IP Library Granted Patent US 12,382,846
Granted Patent B2
US 12,382,846 · App. 17/964,483 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Ferroelectric components and cross point array devices including the ferroelectric components

Inventors: Jae Gil Lee (Seoul, KR); Hyangkeun Yoo (Seongnam-si, KR); Jae Hyun Han (Icheon-si, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
H10N70/24H10B53/00H10B63/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,382,846
App. No.
17/964,483
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A ferroelectric component includes a first electrode, a tunnel barrier layer disposed on the first electrode to include a ferroelectric material, a tunneling control layer disposed on the tunnel barrier layer to control a tunneling width of electric charges passing through the tunnel barrier layer, and a second electrode disposed on the tunneling control layer.

Claims (45)

1. A ferroelectric component comprising:

a first electrode;

a tunnel barrier layer disposed on the first electrode to include a ferroelectric material, the tunnel barrier layer having remnant polarizations with different polarization directions of the ferroelectric material;

a tunneling control layer disposed on the tunnel barrier layer; and

a second electrode disposed on the tunneling control layer,

wherein the tunnel barrier layer further comprises conductive filaments extending from an interface between the tunneling control layer and the tunnel barrier layer into the tunnel barrier layer, and

wherein the conductive filaments do not contact the first electrode.

2. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 , further comprising a self-rectifying layer disposed between the first electrode and the tunnel barrier layer,

wherein the self-rectifying layer includes an insulation material.

3. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 , wherein the ferroelectric component is configured to nonvolatilely store one of two different logic data according to a direction of remnant polarization of the ferroelectric material included in the tunnel barrier layer.

4. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 ,

wherein the first electrode is in contact with the tunnel barrier layer; and

wherein the first electrode is configured to have an electron accumulation region or an electron depletion region which is formed according to a direction of remnant polarization of the ferroelectric material included in the tunnel barrier layer.

5. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 , wherein when a first predetermined voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode such that a relatively positive bias is applied to the second electrode, the tunneling control layer is configured to supply metal ions into the tunnel barrier layer and the metal ions in the tunnel barrier layer are combined with electrons emitted from the first electrode to form the conductive filaments in the tunnel barrier layer.

6. The ferroelectric component of claim 5 , wherein when a second predetermined voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode such that a relatively negative bias is applied to the second electrode, the conductive filaments in the tunnel barrier layer are removed.

7. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 ,

wherein the ferroelectric material includes at least one of HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 , PbZr x Ti 1-x O3 (0<x<1), Ba(Sr,Ti)O 3 , BaTiO 3 , Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (0<x<1), SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 , BiFeO 3 , Pb 5 Ge 5 O 11 , SrBi 2 Nb 2 O 9 , and YMnO 3 or at least one of a doped hafnium oxide material, a doped zirconium oxide material, and a doped hafnium zirconium oxide material; and

wherein when the ferroelectric material includes at least one of the doped hafnium oxide material, the doped zirconium oxide material, and the doped hafnium zirconium oxide material, at least one of carbon, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, yttrium, nitrogen, germanium, tin, strontium, lead, calcium, barium, titanium, gadolinium, and lanthanum is used as a dopant.

8. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 , wherein the tunneling control layer includes at least one of a silver (Ag) material and a copper (Cu) material.

9. The ferroelectric component of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second electrodes includes at least one of a tungsten (W) layer, a titanium (Ti) layer, a copper (Cu) layer, an aluminum (Al) layer, a ruthenium (Ru) layer, a platinum (Pt) layer, an iridium (Ir) layer, a tungsten nitride (WN) layer, a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, and a tantalum nitride (TaN) layer.

10. A cross point array device comprising:

a first conductive line;

a second conductive line overlapping the first conductive line; and

a pillar structure disposed at a cross point of the first and second electrodes, the pillar structure including a self-rectifying layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a tunneling control layer,

wherein the self-rectifying layer includes an insulation material,

wherein the tunnel barrier layer includes a ferroelectric material,

wherein the tunnel barrier layer has remnant polarizations with different polarization directions of the ferroelectric material,

wherein the tunneling control layer includes a conductive material,

wherein the tunnel barrier layer further comprises conductive filaments extending from an interface between the tunneling control layer and the tunnel barrier layer into the tunnel barrier layer, and

wherein the conductive filaments do not contact the first electrode.

11. The cross point array device of claim 10 ,

wherein the first conductive line is in contact with the self-rectifying layer; and

wherein the first conductive line is configured to have an electron accumulation region or an electron depletion region which is formed according to a direction of remnant polarization of the ferroelectric material included in the tunnel barrier layer.

12. The cross point array device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first tunnel junction electrode disposed between the first conductive line and the self-rectifying layer; and

a second tunnel junction electrode disposed between the second conductive line and the tunneling control layer.

13. The cross point array device of claim 12 ,

wherein the first tunnel junction electrode and the self-rectifying layer are in contact with each other; and

wherein the first tunnel junction electrode is configured to have an electron accumulation region or an electron depletion region which is formed according to a direction of remnant polarization of the ferroelectric material included in the tunnel barrier layer.

14. The cross point array device of claim 12 , wherein when a first predetermined voltage is applied between the first tunnel junction electrode and the second tunnel junction electrode such that a relatively positive bias is applied to the second tunnel junction electrode, the tunneling control layer is configured to supply metal ions into the tunnel barrier layer and the metal ions in the tunnel barrier layer are combined with electrons emitted from the first tunnel junction electrode to form conductive filaments in the tunnel barrier layer.

15. The cross point array device of claim 14 , wherein when a second predetermined voltage is applied between the first tunnel junction electrode and the second tunnel junction electrode such that a relatively negative bias is applied to the second tunnel junction electrode, the conductive filaments in the tunnel barrier layer are removed.

16. The cross point array device of claim 10 , wherein the ferroelectric material includes at least one of HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 , PbZr x Ti 1-x O 3 (0<x<1), Ba(Sr,Ti)O 3 , BaTiO 3 , Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (0<x<1), SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 , BiFeO 3 , Pb 5 Ge 5 O 11 , SrBi 2 Nb 2 O 9 , and YMnO 3 or at least one of a doped hafnium oxide material, a doped zirconium oxide material, and a doped hafnium zirconium oxide material; and

wherein when the ferroelectric material includes at least one of the doped hafnium oxide material, the doped zirconium oxide material, and the doped hafnium zirconium oxide material, at least one of carbon, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, yttrium, nitrogen, germanium, tin, strontium, lead, calcium, barium, titanium, gadolinium, and lanthanum is used as a dopant.

17. The cross point array device of claim 10 , wherein the tunneling control layer includes at least one of a silver (Ag) material and a copper (Cu) material.

18. The cross point array device of claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second tunnel junction electrodes includes at least one of a tungsten (W) layer, a titanium (Ti) layer, a copper (Cu) layer, an aluminum (Al) layer, a ruthenium (Ru) layer, a platinum (Pt) layer, an iridium (Ir) layer, a tungsten nitride (WN) layer, a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, and a tantalum nitride (TaN) layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2022
From: LEE, JAE GIL; YOO, HYANGKEUN; HAN, JAE HYUN
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 061396/0200 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0051075 · Apr 27, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17028813 · Sep 22, 2020
Related Publication 20230030038A1 · Feb 2, 2023
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