A low forming voltage NVM device is provided by forming a pair of sacrificial conductive pads on an interconnect dielectric material layer that embeds a pair of second electrically conductive structures and a patterned material stack. One of the sacrificial conductive pads has a first area and contacts a surface of one of the second electrically conductive structures that contacts a surface of an underlying first electrically conductive structure, and the other of the sacrificial conductive pads has a second area, different from the first area, and contacts a surface of another of the second electrically conductive structures that contacts a surface of a top electrode of the patterned material stack. A plasma treatment is performed to induce an antenna effect and to convert a dielectric switching material of the patterned material stack into a conductive filament. After plasma treatment, the pair of sacrificial conductive pads is removed.

A semiconductor memory device includes a first wiring extending in a first direction, a second wiring above the first wiring and extending in a second direction, first and second memory cells electrically connected in parallel between the first and second wirings and each including a phase change material, a first insulating film on a side portion of the first cell facing the second cell in the second direction, a third wiring above the second wiring and extending in the second direction, a fourth wiring above the third wiring and extending in the first direction, third and fourth memory cells electrically connected between the third and fourth wirings in parallel and each including a phase change material, and a second insulating film on a side of the third cell facing the fourth cell in the second direction. The first film has a higher thermal insulation capacity than the second film.

The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) structure laterally surrounding a conductive interconnect. A dielectric protection layer is disposed over the ILD structure and a passivation layer is disposed over the dielectric protection layer. The passivation layer includes a protrusion extending outward from an upper surface of the passivation layer. A bottom electrode continuously extends from over the passivation layer to between sidewalls of the passivation layer. A data storage element is over the bottom electrode and a top electrode is over the data storage element.

Methods, systems, and devices for via formation in a memory device are described. A memory cell stack for a memory array may be formed. In some examples, the memory cell stack may comprise a storage element. A via may also be formed in an area outside of the memory array, and the via may protrude from a material that surrounds the via. A material may then be formed above the memory cell stack and also above the via, and the top surface of the barrier material may be planarized until at least a portion of the via is exposed. A subsequently formed material may thereby be in direct contact with the top of the via, while a portion of the initially formed material may remain above the memory cell stack.

A variable resistance semiconductor device includes a lower conductive wiring; a bottom electrode over the lower conductive wiring; a selection element pattern over the bottom electrode; a first intermediate electrode over the selection element pattern; a second intermediate electrode over the first intermediate electrode; a variable resistance element pattern over the second intermediate electrode; a top electrode over the variable resistance element pattern; and an upper conductive wiring over the top electrode. The first intermediate electrode includes a first material. The second intermediate electrode includes a second material which has a better oxidation resistance and a higher work function than the first material.

Provided is a negative differential resistance element having a 3-dimension vertical structure. The negative differential resistance element having a 3-dimension vertical structure includes: a substrate; a first electrode that is formed on the substrate to receive a current; a second semiconductor material that is formed in some region of the substrate; a first semiconductor material that is deposited in some other region and the first electrode of the substrate and some region of an upper end of the second semiconductor material; an insulator that has a part vertically erected from the substrate, the other part vertically erected from the second semiconductor material, and an upper portion stacked with a first semiconductor material; and a second electrode that is formed at an upper end of the second semiconductor material to output a current, thereby significantly reducing an area of the device and greatly improving device scaling and integration.

A memory device is provided. A memory device includes a memory cell array having variable resistance memory cells that are coupled to and disposed between first conductive lines extending in a first direction and second conductive lines crossing the first conductive lines, and a selection circuit configured to select the first conductive lines. The second conductive lines include straight conductive lines extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction, and first bending conductive lines spaced apart from the selection circuit by the straight conductive lines, the first bending conductive lines extending parallel with each other, and having an L shape.

Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit including one or more memory cells arranged over a semiconductor substrate between an upper metal interconnect layer and a lower metal interconnect layer. A memory cell includes a bottom electrode disposed over the lower metal interconnect layer, a data storage or dielectric layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode disposed over the data storage or dielectric layer. An upper surface of the top electrode is in direct contact with the upper metal interconnect layer without a via or contact coupling the upper surface of the top electrode to the upper metal interconnect layer. Sidewall spacers are arranged along sidewalls of the top electrode, and have bottom surfaces that rest on an upper surface of the data storage or dielectric layer.

A semiconductor device includes a base structure of a memory device including a first electrode, first dielectric material having a non-uniform etch rate disposed on the base structure, a via within the first dielectric material, and a ring heater within the via on the first electrode. The ring heater has a geometry based on a shape of the via that produces a resistance gradient.

A method is presented for facilitating oxygen vacancy generation in a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. The method includes forming a RRAM stack having a first electrode and at least one sacrificial layer, encapsulating the RRAM stack with a dielectric layer, constructing a via resulting in removal of the at least one sacrificial layer of the RRAM stack, the via extending to a high-k dielectric layer of the RRAM stack, and forming a second electrode in the via such that the second electrode extends laterally into cavities defined by the removal of the at least one sacrificial layer.