Phase change memory with conductive bridge filament
View Patent ↗Methods and structures for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes a reduced programming current phase change memory (PCM) are provided. The method includes forming a bottom electrode. The method further includes forming a PCM and forming a conductive bridge filament in a dielectric to serve as a heater for the PCM. The method also includes forming a top electrode.
1. A semiconductor device including a reduced programming current phase change memory (PCM), comprising:
a bottom electrode;
a deposited conductive bridge filament centrally positioned on the bottom electrode; and
a pillar PCM device stack positioned on the conductive bridge filament, with the pillar PCM device stack including a PCM layer and a top electrode.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive bridge filament is formed during operation of the semiconductor device.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
spacers around the PCM device stack; and
contacts connecting the top electrode.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a reset current of the PCM is less than a current of low resistance state of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the PCM includes a critical dimension larger than a size of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.
6. A semiconductor device including a reduced programming current phase change memory (PCM), comprising:
a bottom contact;
a reduced size bottom electrode;
a conductive bridge filament in a silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) dielectric positioned on the reduced size bottom electrode;
a PCM, wherein the reduced size bottom electrode is connected to the PCM by the conductive bridge filament, with a top planar surface of the reduced size bottom electrode having an area equal to a bottom planar surface of the SiO 2 dielectric and a smaller area than a bottom planar surface of the PCM; and
a top electrode.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the conductive bridge filament is formed during operation of the semiconductor device.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the PCM is one of a mushroom cell and a pillar cell.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the PCM includes a critical dimension larger than a size of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.
10. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein a reset current of the PCM is less than a current of low resistance state of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , further comprising:
spacers around the PCM; and
contacts connecting the top electrode.
12. A semiconductor device including a reduced programming current phase change memory (PCM), comprising:
a bottom electrode;
a deposited conductive bridge filament centrally positioned on the bottom electrode; and
a PCM device stack, including a PCM layer and a top electrode, positioned on the conductive bridge filament, with spacers around the PCM device stack.
13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the conductive bridge filament is formed during operation of the semiconductor device.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the PCM is one of a mushroom cell and a pillar cell.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , further comprising:
contacts connecting the top electrode.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein a reset current of the PCM is less than a current of low resistance state of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the PCM includes a critical dimension larger than a size of a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) dielectric.