An integrated phase change memory cell with dual trench epitaxial diode is successfully integrated in the traditional 0.13μm CMOS technology.By using dual trench isolated structure in the memory cell,it is feasible to employ a Si-diode as a selector for integration in a crossbar structure for high-density phase change memory even at 45 nm technology node and beyond.A cross-point memory selector with a large on/off current ratio is demonstrated,the diode provides nine orders of magnitude isolation between forward and reverse biases in the SET state.A low SET programming current of 0.7mA is achieved and RESET/SET resistance difference of 10000×is obtained.
Ge2Sb2Te5 gap filling is one of the key processes for phase-change random access memory manufacture. Physical vapor deposition is the mainstream method of Ge2Sb2Te5 film deposition due to its advantages of film quality, purity, and accurate composition control. However,the conventional physical vapor deposition process cannot meet the gap- filling requirement with the critical device dimension scaling down to 90 nm or below. In this study, we find that the deposit-etch-deposit process shows better gap-filling capability and scalability than the single-step deposition process, especially at the nano-scale critical dimension. The gap-filling mechanism of the deposit-etch-deposit process was briefly discussed. We also find that re-deposition of phase-change material from via the sidewall to via the bottom by argon ion bombardment during the etch step was a key ingredient for the final good gap filling. We achieve void-free gap filling of phase-change material on the 45-nm via the two-cycle deposit-etch-deposit process. We gain a rather comprehensive insight into the mechanism of deposit-etch-deposit process and propose a potential gap-filling solution for over 45-nm technology nodes for phase-change random access memory.
The results of adhesion improvement and SET-RESET operation voltage reduction for the GeN buffer layer are presented.It is found that the adhesive strength between the Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)(GST)layer and the layer below could be increased at least 20 times,which is beneficial for solving the phase change material peeling issue in the fabrication process of phase change memory(PCM).Meanwhile,the RESET voltage of the PCM cell with a 3-nm-thick GeN buffer layer can be reduced from 3.5 V to 2.2 V.The GeN buffer layer will play an important role in high density and low power consumption PCM applications.
Sb rich Ge_(2)Sb_(5)Te_(5) materials are investigated for use as the storage medium for high-speed phase change memory(PCM).Compared with conventional Ge2Sb2Te5,Ge_(2)Sb_(5)Te_(5) films have a higher crystallisation temperature(~200℃),larger crystallisation activation energy(3.13 eV),and a better data retention ability(100.2℃ for ten years).A reversible switching between set and reset states can be realised by an electric pulse as short as 5 ns for Ge_(2)Sb_(5)Te_(5)-based PCM cells,over 10 times faster than the Ge_(2)Sb_(5)Te_(5)-based one.In addition,Ge2Sb2Te5 shows a good endurance up to 3×10^(6) cycles with a resistance ratio of about three orders of magnitude.This work clearly reveals the highly promising potential of Ge_(2)Sb_(5)Te_(5) films for applications in high-speed PCM.
Phase-change line memory cells with different line widths are fabricated using focused-ion-beam deposited C-Pt as a hard mask. The electrical performance of these memory devices was characterized. The current^oltage （I-V） and resistance-voltage （RV） characteristics demonstrate that the power consumption decreases with the width of the phase-change line. A three-dimensional simulation is carried out to further study the scaling properties of the phase- change line memory. The results show that the resistive amorphous （RESET） power consumption is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the phase-change line, but increases as the line length decreases.
In this paper, chemical mechanical planarization （CMP） of amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 （a-GST） in acidic H2O2 slurry is investigated. It was found that the removal rate of a-GST is strongly dependent on H2O2 concentration and gradually increases with the increase in H2O2 concentration, but the static etch rate first increases and then slowly decreases with the increase in H2O2 concentration. To understand the chemical reaction behavior of H2O2 on the a-GST surface, the potentiodynamic polarization curve, surface morphology and cross-section of a-GST immersed in acidic slurry are measured and the results reveal that a-GST exhibits a from active to passive behavior for from low to high concentration of H2O2. Finally, a possible removal mechanism of a-GST in different concentrations of H2O2 in the acidic slurry is described.
In the fabrication of phase change random access memory （PRAM） devices, high temperature thermal processes are inevitable. We investigate the thermal stability of GezSb2Te5 （GST） which is a prototypical phase change material. After high temperature process, voids of phase change material exist at the interface between Ge2Sb2Te5 and substrate in the initial open memory cell. This lower region of GezSb2Te5 is found to be a Te-rich phase change layer. Phase change memory devices are fabricated in different process conditions and examined by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray. It is found that hot-chuck process, nitrogen-doping process, and lower temperature inter-metal dielectric （IMD） deposition process can ease the thermal impact of line-GST PRAM cell.
