Circuits and methods that enable stacking of phase change material (PCM) switches and that accommodate variations in the resistance of the resistive heater(s) of such switches. Stacking is enabled by providing isolation switches for the resistive heater(s) in a PCM switch to reduce parasitic capacitance caused by the proximity of the resistive heater(s) to the PCM region of a PCM switch. Variations in the resistance of the resistive heater(s) of a PCM switch are mitigated or eliminated by sensing the actual resistance of the resistive heater(s) and then determining a suitable adjusted electrical pulse profile for the resistive heater(s) that generates a precise thermal pulse to the PCM region, thereby reliably achieving a desired switch state while extending the life of the resistive heater(s) and the phase-change material.

A method for forming a phase-change memory cell includes depositing a metal layer over a wafer such that the metal layer covers connection structures of the wafer. The method further includes removing a portion of the metal layer such that the connection structures of the wafer remain covered by a remaining portion of the metal layer. The method further includes forming a phase-change memory stack on a stack area of the remaining portion of the metal layer. The method further includes removing the remaining portion of the metal layer except in the stack area.

A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate having a first interlayer dielectric layer thereon; a lower metal interconnect layer in the first interlayer dielectric layer; a conductive via disposed on the lower metal interconnect layer; a bottom electrode disposed on the conductive via; a dielectric data storage layer having variable resistance disposed on the bottom electrode; a top electrode disposed on the dielectric data storage layer; and a protective layer covering sidewalls of the top electrode, the dielectric data storage layer, and the bottom electrode. The protective layer includes an annular, upwardly protruding portion around a perimeter of the top electrode.

Provided are a chalcogenide material, and a device and a memory device each including the same. The chalcogenide material may include: germanium (Ge) as a first component; arsenic (As) as a second component; at least one element selected from selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) as a third component; and at least one element selected from the elements of Groups 2, 16, and 17 of the periodic table as a fourth component, wherein a content of the first component may be from 5 at % to 30 at %, a content of the second component may be from 20 at % to 40 at %, a content of the third component may be from 25 at % to 75 at %, and a content of the fourth component may be from 0.5 at % to 5 at %.

Technologies for reducing series resistance are disclosed. An example method may comprise: forming a first layer on a temporary substrate; forming a second layer on the first layer; etching the first layer and the second layer to form a trench; electroplating a top electrode via the trench, wherein the top electrode partially formed on a top surface of the second layer; removing the first layer and the second layer; forming a curable layer on the temporary substrate and the top electrode; removing the temporary substrate from the curable layer and the top electrode; forming a cross-point device on the curable layer and the top electrode; forming a bottom electrode on the cross-point device; and forming a flexible substrate on the bottom electrode.

Technologies relating to increasing the surface area of selectors in crossbar array circuits are provided. An example apparatus includes: a substrate; a first line electrode formed on the substrate; an RRAM stack formed on the first line electrode, wherein the RRAM stack; an isolation layer formed beside the RRAM stack, wherein the isolation layer includes an upper surface and a sidewall, and a height from the upper surface to the first line electrode is 100 nanometers to 10 micrometers; a selector stack formed on the RRAM stack, the sidewall, and the upper surface; and a second line electrode formed on the selector stack.

A memory device includes a transistor and a memory cell. The memory cell includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and a dielectric structure. The top electrode is electrically connected to the transistor. The dielectric structure includes a thin portion and a thick portion. The thin portion is sandwiched between the bottom electrode and the top electrode. The thick portion is thicker than the thin portion and between the bottom electrode and the top electrode.

An OxRAM resistive memory cell includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and an active layer which extends between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The active layer includes a layer of a first electrically insulating oxide, wherein an electrically conductive filament can be formed, then subsequently broken and reformed several times successively. The upper electrode includes a reservoir layer, capable of receiving oxygen, which includes an upper part made of a metal and a lower part made of a second oxide, the second oxide being an oxide of the metal and including a proportion of oxygen such that the second oxide is electrically conductive.

A resistive RAM module comprises a source electrode and an intermediate electrode that is formed on the source electrode. The intermediate electrode has a closed-curve profile. The resistive RAM module also comprises a memristor element that is deposited on the intermediate electrode. The resistive RAM module also comprises a sink electrode that is in contact with the memristor element. The intermediate electrode is electrically between the source electrode and the memristor element and the memristor element is electrically between the intermediate electrode and the sink electrode.

A RRAM device includes a bottom electrode, a resistive material layer, a high work function layer, a top electrode, a hard mask and high work function sidewall parts. The bottom electrode, the resistive material layer, the high work function layer, the top electrode and the hard mask are sequentially stacked on a substrate. The high work function sidewall parts cover sidewalls of the top electrode and sidewalls of the hard mask, thereby constituting a RRAM cell. A method of forming said RRAM device is also provided.