The invention provides a non-volatile storage element and non-volatile storage device employing a ferroelectric material with low power consumption, excellent high reliability, and especially write/erase endurance, which can be mixed with advanced CMOS logic. The non-volatile storage element has at least a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a ferroelectric layer composed of a metal oxide between both conductive layers, with a buffer layer having oxygen ion conductivity situated between the ferroelectric layer and the first conductive layer and/or second conductive layer. An interface layer composed of a single-layer film or a multilayer film may be also provided between the first conductive layer and the ferroelectric layer, the interface layer as a whole having higher dielectric constant than silicon oxide, and when the buffer layer is present between the first conductive layer and the ferroelectric layer, the interface layer is situated between the first conductive layer and the buffer layer. The non-volatile storage device comprises at least a memory cell array comprising low-power-consumption ferroelectric memory elements formed in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional configuration, and a control circuit. The ferroelectric layer is scalable to 10 nm or smaller and is fabricated at a low temperature of ≤400° C., and is subjected to low temperature thermal annealing treatment at ≤400° C. after the buffer layer has been formed, to provide high reliability.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a first word line over a substrate, the first word line including a first conductive material; a first bit line intersecting the first word line; a first memory film between the first bit line and the first word line; and a first conductive spacer between the first memory film and the first word line, the first conductive spacer including a second conductive material, the second conductive material having a different work function than the first conductive material, the first conductive material having a lower resistivity than the second conductive material.

The present invention relates to a neuromimetic network comprising a set of neurons and a set of synapses, at least one neuron comprising a first stack of superimposed layers, the first stack successively comprising: a first electrode, a first barrier layer made of an electrically insulating material, and a second electrode, the first electrode, the first barrier layer and the second electrode forming a first ferroelectric tunnel junction, at least one synapse comprising a second stack of superimposed layers, the second stack successively comprising: a third electrode, a second barrier layer made of an electrically insulating material, and a fourth electrode, the third electrode, the second barrier layer and the fourth electrode forming a second ferroelectric tunnel junction.

Dual-precision analog memory cells and arrays are provided. In some embodiments, a memory cell, comprises a non-volatile memory element having an input terminal and at least one output terminal; and a volatile memory element having a plurality of input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the output terminal of the volatile memory element is coupled to the input terminal of the non-volatile memory element, and wherein the volatile memory element comprises: a first transistor coupled between a first supply and a common node, and a second transistor coupled between a second supply and the common node; wherein the common node is coupled to the output terminal of the volatile memory element; and wherein gates of the first and second transistors are coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input terminals of the volatile memory element.

Various aspects relate to a method of manufacturing a memory cell, the method including: forming a memory cell, wherein the memory cell comprises a spontaneously-polarizable memory element, wherein the spontaneously-polarizable memory element is in an as formed condition; and carrying out a preconditioning operation of the spontaneously-polarizable memory element to bring the spontaneously-polarizable memory element from the as formed condition into an operable condition to allow for a writing of the memory cell after the preconditioning operation is carried out.

A method of forming a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) device includes: forming a first layer stack and a second layer stack successively over a substrate, where the first layer stack and the second layer stack have a same layered structure that includes a layer of a first electrically conductive material over a layer of a first dielectric material, where the first layer stack extends beyond lateral extents of the second layer stack; forming a trench that extends through the first layer stack and the second layer stack; lining sidewalls and a bottom of the trench with a ferroelectric material; conformally forming a channel material in the trench over the ferroelectric material; filling the trench with a second dielectric material; forming a first opening and a second opening in the second dielectric material; and filling the first opening and the second opening with a second electrically conductive material.

A memory cell includes a thin film transistor over a semiconductor substrate. The thin film transistor comprising: a ferroelectric (FE) material contacting a word line, the FE material being a hafnium-comprising compound, and the hafnium-comprising compound comprising a rare earth metal; and an oxide semiconductor (OS) layer contacting a source line and a bit line, wherein the FE material is disposed between the OS layer and the word line.

A memory cell includes a thin film transistor over a semiconductor substrate. The thin film transistor comprising: a ferroelectric (FE) material contacting a word line, the FE material being a hafnium-comprising compound, and the hafnium-comprising compound comprising a rare earth metal; and an oxide semiconductor (OS) layer contacting a source line and a bit line, wherein the FE material is disposed between the OS layer and the word line.

A memory device is provided that includes at least one resistive memory cell, a negative capacitance field effect transistor (NC-FET) serving as a voltage amplifier, and a switch enable circuit connecting NC-FET to the memory cell. The NC-FET includes a regular FET having a metal gate terminal and a ferroelectric capacitor. The NC-FET gate terminal forms one plate of the ferroelectric (FE) capacitor. The ferroelectric capacitor includes a ferroelectric dielectric material deposited between a formed upper gate conductive contact and he metal gate terminal. To provide further flexibility, a metal layer can be deposited before the deposition of the ferroelectric material to form a MIM-like FE capacitor so that the capacitance of FE capacitance can be independently tuned by choosing the right height (H), width (W), and length (L) to achieve desired matching between |C.sub.FE| and C.sub.ox where C.sub.ox is the gate oxide capacitance and C.sub.FE is the ferroelectric capacitance.

A test structure for 3D memory arrays and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a memory array includes a first word line over a semiconductor substrate and extending in a first direction; a second word line over the first word line and extending in the first direction; a memory film contacting the first word line and the second word line; an oxide semiconductor (OS) layer contacting a first source line and a first bit line, the memory film being between the OS layer and each of the first word line and the second word line; and a test structure over the first word line and the second word line, the test structure including a first conductive line electrically coupling the first word line to the second word line, the first conductive line extending in the first direction.