The performance of a ReRAM structure may be stabilized by utilizing a dry chemical gas removal (or cleaning) process to remove sidewall residue and/or etch by-products after etching the ReRAM stack layers. The dry chemical gas removal process decreases undesirable changes in the ReRAM forming voltage that may result from such sidewall residue and/or etch by-products. Specifically, the dry chemical gas removal process may reduce the ReRAM forming voltage that may otherwise result in a ReRAM structure that has the sidewall residue and/or etch by-products. In one embodiment, the dry chemical gas removal process may comprise utilizing a combination of HF and NH.sub.3 gases. The dry chemical gas removal process utilizing HF and NH.sub.3 gases may be particularly suited for removing halogen containing sidewall residue and/or etch by-products.

A semiconductor device includes a diffusion barrier structure, a bottom electrode, a top electrode, a switching layer and a capping layer. The bottom electrode is over the diffusion barrier structure. The top electrode is over the bottom electrode. The switching layer is between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and configured to store data. The capping layer is between the switching layer and the top electrode. The diffusion barrier structure includes a multiple-layer structure. A thermal conductivity of the diffusion barrier structure is greater than approximately 20 W/mK.

A phase-change memory device includes a bottom electrode; a stack of alternating electrical conductor layers directly contacting a top surface of the bottom electrode; a metal pillar directly contacting a top surface of the stack; a phase change material element directly contacting a top surface of the metal pillar; and a top electrode on the phase change material element, wherein a lateral dimension of the metal pillar is smaller than that of the stack.

A hybrid switch and memory cell includes a transistor device that has an atomically-thin semiconductor material channel, source/drain electrodes, and gate dielectric. The cell includes a resistive-random-access-memory having a thin conductive edge and a 2D insulator layer over the thin conductive edge, wherein the 2D insulator layer extends over the semiconductor channel and serves as the gate dielectric in the transistor device.

A method for producing a resistive memory cell from a stack of layers having a metal-oxide layer interleaved between first and second electrodes includes forming, within one from among the first and second electrodes, an interlayer material-based electrode interlayer having a selectivity to etching greater than or equal to 2:1 relative to materials of the electrodes. During an etching of the stack, overetching is performed configured to laterally consume, in a horizontal direction, the interlayer material such that the electrode interlayer has a lateral recess greater than or equal to 10 nm.

A vertical nonvolatile memory device including memory cell strings using a resistance change material is provided. Each of the memory cell strings of the nonvolatile memory device includes a semiconductor layer extending in a first direction; a plurality of gates and a plurality of insulators alternately arranged in the first direction; a gate insulating layer extending in the first direction between the plurality of gates and the semiconductor layer and between the plurality of insulators and the semiconductor layer; and a resistance change layer extending in the first direction on a surface of the semiconductor layer. The resistance change layer includes a metal-semiconductor oxide including a mixture of a semiconductor material of the semiconductor layer and a transition metal oxide.

The disclosed subject matter relates generally to structures, memory devices and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to resistive random-access (ReRAM) memory devices having a spacer element on a side of the electrode. The present disclosure provides a memory device including a first electrode having a side, the side has upper and lower portions, a spacer element on the lower portion of the side of the first electrode, a resistive layer on the upper portion of the side of the first electrode, and a second electrode laterally adjacent to the side of the first electrode. The second electrode has a top surface, in which the top surface has a concave profile.

An electronic device comprises a semiconductor memory that includes: a first line; a second line disposed over the first line to be spaced apart from the first line; a variable resistance layer disposed between the first line and the second line; a first electrode layer disposed between the first line and the variable resistance layer; and a first oxide layer disposed between the variable resistance layer and the first electrode layer. The first electrode layer includes a first carbon material doped with a first element, and the first oxide layer includes a first oxide of the first element.

A semiconductor device may include: a first conductive line including an opening passing through the first conductive line; a second conductive line disposed over the first conductive line and spaced apart from the first conductive line; a first electrode layer buried in the opening; a selector layer disposed in the opening and surrounding side surfaces of the first electrode layer; and a variable resistance layer disposed over the selector layer and the first electrode layer.

A two-terminal atom-based switching device having a fast operating speed and high durability and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. It is possible to reduce a forming voltage during positive voltage forming by forming an oxygen vacancy percolation path through negative voltage forming, which is first forming, and forming high binding energy and low formation energy between oxygen vacancies and metal ions implanted through positive voltage forming which is second forming after the negative voltage forming. Further, since a significant amount of metal ions implanted into the insulating layer through negative voltage application switching after the positive voltage forming is removed, the volatility of the two-terminal atom-based switching device may be improved, and a stuck-on failure phenomenon in the durability may be prevented.