Selective deposition of silver for non-volatile memory device fabrication

Abstract

A method of forming a non-volatile memory device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region, thereafter forming a first dielectric layer overlying, thereafter forming a first wiring material, thereafter forming amorphous silicon layer, and patterning and etching these layers to form first structures extending in a first direction and having a switching element. Thereafter, a method may include depositing a second dielectric layer overlying the first structures and having a dielectric surface region, forming an opening region in the second dielectric material to exposing part of the switching element, and depositing a silver material in the opening region, but not on the dielectric surface region.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present invention is a non-provisional application of U.S. App. No. 61 / 387,963, filed Sep. 29, 2010. The provisional application is incorporated herein by reference, for all purposes.BACKGROUND[0002]The present invention is generally related to resistive switching devices. More particularly, embodiments according to the present invention provide a method and a structure for forming a resistive switching device. The present invention can be applied to non-volatile memory devices but it should be recognized that the present invention can have a much broader range of applicability.[0003]The success of semiconductor devices has been mainly driven by an intensive transistor down-scaling process. However, as field effect transistors (FET) approach sizes less than 100 nm, problems such as the short channel effect degrade device performance. Moreover, such sub 100 nm device sizes can lead to sub-threshold slope non-scaling and increase in pow...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Many benefits can be achieved by ways of the present invention. For example, the present invention provides a method for depositing silver material to form a resistive switching device. The silver material is selectively deposited in an opening region such that silver contamination from a metal etch process is prevented. Indeed, etch of the silver is avoided by the selective nature of the deposition. Additionally, as the silver material is formed in an opening region allowing for ease of device scaling. Depending on the embodiments one or more of these benefits may be achieved.

Problems solved by technology

However, as field effect transistors (FET) approach sizes less than 100 nm, problems such as the short channel effect degrade device performance.

Moreover, such sub 100 nm device sizes can lead to sub-threshold slope non-scaling and increase in power dissipation.

These devices often require new materials and device structures to couple with silicon-based devices to form a memory cell, which lack one or more key attributes.

For example, Fe-RAM and MRAM devices have fast switching characteristics and good programming endurance, but their fabrication is not CMOS compatible and size is usually large.

Switching a PCRAM device requires large amounts of power.

Organic RAM or ORAM is incompatible with large volume silicon-based fabrication and device reliability is usually poor.

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