Ferroelectric (FE) materials are polar materials with a spontaneous electric polarization that can be switched by an applied electric field. Some ferroelectric memory (FEM) architectures propose a ferroelectric tunneling junction (FTJ) in which a FE barrier is disposed between two metal electrodes. In such an FEM device, polarization within the ferroelectric material may be controlled to modulate tunneling current across the FTJ in a non-volatile manner. More or less conduction electrons can quantum-mechanically tunnel through the ferroelectric barrier as a function of polarization of the ferroelectric barrier. FEM is an attractive option for advanced electronic memory applications as spin-dependent transport properties may be controlled via a pure electronic mechanism known as the tunnel electroresistance (TER) effect. Tunnel magnetoresistance and magnetoelectric-resistance effects may also be significant in the operation of some FEM devices. With electrically induced polarization reversal, a FEM device may be laterally scaled to less than 25 nm and still display a change in resistance of 3-4 orders of magnitude, or more. As such, TER-based devices may offer the promise of greater scalability than do devices relying exclusively on the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect.
Successful use of FTJs in a FEM however is dependent on the FTJ having sufficient thermodynamic stability to hold a state. There are indications that nanostructural imperfections within the FE material layer, and at interfaces of that material layer, detract significantly from spontaneous polarization, resulting in lower junction stability. Hence, to form a FEM that fully leverages the TER effect, very precise high-temperature epitaxial film growths may be needed. It remains unclear how such high-quality ferroelectric material is to be provided in conjunction with operable transistors in a manufacturable memory bit-cell, and/or how such a memory could be embedded within a System-on-Chip (SoC) that further includes extensive logic (CMOS) circuitry.
The material described herein is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference labels have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In the figures:
One or more embodiments are described with reference to the enclosed figures. While specific configurations and arrangements are depicted and discussed in detail, it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only. Persons skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other configurations and arrangements are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that techniques and/or arrangements described herein may be employed in a variety of other systems and applications other than what is described in detail herein.
Reference is made in the following detailed description to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and illustrate exemplary embodiments. Further, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and/or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of claimed subject matter. It should also be noted that directions and references, for example, up, down, top, bottom, and so on, may be used merely to facilitate the description of features in the drawings. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of claimed subject matter is defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
In the following description, numerous details are set forth. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, to avoid obscuring the embodiments. Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, function, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” or “in one embodiment” or “some embodiments” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the particular features, structures, functions, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. For example, a first embodiment may be combined with a second embodiment anywhere the particular features, structures, functions, or characteristics associated with the two embodiments are not mutually exclusive.
As used in the description and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used herein to describe functional or structural relationships between components. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical, optical, or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may be used to indicated that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, and/or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with each other (e.g., as in a cause an effect relationship).
The terms “over,” “under,” “between,” and “on” as used herein refer to a relative position of one component or material with respect to other components or materials where such physical relationships are noteworthy. For example in the context of materials, one material or material disposed over or under another may be directly in contact or may have one or more intervening materials. Moreover, one material disposed between two materials or materials may be directly in contact with the two layers or may have one or more intervening layers. In contrast, a first material or material “on” a second material or material is in direct contact with that second material/material. Similar distinctions are to be made in the context of component assemblies.
As used throughout this description, and in the claims, a list of items joined by the term “at least one of” or “one or more of” can mean any combination of the listed terms. For example, the phrase “at least one of A, B or C” can mean A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B and C.
FEM bit-cells and methods of fabricating such cells are described herein. In some embodiments, a FE tunneling layer of an FEM bit-cell is less than 2 nm in thickness. At such a low thickness, detecting a change in resistive state with a transistor poses a challenge. For example, even for a FTJ displaying a 10,000% difference in resistance between states, the resistance/area (RA) factor for 1 nm thick barrier may be around 10 Ω/μm2. Such a resistance can detectable if there is a metal electrode sufficiently near the FE material. FE devices are grown on substrates that enable good FE crystal quality, but these substrates suffer from very large resistance as they are relatively poor conductors (e.g., semiconductors or insulators having a specific resistivity). Embodiments herein may reduce or eliminate the highly resistive crystals employed to growth of the FE barrier from the FTJ stack. The concomitant reduction in access resistance may improve FEM bit-cell performance.
In some embodiments, a monocrystalline metal-oxide stack including a ferroelectric barrier or “tunneling” layer and a buffer layer is epitaxially grown on a growth substrate. A first polycrystalline metal electrode layer is deposited over the tunneling layer. A bonding material layer is further deposited over the electrode layer. The bonding material layer is then bonded to a material layer on a front or back side of a host substrate that further comprises a transistor cell. The transistor cell may be part of the FEM bit-cell, for example the access transistor in a 1R-1T (1T1R) bit-cell. Alternatively, the transistor cell may be part of CMOS circuitry into which the FEM bit-cell is embedded, for example as part of a SoC. Once bonded, the growth substrate may be removed from the metal-oxide stack to complete a transfer of the metal-oxide stack from the growth substrate to the host substrate. The buffer layer is exposed during removal of the growth substrate, or subsequent to the removal. A second polycrystalline metal electrode layer is then deposited over the exposed buffer layer, placing both electrodes in close proximity to the FE tunneling layer. This second electrode layer may then be patterned and interconnected in any manner suitable for completion of the FEM bit-cell.
