Thyristor random access memory (TRAM) provides a memory structure that does not need an exclusive storage capacitor, separate from a select transistor, to store a memory state. However device configurations to date use a considerable amount of surface area. Improvements in device configuration are needed to further improve memory density. Further, it is desirable to form devices using manufacturing methods that are reliable and efficient.
In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and chemical, structural, logical, electrical changes, etc. may be made.
The terms wafer and substrate used in the following description include any structure having an exposed surface with which to form a device or integrated circuit (IC) structure. The term substrate is understood to include semiconductor wafers. The term substrate is also used to refer to semiconductor structures during processing, and may include other layers, such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI), etc. that have been fabricated thereupon. Both wafer and substrate include doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial semiconductor layers supported by a base semiconductor or insulator, as well as other semiconductor structures well known to one skilled in the art. The term conductor is understood to include semiconductors, and the term insulator or dielectric is defined to include any material that is less electrically conductive than the materials referred to as conductors.
The term “horizontal” as used in this application is defined as a plane parallel to the conventional plane or surface of a wafer or substrate, regardless of the orientation of the wafer or substrate. The term “vertical” refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as defined above. Prepositions, such as “on”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “over” and “under” are defined with respect to the conventional plane or surface being on the top surface of the wafer or substrate, regardless of the orientation of the wafer or substrate. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Also shown is a first type doped semiconductor top structure 116 located over the second type doped semiconductor structure 112. The configuration shown in
In the configuration shown, the first type doped semiconductor base 110, along with the upward facing ends 106 and 108 define a folded structure. A folded structure is more compact in areal footprint than horizontal structures. In one embodiment, the areal footprint includes a width 130 and a length 132 that is approximately four lithographic feature squares (4F2). Lithographic feature squares define how many devices or elements of devices can fit into a given area on a substrate when manufactured by optical lithography. The actual device dimensions may depend on several factors, including lithography and etch conditions. However, the relative figure of merit “F” is independent of wavelength, and is often used in the semiconductor industry to compare device architectures to one another for spatial efficiency.
The folded structure shown in
In one example the insulator region 102 is an insulator region in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. When using an SOI wafer, the first type doped semiconductor base 110 may be formed from a top semiconductor region in the wafer. In one example the top semiconductor region is provided as a p-doped region in the wafer form. In one example the top semiconductor region is doped during fabrication of the memory device 100.
In another example, the insulator region 102 is formed under individual memory devices 100 using a shallow trench isolation (STI) undercut operation. In one example of an STI undercut operation, trenches are etched adjacent to the memory device 100, and anisotropic etching is used to form an undercut region, that is subsequently filled, e.g. by deposition, with an insulator material, such as an oxide of silicon.
In operation, application of a gate voltage to the gate 120 above a threshold value causes the first type doped semiconductor base 110 to invert and causes the second type doped semiconductor structure 114 to overcome the barrier of the first type doped semiconductor base 110 and connect to the second type doped semiconductor structure 112. Because of gate inversion, an anode to cathode voltage need not be high enough to cause avalanche generation, and therefore a snap back voltage resembles a diode turn-on. In one embodiment, a gate coupled base, e.g. gate 120, as illustrated, is used to modulate “write” voltage conditions of the memory device 100.
Operation 320 recites forming a pair of n-type structures over the upward facing ends of the p-type base structure to form first and second p-n junctions along the conduction path. As discussed above, although p-type base structure and n-type structures attached to the base structure are described, alternative doping arrangements are possible.
Operation 330 recites forming a p-type structure on one of the n-type structures to form a third p-n junction along the conduction path, and operation 340 recites forming a gate substantially surrounding the p-type base structure.
Operation 350 recites electrically isolating the p-type base region from the rest of the semiconductor substrate. In one example, electrical isolation is provided by forming the memory device 100 on an SOI substrate. In this example, the insulator region of the SOI substrate provides the electrical isolation, and at least the base region is formed from the surface semiconductor region of the SOI substrate. This example may use a small number of process steps, because the insulator region is part of the wafer, and does not need to be created during the manufacturing process. However, SOI wafers can cost more than silicon wafers. In another example, a silicon wafer is used, and an STI undercut operation is used to electrically isolate the memory device from the semiconductor substrate. This process may use more steps in manufacture, but the wafer can be less expensive.
An embodiment of an information handling system such as a computer is included in
In this example, information handling system 400 comprises a data processing system that includes a system bus 402 to couple the various components of the system. System bus 402 provides communications links among the various components of the information handling system 400 and may be implemented as a single bus, as a combination of busses, or in any other suitable manner.
Chip assembly 404 is coupled to the system bus 402. Chip assembly 404 may include any circuit or operably compatible combination of circuits. In one embodiment, chip assembly 404 includes a processor 406 that can be of any type. As used herein, “processor” means any type of computational circuit such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or any other type of processor or processing circuit.
In one embodiment, a memory chip 407 is included in the chip assembly 404. In one embodiment, the memory chip 407 includes a thyristor memory device as described in embodiments above.
In one embodiment, additional logic chips 408 other than processor chips are included in the chip assembly 404. An example of a logic chip 408 other than a processor includes an analog to digital converter. Other circuits on logic chips 408 such as custom circuits, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. are also included in one embodiment of the invention.
Information handling system 400 may also include an external memory 411, which in turn can include one or more memory elements suitable to the particular application, such as one or more hard drives 412, and/or one or more drives that handle removable media 413 such as floppy diskettes, compact disks (CDs), flash drives, digital video disks (DVDs), and the like. A memory constructed as described in examples above is included in the information handling system 400.
Information handling system 400 may also include a display device 409 such as a monitor, additional peripheral components 410, such as speakers, etc. and a keyboard and/or controller 414, which can include a mouse, trackball, game controller, voice-recognition device, or any other device that permits a system user to input information into and receive information from the information handling system 400.
While a number of embodiments of the invention are described, the above lists are not intended to be exhaustive. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon studying the above description.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/838,803, filed Jul. 19, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 12838803 | Jul 2010 | US |
Child | 13621002 | US |