventors: Scott E. Sills (Boise, ID); D.V. Nirmal Ramaswamy (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L45/1683H01L27/2409H01L27/2418H01L27/2472H01L27/2481
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,691,981
App. No.
13/899,919
Granted
Jun 27, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure includes memory cell structures and method of forming the same. One such method includes forming a memory cell includes forming, in a first direction, a select device stack including a select device formed between a first electrode and a second electrode; forming, in a second direction, a plurality of sacrificial material lines over the select device stack to form a via; forming a programmable material stack within the via; and removing the plurality of sacrificial material lines and etching through a portion of the select device stack to isolate the select device.

Claims (25)

1. A method of forming a memory cell, comprising:

forming a plurality of stack structures in a length direction parallel to one another, and separated from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the length direction, wherein each one of the plurality of stack structures comprises:

plural select device stacks, wherein each of the plural select device stacks comprises a first electrode material separated from a second electrode material by a select device material, wherein the first electrode material, the second electrode material, and the separating select device material are stacked in a second direction perpendicular to the length direction and to the first direction;

a dielectric material comprising plural segments, each segment separating and contacting the first electrode material, the second electrode material, and the separating select device material forming adjacent select device stacks forming each of the plurality of select device structures;

forming a programmable material in plural U-shaped segments, each U-shaped segment extending in the length direction and formed on, and contacting, the plural segments of dielectric material and the second electrode material, of the plural select device stacks, wherein each of the plural U-shaped segments of the programmable material includes a trench extending in the length direction, the trench including a bottom and sidewalls; and

forming a third electrode material formed in plural segments, each third electrode segment extending in the length direction, and each third electrode segment filling the trench of each of the plural U-shaped segments of the programmable material by contacting the bottom and side walls of the trench.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the programmable material and forming the third electrode material comprises forming a plurality of damascene programmable material cell stack structures.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory cell comprises a damascene memory cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of stack structures comprises forming at least one of a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) stack, a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack, and a conductor-semiconductor-conductor (CSC) stack.

5. An array of memory cells, comprising:

a plurality of stack structures formed in a length direction, parallel to one another, and separated from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the length direction, wherein each one of the plurality of stack structures comprises:

plural select device stacks, wherein each of the plural select device stacks comprises a first electrode material separated from a second electrode material by a select device material, wherein the first electrode material, the second electrode material, and the separating select device material are stacked in a second direction perpendicular to the length direction and to the first direction;

a dielectric material comprising plural segments, each segment separating and contacting the first electrode material, the second electrode material, and the separating select device material forming adjacent select device stacks forming each of the plurality of select device structures;

a programmable material formed in plural U-shaped segments, each U-shaped segment extending in the length direction and formed on, and contacting, the plural segments of dielectric material and the second electrode material, of the plural select device stacks, wherein each of the plural U-shaped segments of the programmable material includes a trench extending in the length direction, the trench including a bottom and sidewalls; and

a third electrode material formed in plural segments, each third electrode segment extending in the length direction, and each third electrode segment filling the trench of each of the plural U-shaped segments of the programmable material by contacting the bottom and side walls of the trench.

6. The array of claim 5 , wherein each of the plural select device stacks is a non-ohmic plural select device stack.

7. The array of claim 5 , wherein the array is an array of resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells.

8. The array of claim 5 , wherein the first electrode material and the second electrode material are bottom electrode materials.

9. The of claim 5 , wherein the third electrode material comprises copper material.

10. The array of claim 5 , further comprising a non-conformal encapsulating material encapsulating each of the U-shaped segments of the programmable material and each third electrode segment.

11. The array of claim 10 , wherein the non-conformal protective material is configured to protect each of the U-shaped segments of the programmable material during an etching process.

12. The array of claim 5 , wherein each of the U-shaped segments of the programmable material and each of the third electrode segments comprise a damascene structure.

13. The array of claim 5 , wherein the array of memory cells is configured in a cross-point memory cell array.

14. The array of claim 5 , wherein the array of memory cells is configured in a three-dimensional cell array.

15. The array of claim 5 , wherein the length direction is an access line direction.

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 May 22, 2013
From: SILLS, SCOTT E.; RAMASWAMY, D.V. NIRMAL
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 030466/0697 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140346428A1 · Nov 27, 2014