Carbon diode array for resistivity changing memories

US007768016B2

(12;

United States Patent

Kreupl

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,768,016 B2 Aug. 3, 2010

(54) CARBON DIODE ARRAY FOR RESISTIVITY CHANGING MEMORIES

(75) Inventor: Franz Kreupl, Munich (DE)

(73) Assignee: Qimonda AG (DE)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 178 days.

(21) Appl.No.: 12/029,397

(22) Filed: Feb. 11, 2008

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2009/0201715 Al Aug. 13, 2009

(51) Int. CI.

H01L 29/72 (2006.01)

(52) U.S. CI 257/76; 257/485; 257/613;

257/E21.004; 365/148

(58) Field of Classification Search 365/148;

257/76, 485, 613, E21.004 See application file for complete search history.

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

365/105

(Continued)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Aichmayr, G., et al., "Carbon / high-k Trench Capacitor for the 40nm
DRAM Generation," 2007 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology,
Jun. 12-14, 2007, pp. 186-187, IEEE.

(Continued)
Primary Examiner—Edward Wojciechowicz

(57) ABSTRACT

An integrated circuit and method for manufacturing an integrated circuit are described. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit includes a memory cell including a resistivity changing memory element and a carbon diode electrically coupled to the resistivity changing memory element.

23 Claims, 28 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Aichmayr, G., et al., "Carbon/High-k Trench Capacitor for the 40nm DRAM Generation," Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Lechnical Papers, 2007, pp. 186-187.

Lu, W., et al., "Ohmic Contact Behavior of Carbon Films on SIC," Journal of Lhe Electrochemical Society, Jan. 23, 2003, pp. G177G182.

Davanloo, F., et al., "Amorphic Diamond/Silicon Semiconductor Heterojunctions Exhibiting Photoconductive Characteristics," Applied Physics Letters, American Institute of Physics, Sep. 18, 2000, vol. 77, No. 12., pp. 1837-1839.

Oberlin, A., "Pyrocarbons," Elsevier Science Ltd., Carbon 40, May 15, 2001, pp. 7-24.

Raghavan, G., et al., "Polycrystalline Carbon: A Novel Material for Gate Electrodes in MOS Technology," Japan Journal of Applied Physics, Jan. 1993, pp. 380-383, vol. 32, Part 1, No. IB. Bhattacharyya, S., et al., "Resonant tunnelling and fast switching in amorphous-carbon quantum-well structures," Nature Materials, Jan. 2006, pp. 19-22, vol. 5, www.nature.com/naturematerials, Nature Publishing Group.

Sawides, N., "Four-fold to three-fold transition in diamond-like amorphous carbon films: A study of optical and electrical properties," Journal of Applied Physics, Jul. 1, 1985, pp. 518-521, vol. 58 (1), American Institute of Physics.

Liu, L., et al., "Controllable Reversibility of an sp2 to sp3 Transition of a Single Wall Nanotube under the Manipulation of an AFM Tip: A Nanoscale Electromechanical Switch?," Physical Review Letters, vol. 84, No. 21, May 22, 2000, pp. 4950-4953. Gerstner, E.G., "Bistability in a-C for memory and antifuse applications," Jun. 2001, pp. 318-323.

McKenzie, D. R., et al., "Applications of tetrahedral amorphous
carbon in limited volatility memory and in field programmable gate
arrays," Diamond and Related Materials, vol. 10, 2001, pp. 230-233.
Takai, K. et al., "Structure and Electronic Properties of a
Nongraphitic Disordered Carbon System and its Heat-Treatment
Effects," Physical Review B 67, Jun. 19, 2003, pp. 1-11.
Seo, S. et al., "Reproducible Resistance Switching in Polycrystalline
NiO Films," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 85, No. 23, Dec. 6, 2004,
pp. 5655-5657.

Hiatt, W.R. et al., "Bistable Switching in Niobium Oxide Diodes,"
Applied Physics Letters, vol. 6, No. 6, Mar. 15, 1965, pp. 106-108.
Gibbons, J.F. et al., "Switching Properties of Thin NiO Films," Solid-
State Electronics, vol. 7, Mar. 30, 1964, pp. 785-797.
Argall, F., "Switching Phenomena in Titanium Oxide Thin Films,"
Solid-State Electronics, vol. 11, Jul. 27, 1967, pp. 535-541.
Seo, S. et al., "Conductivity Switching Characteristics and Reset
Currents in NiO Films," Applied Physics Letters 86, Feb. 25, 2005,
pp. 1-3.

Baek, I.G. et al., "Highly Scalable Non-Volatile Resistive Memory Using Simple Binary Oxide Driven by Asymmetric Uni-polar Voltage Pulses," IEDM 2004, 26 pages.

Gerstner, E.G. et al., "Nonvolatile Memory Effects in Nitrogen Doped Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon Thin Films," Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 84, No. 10, Nov. 15, 1998, pp. 5647-5651.

* cited by examiner