A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory stack on a first dielectric layer, and a sidewall spacer on the memory stack. The memory device further includes a conductive cap on the sidewall spacer and the memory stack and an upper metal line on the conductive cap and the sidewall spacer, wherein the upper metal line wraps around the conductive cap, sidewall spacer, and memory stack.

A memory cell includes a substrate with a semiconductor region and an insulating region. A first insulating layer extends over the substrate. A phase change material layer rests on the first insulating layer. The memory cell further includes an interconnection network with a conductive track. A first end of a first conductive via extending through the first insulating layer is in contact with the phase change material layer and a second end of the first conductive via is in contact with the semiconductor region. A first end of a second conductive via extending through the first insulating layer is in contact with both the phase change material layer and the conductive track, and a second end of the second conductive via is in contact only with the insulating region.

An interfacial layer is provided that binds a hydrophilic interlayer dielectric to a hydrophobic gap-filling dielectric. The hydrophobic gap-filling dielectric extends over and fill gaps between devices in an array of devices disposed between two metal interconnect layers over a semiconductor substrate and is the product of a flowable CVD process. The interfacial layer provides a hydrophilic upper surface to which the interlayer dielectric adheres. Optionally, the interfacial layer is also the product of a flowable CVD process. Alternatively, the interfacial layer may be silicon nitride or another dielectric that is hydrophilic. The interfacial layer may have a wafer contact angle (WCA) intermediate between a WCA of the hydrophobic dielectric and a WCA of the interlayer dielectric.

A variable resistance memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged on a substrate. Each of the memory cells includes a selection element pattern and a variable resistance pattern stacked on the substrate. The selection element pattern includes a first selection element pattern having a chalcogenide material and a second selection element pattern having a metal oxide and coupled to the first selection element pattern.

Switching oxide engineering technologies relating to low current RRAM-based crossbar array circuits are disclosed. An apparatus, in some implementations, includes: a substrate; a bottom electrode formed on the substrate; a switching oxide stack formed on the bottom electrode. The switching oxide stack includes one or more base oxide layers and one or more discontinuous oxide layers alternately stacked; An apparatus further includes a top electrode formed on the switching oxide stack. The base oxide layer includes TaO.sub.x, HfO.sub.x, TiO.sub.x, ZrO.sub.x, or a combination thereof. The discontinuous oxide layer includes Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3, Sm.sub.2O.sub.3, CeO.sub.2, Er.sub.2O.sub.3, or the combination thereof.

A method includes providing a substrate having a conductive column, a dielectric layer over the conductive column, and a plurality of sacrificial blocks over the dielectric layer, the plurality of sacrificial blocks surrounding the conductive column from a top view; depositing a sacrificial layer covering the plurality of sacrificial blocks, the sacrificial layer having a dip directly above the conductive column; depositing a hard mask layer over the sacrificial layer; removing a portion of the hard mask layer from a bottom of the dip; etching the bottom of the dip using the hard mask layer as an etching mask, thereby exposing a top surface of the conductive column; and forming a conductive material inside the dip, the conductive material being in physical contact with the top surface of the conductive column.

Disclosed is a synaptic device, a reservoir computing device using the synaptic device, and a reservoir computing method using the reservoir computing device. The synaptic device includes a substrate and a plurality of units cells on the substrate, wherein the unit cells each include a channel layer and a first electrode and second electrode intersecting the channel layer, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are spaced apart from each other, and define a gap region exposing a portion of the channel layer, and the channel layer includes a 2-dimensional semiconductor material or a 2-dimensional ferroelectric material.

A memory device includes the following items. A substrate. A bottom electrode disposed over the substrate. An insulating layer disposed over the bottom electrode, the insulating layer having a through hole defined in the insulating layer. A heater disposed in the through hole. A phase change material layer disposed over the heater. A selector layer disposed over the phase change material layer. An intermediate layer disposed over the through hole. Also, a metal layer disposed over the selector layer. The metal layer is wider than the phase change material layer.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a crossbar array includes a cross-point synaptic device at each cross-point. The cross-point synaptic device includes a transistor that includes a first ion reservoir formed on a source and on a drain of the transistor. The transistor further includes an ion conductivity electrolyte layer formed on the first ion reservoir. The transistor further includes a second ion reservoir formed on the ion conductivity electrolyte layer. The transistor further includes a gate formed on the second ion reservoir.

Thermal field controlled electrical conductivity change devices and applications therefore are provided. In some embodiments, a thermal switch, comprises: a metal-insulator-transition (MIT) material; first and second terminals electrically coupled to the MIT material; and a heater disposed near the MIT material.