Memory element with a reactive metal layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9806130-B2
Application number	US-201615393545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2004
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A re-writeable non-volatile memory device including a re-writeable non-volatile two-terminal memory element (ME) having tantalum. The ME including a first terminal, a second terminal, a first layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO), and a second layer in direct contact with the first layer. The second layer and the first layer being operative to store at least one-bit of data as a plurality of resistive states, and the first and second layer are electrically in series with each other and with the first and second terminals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A re-writeable non-volatile memory device, comprising:
a re-writeable non-volatile two-terminal memory element (ME) comprising a first transition metal, the ME comprising:
a first terminal,
a second terminal,
a first layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO), and
a second layer of reactive metal in direct contact with the first layer, the second layer and the first layer operative to store at least one-bit of data as a plurality of resistive states, wherein the first and second layer are electrically in series with each other and with the first and second terminals.

2. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first transition metal comprises tantalum.

3. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first transition metal comprises titanium.

4. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein first layer comprises the first transition metal.

5. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises the first transition metal.

6. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises a second transition metal being different than the first transition metal.

7. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the ME is crystalline.

8. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the ME comprises a combination of materials including the first transition metal.

9. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 8 , wherein the combination of materials includes materials different than the first transition metal.

10. A method of fabricating a re-writeable non-volatile memory device comprising a first transition metal, the method comprising:
forming a first terminal;
forming a second terminal;
forming a first layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO); and
forming a second layer of reactive metal in direct contact with the first layer, the second layer and the first layer operative to store at least one-bit of data as a plurality of resistive states, wherein the first and second layer are electrically in series with each other and with the first and second terminals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first transition metal comprises tantalum.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first transition metal comprises titanium.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein first layer comprises the first transition metal.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second layer comprises the first transition metal.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second layer comprises a second transition metal being different than the first transition metal.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ME is crystalline.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ME comprises a combination of materials including the first transition metal.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the combination of materials includes materials different than the first transition metal.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the forming of the first and second layers are performed through deposition.

20. The method of claim 19 , where the deposition is performed using processing at temperature above 400° C.

21. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal of the second layer creates a differential between a first resistive state and a second resistive state of the plurality of resistive states in the CMO to exhibit switching properties.

22. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer of the reactive metal is deposited on the CMO and is less than 200 Å thick.

23. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal reacts with the CMO to form a layer of reacted metal in the ME such that the ME is a multi-resistive state ME.

24. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 23 , wherein the reactive metal creates a non-ohmic device within the multi-resistive state ME.

25. The re-writeable non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal is between 10 Å thick and 100 Å thick.

26. The method of claim 10 , wherein the forming the second layer comprises depositing the second layer of the reactive metal on the CMO, wherein the second layer of the reactive metal is less than 200 Å thick.

27. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second layer of the reactive metal is between 10 Å thick and 100 Å thick.

Assignees

• Unity Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Chevallier Christophe J
• Hsia Steve Kuo-Ren
• Kinney Wayne
• Longcor Steven
• Rinerson Darrell
• Sanchez John
• Swab Philip F S
• Ward Edmond R

Classifications

• G11C2213/79

  Array wherein the access device being a transistor · CPC title

• G11C2013/009

  Write using potential difference applied between cell electrodes · CPC title

• G11C11/16

  using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect · CPC title

• G11C2213/32

  Material having simple binary metal oxide structure · CPC title

• G11C2213/31

  Material having complex metal oxide, e.g. perovskite structure · CPC title