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.

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.

Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to fabrication of a correlated electron material (CEM) such as in a CEM device capable of switching between and/or among impedance states. In particular embodiments, a CEM may be formed from one or more transition metal oxides (TMOs), one or more post transition metal oxides (PTMOs) or one or more post transition metal chalcogenides (PTMCs), or a combination thereof.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method to modify material properties of a functional material of a nanoscale device post-fabrication. The method includes performing one or more conditioning steps. The conditioning steps include applying electrical conditioning signals of predefined form to the nanoscale device, thereby performing an in-situ heating of the functional material and inducing thermally a displacement of atoms, molecules or ions of the functional material of the nanoscale device. Embodiments of the invention further concerns a related electronic device.

A memristor device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a memristor layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The memristor layer is formed of a metal oxide. The memristor layer includes a plurality of regions that extend between the first electrode and the second electrode. The plurality of regions of the memristor layer are created with different concentrations of oxygen before electrical operation, and, during electrical operation, a voltage-conductance characteristic of the memristor device is controlled based on the different concentrations of oxygen of the plurality of regions. The controlling of the voltage-conductance characteristic includes increasing or decreasing the conductance of the memristor device toward a target conductance at a specific voltage.

A re-writeable non-volatile memory device including a re-writeable non-volatile two-terminal memory element (ME) having tantalum. The ME including a first terminal, a second terminal, a first layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO), and a second layer in direct contact with the first layer. The second layer and the first layer being operative to store at least one-bit of data as a plurality of resistive states, and the first and second layer are electrically in series with each other and with the first and second terminals.

An RRAM structure and its manufacturing method are provided. The RRAM structure includes a bottom electrode layer, a resistance switching layer, and an implantation control layer sequentially formed on a substrate. The resistance switching layer includes a conductive filament confined region and an outer region surrounding the conductive filament confined region. The RRAM structure includes a protective layer and a top electrode layer. The protective layer conformally covers the bottom electrode layer, the resistance switching layer, and the implantation control layer and has a first opening. The top electrode layer is located on the implantation control layer, and a portion of the top electrode layer is filled into the first opening. The position of the top electrode layer corresponds to that of the conductive filament confined region, and the top surface of the top electrode layer is higher than that of the protective layer.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a vertical resistive device. A non-limiting example of the vertical resistive device includes a conductive horizontal electrode, an opening extending through the horizontal electrode, a filament region positioned within the opening and communicatively coupled to a sidewall of the horizontal electrode, and a conductive vertical electrode positioned within the opening and communicatively coupled to the filament region. The vertical electrode includes a first conductive alloy material. Oxygen vacancy formation in the filament region is controlled by the first conductive alloy material of the vertical electrode. A room temperature resistivity of the first conductive alloy material is below about 510.sup.8 ohm meters and controlled by at least one of the metals that form the first conductive alloy material.

A physical unclonable functions (PUF) device including a first copper electrode, a second electrode, and a silicon oxide layer positioned directly between the first copper electrode and the second electrode; a method of producing a PUF device; an array comprising a PUF device; and a method of generating a secure key with a plurality of PUF devices.

Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to fabrication of correlated electron materials used, for example, to perform a switching function. In embodiments, a correlated electron material may be doped using dopant species derived from one or more precursors utilized to fabricate nearby structures such as, for example, a conductive substrate or a conductive overlay.