The present disclosure is directed toward carbon based diodes, carbon based resistive change memory elements, resistive change memory having resistive change memory elements and carbon based diodes, methods of making carbon based diodes, methods of making resistive change memory elements having carbon based diodes, and methods of making resistive change memory having resistive change memory elements having carbons based diodes. The carbon based diodes can be any suitable type of diode that can be formed using carbon allotropes, such as semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNT), semiconducting Buckminsterfullerenes (such as C60 Buckyballs), or semiconducting graphitic layers (layered graphene). The carbon based diodes can be pn junction diodes, Schottky diodes, other any other type of diode formed using a carbon allotrope. The carbon based diodes can be placed at any level of integration in a three dimensional (3D) electronic device such as integrated with components or wiring layers.

Methods and devices based on the use of dopant-modulated etching are described. During fabrication, a memory storage element of a memory cell may be non-uniformly doped with a dopant that affects a subsequent etching rate of the memory storage element. After etching, the memory storage element may have an asymmetric geometry or taper profile corresponding to the non-uniform doping concentration. A multi-deck memory device may also be formed using dopant-modulated etching. Memory storage elements on different memory decks may have different taper profiles and different doping gradients.

A semiconductor device includes a first level having a plurality of transistor devices, and a first wiring level positioned over the first level. The first wiring level includes a plurality of conductive lines extending parallel to the first level, and one or more programmable horizontal bridges extending parallel to the first level. Each of the one or more programmable horizontal bridges electrically connects two respective conductive lines of the plurality of conductive lines in the first wiring level. The one or more programmable horizontal bridges include a programmable material having a modifiable resistivity in that the one or more programmable horizontal bridges change between being conductive and being non-conductive.

Methods, systems, and devices for memory arrays having graded memory stack resistances are described. An apparatus may include a first subset of memory stacks having a first resistance based on a physical and/or electrical distance of the first subset of memory stacks from at least one of a first driver component or a second driver component. The apparatus may include a second subset of memory stacks having a second resistance that is less than the first resistance based on a physical and/or electrical distance of the second subset of memory from at least one of the first driver component or the second driver component.

The semiconductor memory device includes: a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposed to each other in a first direction; a resistance change film that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and contains at least one kind of element selected from germanium, antimony, and tellurium; and a first layer that is provided on a side surface of the resistance change film in a second direction intersecting the first direction and contains at least one kind of the element forming the resistance change film and at least one kind of element selected from nitrogen, carbon, boron, and oxygen.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a memory device. The memory device includes a dielectric protection layer having sidewalls defining an opening over a conductive interconnect within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer. A bottom electrode structure extends from within the opening to directly over the dielectric protection layer. A variable resistance layer is over the bottom electrode structure and a top electrode is over the variable resistance layer. A top electrode via is disposed on the top electrode and directly over the dielectric protection layer.

A resistive random access memory (RRAM) is provided. The RRAM includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, a first variable resistance layer and a second variable resistance layer. The lower electrode is disposed on a substrate, and is a single electrode or a pair of electrodes electrically connected to each other. The upper electrode is disposed on the lower electrode, and overlaps the lower electrode. The first variable resistance layer and the second variable resistance layer are disposed on the substrate. At least a portion of the first variable resistance layer is disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and at least a portion of the second variable resistance layer is disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and connected to the first variable resistance layer.

An RRAM device is disclosed, having reduced area without increased performance variation, formed by employing a bounded filament formation region in which an oxide layer is thinner and an implanted ion concentration is higher than in a peripheral region of the oxide layer surrounding the bounded filament formation region. Filament formation is controlled to occur in a bounded region having a reduced area by thinning the oxide layer in the bounded region to increase an electric field strength in the bounded region. Defects in the bounded region are subject to greater force from the electric field than defects in the peripheral region. By implanting additional mobile ions or other ion species in the bounded region by an accurately controlled process, a higher concentration of defects is introduced into the bounded region to promote filament formation. Memory elements based on the RRAM device are formed at higher density and lower cost.

Resistive RAM (RRAM) devices having increased reliability and related manufacturing methods are described. Greater reliability of RRAM cells over time can be achieved by avoiding direct contact of metal electrodes with the device switching layer.

A resistive random access memory (RRAM) is provided. The RRAM includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, a first variable resistance layer and a second variable resistance layer. The lower electrode is disposed on a substrate, and is a single electrode or a pair of electrodes electrically connected to each other. The upper electrode is disposed on the lower electrode, and overlaps the lower electrode. The first variable resistance layer and the second variable resistance layer are disposed on the substrate. At least a portion of the first variable resistance layer is disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and at least a portion of the second variable resistance layer is disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and connected to the first variable resistance layer.