A resistive random access memory device includes a first electrode; a solid electrolyte made of metal oxide extending onto the first electrode; a second electrode able to supply mobile ions circulating in the solid electrolyte made of metal oxide to the first electrode to form a conductive filament between the first and second electrodes when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes; an interface layer including a transition metal from groups 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the periodic table and a chalcogen element; the interface layer extending onto the solid electrolyte made of metal oxide, the second electrode extending onto the interface layer.

A memory device includes a dielectric layer, a bottom electrode, an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer, a phase change element in the IMD layer, and a top electrode. The bottom electrode is in the dielectric layer. The IMD layer is over first dielectric layer. The phase change element is in the IMD layer. The top electrode is over the phase change element and is separated from the dielectric layer by at least an air gap free of materials of the IMD layer and the phase change element.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method and resulting structures for a steep-switch vertical field effect transistor (SS-VFET). In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor fin is formed vertically extending from a bottom source or drain region of a substrate. A top source or drain region is formed on a surface of the semiconductor fin and a top metallization layer is formed on the top source or drain region. A bi-stable resistive system is formed on the top metallization layer. The bi-stable resistive system includes an insulator-to-metal transition material or a threshold-switching selector. The SS-VFET provides a subthreshold switching slope of less than 60 millivolts per decade.

A method is presented for forming vertical crossbar resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells. The method includes forming a substantially U-shaped bottom electrode over a substrate, filling the U-shaped bottom electrode with a first conductive material, capping the U-shaped bottom electrode with a dielectric cap, depositing a high-k material, and forming a top electrode such that active areas of the RRAM cells are vertically aligned and the U-shaped bottom electrode is shared between neighboring RRAM cells.

A method is presented for forming vertical crossbar resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells. The method includes forming a substantially U-shaped bottom electrode over a substrate, filling the U-shaped bottom electrode with a first conductive material, capping the U-shaped bottom electrode with a dielectric cap, depositing a high-k material, and forming a top electrode such that active areas of the RRAM cells are vertically aligned and the U-shaped bottom electrode is shared between neighboring RRAM cells.

An oxidation barrier for non-volatile memory with materials sensitive to temperature and/or cross contamination (e.g., chalcogenide materials) are described The barrier can be formed, for example, around the boundaries of a non-volatile memory tile (also known as a block or sub-array). For example, a non-volatile memory device can include an oxidation barrier on a side wall of a trench between adjacent memory tiles.

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile memory device includes a first wiring extending in a first direction, a second wiring extending in a second direction, a third wiring extending in the second direction and spaced from the second wiring in the first direction. An insulating layer includes a first portion between the second wiring and the third wiring, and a second portion protruding from the first portion in a third direction. A chalcogenide layer is between the first wiring and the second wiring, the first wiring and the third wiring, and also the first wiring and the insulating layer. The chalcogenide layer includes a first layer portion, a second layer portion, and a third layer portion. A concentration of a first element in the third layer portion is higher than that in the first and second layer portions.

Provided are a two-terminal switching element having a bidirectional switching characteristic, a resistive memory cross-point array including the same, and methods for manufacturing the two-terminal switching element and the cross-point resistive memory array. The two-terminal switching element includes a first electrode and a second electrode. A pair of first conductive metal oxide semiconductor layers electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively, is provided. A second conductive metal oxide semiconductor layer is disposed between the first conductive metal oxide semiconductor layers. Therefore, the two-terminal switching element can show a symmetrical and bidirectional switching characteristic.

Present disclosure provides a phase change memory structure, including a transistor region, a phase change material over the transistor region, a heater over the transistor region and in contact with the phase change material, and a dielectric layer surrounding the heater and the phase change material. The heater includes a first material having a first thermal conductivity, the first material disposed at a periphery of the heater, and a second material having a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity, the second material disposed at a center of the heater. Present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing the phase change memory structure described herein.

A memory device includes a bottom electrode, a resistance switching element, a top electrode, a first spacer, and a metal-containing compound layer. The resistance switching element is over the bottom electrode. The top electrode is over the resistance switching element. The first spacer is disposed along a sidewall of the resistance switching element. The metal-containing compound layer is disposed along a sidewall of the first spacer, in which the first spacer is between the metal-containing compound layer and the resistance switching element.