The disclosed technology generally relates to integrated circuit (IC) devices and more particularly to IC devices based on metal ion migration, and to manufacturing of the IC devices. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing an integrated electronic circuit, which includes at least one component based on metal ion migration and reduction, allows improved control of an amount of the metal which is incorporated into the component. This amount is produced from a metal supply layer and transferred into a container selectively with respect to the rest of the component. The container is configured as part of an electrolyte portion or active electrode in the final component. The method is compatible with two-dimensional and three-dimensional configurations of the component.

A semiconductor structure including a vertical resistive memory cell and a fabrication method therefor. The method includes forming a sacrificial layer over a transistor drain contact; forming a first dielectric layer over the sacrificial layer; forming a cell contact hole through the first dielectric layer; forming an access contact hole through the first dielectric layer and exposing the sacrificial layer; removing the sacrificial layer thereby forming a cavity connecting a bottom opening of the cell contact hole and a bottom opening of the access contact hole; forming by atomic layer deposition in the cell contact hole a second dielectric layer including a seam; forming a bottom electrode within the cavity and in contact with the drain contact, the second dielectric layer, and the seam; and forming a top electrode over the first dielectric layer and in contact with the second dielectric layer and the seam.

A memory cell design is disclosed. The design is particularly well-suited for three-dimensional cross-point (3D X-point) memory configurations. Various embodiments of the memory cell design include a stack of layers having a phase change layer or phase change region that includes nitrogen. The presence of the nitrogen increases crystallization rates of the phase change material during transition from an amorphous state to crystalline state, thus increasing the overall speed of the memory device. In some embodiments, the phase change layer includes a small amount of nitrogen homogenously dispersed within the layer. In some other embodiments, the phase change layer includes one or more regions having nitrogen introduced during the deposition process. In some other embodiments, separate material layers that include nitrogen are provided on one or more sides of the phase change layer.

Provided is a microswitch including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a porous coordination polymer conductor, in which the porous coordination polymer conductor is represented by the following Formula (1), and a metal forming the first electrode and a metal forming the second electrode have different oxidation-reduction potentials,

[ML.sub.x].sub.n(D).sub.y  (1),

where M represents a metal ion selected from group 2 to group 13 elements in a periodic table, L represents a ligand that has two or more functional groups capable of coordination to M in a structure of L and is crosslinkable with two M's, D represents a conductivity aid that includes no metal element, x represents 0.5 to 4 and y represents 0.0001 to 20 with respect to x as 1, n represents the number of repeating units of a constituent unit represented by [ML.sub.x], and n represents 5 or more.

A semiconductor structure includes a plurality of stack structures overlying a substrate. Each stack structure includes a first chalcogenide material over a conductive material overlying the substrate, an electrode over the first chalcogenide material, a second chalcogenide material over the electrode, a liner on sidewalls of at least one of the first chalcogenide material or the second chalcogenide material, and a dielectric material over and in contact with sidewalls of the electrode and in contact with the liner. Related semiconductor devices and systems, methods of forming the semiconductor structure, semiconductor device, and systems, and methods of forming the liner in situ are disclosed.

A bottom electrode is deposited on top of a substrate. A dielectric material layer is deposited on top of the bottom electrode. A hole is created in the dielectric material layer. A lift off layer is spun on and baked on the dielectric material layer. A photoresist layer is spun on and baked on the lift off layer. UV lithography is performed to create an opening above the hole in the dielectric material layer. An Ag layer is deposited on top of the remaining patterned dielectric material layer and the photoresist layer. A Germanium Antimony Telluride (GST) layer is deposited on top of the Ag layer. A top electrode is deposited on top of the GST layer. The Ag layer, the GST layer, and the top electrode located on top of the photoresist layer along with the photoresist layer and the lift off layer are removed.

A bottom electrode is deposited on top of a substrate. A dielectric material layer is deposited on top of the bottom electrode. A hole is created in the dielectric material layer. A lift off layer is spun on and baked on the dielectric material layer. A photoresist layer is spun on and baked on the lift off layer. UV lithography is performed to create an opening above the hole in the dielectric material layer. An Ag layer is deposited on top of the remaining patterned dielectric material layer and the photoresist layer. A Germanium Antimony Telluride (GST) layer is deposited on top of the Ag layer. A top electrode is deposited on top of the GST layer. The Ag layer, the GST layer, and the top electrode located on top of the photoresist layer along with the photoresist layer and the lift off layer are removed.

A method of forming a resistive random access memory (RRAM) element, the method includes forming a Silicon layer on an oxide layer, depositing a thin film dopant layer on the Silicon layer, and controlling a concentration of the dopant in the thin film dopant layer.

Disclosed are a switching atomic transistor with a diffusion barrier layer and a method of operating the same. By introducing a diffusion barrier layer in an intermediate layer having a resistance change characteristic, it is possible to minimize variation in the entire number of ions in the intermediate layer involved in operation of the switching atomic transistor or to eliminate the variation to maintain stable operation of the switching atomic transistor. In addition, it is possible to stably implement a multi-level cell of a switching atomic transistor capable of storing more information without increasing the number of memory cells. Also, disclosed are a vertical atomic transistor with a diffusion barrier layer and a method of operating the same. By producing an ion channel layer in a vertical structure, it is possible to significantly increase transistor integration.

A semiconductor device with a large storage capacity per unit area is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first insulator including a first opening, a first conductor that is over the first insulator and includes a second opening, a second insulator that is over the first insulator and includes a third opening, and an oxide penetrating the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening. The oxide includes a first region at least in the first opening, a second region at least in the second opening, and a third region at least in the third opening. The resistances of the first region and the third region are lower than the resistance of the second region.