One transistor and one resistive random access memory (RRAM) structure with spacer

1. A method of making a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell, the method comprising:

forming a transistor on a semiconductor substrate;

depositing a bottom electrode layer;

depositing a resistive material layer, the resistive material layer comprising a metal oxide with a non-stoichiometric oxygen to metal ratio;

depositing a capping layer, the capping layer contacting the resistive material layer;

depositing a top electrode layer;

forming a top electrode by patterning and etching the top electrode layer and the capping layer;

forming a spacer around at least the capping layer;

forming a bottom electrode by patterning and etching the bottom electrode layer, wherein the top electrode has a smaller width than the bottom electrode, and wherein the etching does not remove the spacer completely; and

forming an RRAM stop layer over and contacting the spacer, top electrode, and the resistive material layer, wherein the RRAM stop layer contacts and extends along a portion of a sidewall of the top electrode and a first surface of the top electrode that is farthest from the bottom electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming two or more metal interconnect layers between the transistor and the bottom electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

depositing a dielectric layer;

etching a top electrode via in the dielectric layer and the RRAM stop layer; and,

filling the top electrode via with a metal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the spacer comprises depositing a spacer layer material and etching the spacer layer material without using an etch mask.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming a capping layer comprises depositing a capping layer material, forming an etch mask, and etching the capping layer material using an etch mask.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is an etch mask for etching the bottom electrode layer during forming a bottom electrode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top electrode layer is tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, or platinum.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises a material that has a higher etch selectivity than a patterned hardmask during bottom electrode etching.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxide, carbon doped silicon nitride, silicon carbide or carbon doped silicon oxide.

10. A method, comprising:

forming a metallization layer having a metal feature in a dielectric layer;

depositing a first stop layer over the metal feature and the dielectric layer and patterning the first stop layer to include an opening exposing a portion of the metal feature;

filling the opening with a bottom electrode material and forming the bottom electrode material over the dielectric layer;

depositing a resistive material layer over the bottom electrode material, the resistive material layer being a metal oxide with a non-stoichiometric oxygen to metal ratio;

depositing a capping layer over the resistive material layer;

depositing a top electrode layer over the capping layer;

patterning the top electrode layer and the capping layer with a single pattern;

forming a spacer surrounding the patterned capping layer; and

patterning the resistive material layer and the bottom electrode material with a second single pattern, wherein after the patterning a first surface of the resistive material layer physically contacts a bottom surface of the spacer, and the first surface extends laterally beyond an edge of the spacer in a direction that is away from the patterned capping layer, the edge of the spacer being the edge of the spacer that is farthest from the patterned capping layer in a direction that extends along the first surface of the resistive material layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

depositing a second stop layer over the patterned top electrode layer and capping layer and over the patterned resistive material layer and bottom electrode material; and

depositing a second dielectric layer over the second stop layer and patterning the second dielectric layer to include an opening exposing the patterned top electrode layer.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of forming a spacer surrounding the patterned capping layer includes depositing a spacer layer over the patterned top electrode layer and the patterned capping layer and the resistive material layer and etching back the spacer layer to form the spacer.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the patterned top electrode layer has a first width and the patterned bottom electrode material has a second width, the second width being greater than the first width.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the spacer extends partially along a sidewall of the patterned top electrode layer.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the resistive material layer, the capping layer and the top electrode layer are deposited in a single chamber without breaking vacuum between chambers.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the resistive material layer, the capping layer and the top electrode layer are deposited in separate chambers without breaking vacuum between chambers.

17. A method comprising:

forming a bottom electrode layer in electrical contact with an underlying metal feature;

depositing a resistive material layer on the bottom electrode layer;

depositing a capping layer on the resistive material layer;

depositing a top electrode layer on the capping layer;

patterning the top electrode layer and the capping layer in a single patterning step to form a top electrode;

forming a spacer around the patterned capping layer, wherein the spacer extends partially along and physically contacts a sidewall of the top electrode, and the top electrode extends above the spacer; and

patterning the bottom electrode layer to form a bottom electrode, wherein the top electrode has a smaller width than the bottom electrode, wherein the patterning does not remove the spacer completely.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the resistive material layer is patterned in a single patterning step with the bottom electrode layer, and wherein a surface of the spacer that is closest to the bottom electrode is planar with a surface of the capping layer.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein forming the spacer includes blanket depositing a spacer layer and etching back the spacer layer.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a stop layer over the patterned top electrode and the patterned bottom electrode.