IP Library Granted Patent US 12,289,892
Granted Patent B2
US 12,289,892 · App. 17/169,554 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Memory device structure and manufacturing method thereof

Inventors: Bo-Feng Young (Taipei, TW); Sai-Hooi Yeong (Hsinchu County, TW); Yu-Ming Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Chao-I Wu (Hsinchu County, TW); Mauricio Manfrini (Hsinchu County, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
H10B51/30G11C11/161H10B61/22H10D30/0415H10D30/701H10N50/01H10N50/10H10N50/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,289,892
App. No.
17/169,554
Granted
Apr 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory device and a manufacturing method are provided. The memory device includes a substrate, a transistor, and a memory cell. The substrate has a semiconductor device and a dielectric structure disposed on the semiconductor device. The transistor is disposed over the dielectric structure and is electrically coupled with the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a gate, a channel layer, source drain regions, and a stack of a gate dielectric layer and a first ferroelectric layer. The gate and the source and drain regions are disposed over the dielectric structure. The channel layer is located between the source and drain regions. The stack of the gate dielectric layer and the first ferroelectric layer is disposed between the gate and the channel layer. The memory cell is disposed over the transistor and is electrically connected to one of the source and drain regions. The memory cell includes a ferromagnetic layer or a second ferroelectric layer.

Claims (52)

1. A memory device, comprising:

a substrate, having a semiconductor device and a dielectric structure disposed on the semiconductor device;

a transistor, disposed over the dielectric structure and electrically coupled with the semiconductor device, comprising:

a gate disposed over the dielectric structure;

source and drain regions disposed over the dielectric structure;

a channel layer located between the source and drain regions; and

a stack of a gate dielectric layer and a first ferroelectric layer disposed between the gate and the channel layer, wherein the stack of the gate dielectric layer and the first ferroelectric layer conformally covers a top surface and sidewalls of the gate, wherein the first ferroelectric layer is in direct contact with the top surface and the sidewalls of the gate; and

a memory cell, disposed over the transistor and electrically connected to one of the source and drain regions of the transistor, wherein the memory cell includes a ferromagnetic layer or a second ferroelectric layer.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein a material of the first ferroelectric layer comprises HfO 2 or HfO 2 doped with silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), lanthanum (La), aluminum (Al), yttrium (Y), strontium (Sr), or zirconium (Zr) or a combination thereof.

3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein a material of the second ferroelectric layer comprises HfO 2 or HfO 2 doped with Si, Ge, La, Al, Y, Sr, or Zr or a combination thereof, and a material of the ferromagnetic layer includes CoFeB, CoFeTa, NiFe, Co, CoFe, CoPt, CoPd, FePt, or an alloy of Ni, Co and Fe.

4. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the source and drain regions are in direct contact with a top surface of the channel layer.

5. The memory device of claim 4 , wherein the first ferroelectric layer extends below the source and drain regions.

6. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction stack of two or more ferromagnetic layers and at least one insulating layer.

7. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first ferroelectric layer has a thickness thinner than or equivalent to a thickness of the gate dielectric layer of the transistor.

8. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory cell includes from bottom to top:

a pinning layer;

a first ferromagnetic layer over the pinning layer;

an insulating layer over the first ferromagnetic layer;

a second ferromagnetic layer over the insulating layer; and

a top electrode layer over the second ferromagnetic layer.

9. A method of forming a memory device, comprising:

providing a substrate having a semiconductor device;

forming a dielectric structure over the semiconductor device;

structure and over the forming a transistor on the dielectric semiconductor device, wherein the forming a transistor includes:

forming a gate over the dielectric structure;

forming a stack of a gate dielectric layer and a first ferroelectric layer to conformally cover a top surface and sidewalls of the gate, wherein the first ferroelectric layer is in direct contact with the top surface and the sidewalls of the gate;

forming a channel layer on the stack of a gate dielectric layer and a first ferroelectric layer; and

forming source and drain regions on opposite sides of the channel layer; and

forming a memory cell over the transistor to be electrically connected to one of the source and drain regions of the transistor, wherein the memory cell includes a ferromagnetic layer or a second ferroelectric layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first ferroelectric layer is in contact with the gate and laterally wraps around the gate of the transistor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first ferroelectric layer extends below the source and drain regions.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a sidewall of the channel layer is substantially aligned with a sidewall of the stack of the gate dielectric layer and the first ferroelectric layer.

13. A memory device, comprising:

a substrate, having a semiconductor device and a dielectric structure disposed on the semiconductor device;

a transistor, disposed over the dielectric structure and electrically coupled with the semiconductor device, comprising:

a gate disposed over the dielectric structure;

source and drain regions disposed over the dielectric structur;

a channel layer located between the source and drain regions, wherein a material of the source and drain regions being in direct contact with the channel layer is a metal material, and the channel layer and the source and drain regions have different materials; and

a stack of a gate dielectric layer and a first ferroelectric layer disposed between the gate and the channel layer, wherein the channel layer has a top surface away from the substrate in direct contact with a bottom surface of the gate dielectric layer, wherein the stack of the gate dielectric layer and the first ferroelectric layer overlays the top surface of the channel layer, and extends to cover a portion of a top surface of the source and drain regions; and

a memory cell, disposed over the transistor and electrically connected to one of the source and drain regions of the transistor, wherein the memory cell includes a ferromagnetic layer or a second ferroelectric layer.

14. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein a material of the first ferroelectric layer comprises HfO 2 or HfO 2 doped with silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), lanthanum (La), aluminum (Al), yttrium (Y), strontium (Sr), or zirconium (Zr) or a combination thereof.

15. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein a material of the ferromagnetic layer includes CoFeB, CoFeTa, NiFe, Co, CoFe, CoPt, CoPd, FePt, or an alloy of Ni, Co and Fe.

16. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the source and drain regions is disposed on and in direct contact with opposite sides of the channel layer.

17. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the channel layer is a metal oxide semiconductor layer.

18. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction stack of two or more ferromagnetic layers and at least one insulating layer.

19. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the first ferroelectric layer has a thickness thinner than or equivalent to a thickness of the gate dielectric layer of the transistor.

20. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the channel layer and the source and drain regions have the same thickness, and the memory cell includes from bottom to top:

a pinning layer;

a first ferromagnetic layer over the pinning layer;

an insulating layer over the first ferromagnetic layer;

a second ferromagnetic layer over the insulating layer; and

a top electrode layer over the second ferromagnetic layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2021
From: YOUNG, BO-FENG; YEONG, SAI-HOOI; LIN, YU-MING; WU, CHAO-I; MANFRINI, MAURICIO
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 055301/0986 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63045194 · Jun 29, 2020
Related Publication 20210408013A1 · Dec 30, 2021
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US 12,727,171