In some further embodiments, the above techniques are implemented to bond the FTJ stack to a front side or a back side of a transistor cell stratum. In such embodiments, the host substrate may include a carrier to which the transistor cell stratum has been bonded. An unbonded surface of the transistor cell stratum is further bonded to the FTJ stack during the metal-oxide stack transfer. In such embodiments, the FEM bit-cell may comprise a stack less than a few hundred microns in total thickness. In some embodiments, the transistor cell includes a deep via extending from a first side of a transistor semiconductor body to a second side of the transistor semiconductor body, opposite the first side. In some exemplary embodiments where the semiconductor body comprises a fin of semiconductor, the deep via extends the height of at least an active channel region of the fin, and advantageously extends an entire height of the semiconductor fin, including any sub-fin region below the active channel region. In some such embodiments, one end of the deep via makes electrical contact to at least one of the gate, source, or drain terminal of the transistor. A second end of the deep via makes electrical contact to one of the metal electrodes of the FTJ. Such contact may be through a metal layer employed to bond the FTJ to the transistor stratum.
FE tunneling layer 140 may be of any material known to have a ferroelectric phase and display the TER effect above some minimum operating temperature, such as room temperature (e.g., 25° C.). In some embodiments, FE tunneling layer 140 has perovskite crystal structure and is monocrystalline. The spontaneous polarization field of FE tunneling layer 140 may be aligned orthogonally to interfaces of FE tunneling layer 140. Exemplary FE tunneling layer materials include, but are not limited to, Bi4Ti3O12, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrRuO3, (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiMnO3, BiFeO3, PbTiO3, and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. In some advantageous embodiments, FE tunneling layer 140 is BaTiO3 (i.e., BTO). In some embodiments, FE tunneling layer 140 has a thickness less than 5 nm, advantageously less than 3 nm, and more advantageously less than 2 nm (e.g., 1-1.5 nm). For exemplary BTO embodiments, one perovskite unit cell is ˜0.4 nm, so the FE tunneling layer 140 may have a thickness as little as 2-3 BTO unit cells.
FE tunneling layer 140 is in direct contact with buffer layer 150. Buffer layer 150 may have many functions, such as, but not limited to, maintaining a high quality crystal interface with FE tunneling layer 140, setting a work function difference at the interface with FE tunneling layer 140, tuning strain within FE tunneling layer, and facilitating transfer of FE tunneling layer 140. In some embodiments, buffer layer 150 is part of the same single crystal as tunneling layer 140, but is of a different composition. For example, buffer layer 150 may also have perovskite crystal structure. In other embodiments, buffer layer 150 has different crystallinity than FE tunnel layer 140, such as cubic rather than tetragonal (perovskite). Buffer layer 150 need not be a FE material and may be a paraelectric, for example. In some embodiments, buffer layer 150 is of a material having a different lattice constant of than that of FE tunneling layer 140. In some embodiments, buffer layer 150 has a smaller lattice constant FE tunneling layer 140. The smaller lattice constant may beneficially strain the FE tunneling layer 140, advantageously increasing spontaneous polarization associated with the FTJ. For such embodiments, FE tunneling layer 140 may be pseudomorphically strained to match the lattice constant of buffer layer 150. Exemplary buffer layer materials include, but are not limited to, SrTiO3, LaGaO3, DyScO3, GdScO3, SmSCo3, LaAlSrTi, and KTaO3. In some advantageous embodiments where FE tunneling layer 140 is BTO, buffer layer 150 is (La, Sr)MnO3 (i.e., LSMO), which also has perovskite crystal structure. Buffer layer 150 may be advantageously doped to reduce electrical resistivity, but in exemplary embodiments the specific resistivity of the material employed for buffer layer 150 is significantly higher the specific resistivity of metal electrodes 130, 160. Buffer layer 150 may also have a minimal thickness to minimize its electrical resistance contribution to bit-cell 101. In some embodiments, buffer layer 150 is no more than 100 nm, is advantageously less than 50 nm, and more advantageously less than 25 nm in thickness.
Metal electrode 130 may be any metallic material known to form an FTJ with FE tunneling layer 140. Metal electrode 130 is advantageously polycrystalline or amorphous, not monocrystalline. Polycrystalline metallization may have texture, with the population of crystal domains favoring a particular orientation relative to the crystal orientation of FE tunneling layer 140. Metal electrode 130 may be an elemental metal, an alloy thereof, an oxide, or a nitride thereof. Metal electrode 130 may have a specific resistivity less than half that of buffer layer 150. In some embodiments, metal electrode 130 is a ferromagnetic (FM) material, such as Co, Fe, or an alloy thereof. In alternative embodiments, metal electrode 130 is Pt, In2O3, or IrO2, any of which may advantageously reduce the depolarization field. Although not bound by theory, it is currently understood that a depolarization field may result when polarization charges at the surface of FE tunneling layer 140 interfacing with metal electrode 130 are not fully compensated by free charge carriers. As such, the composition and microstructure of metal electrode 130 may have a significant impact on the FTJ. Metal electrode 130 may be of any thickness as electrical resistance of FEM bit-cell 101 will not be significantly impacted by metal electrode 130.
In some advantageous embodiments, metal electrode 160 is also polycrystalline or amorphous, not monocrystalline. Polycrystalline forms of metal electrode 160 may also have texture, with the population of crystal domains favoring a particular orientation relative to the crystal orientation of buffer layer 150. Metal electrode 160 may be an elemental metal, an alloy thereof, an oxide, or a nitride thereof. Metal electrode 160 may have a specific resistivity less than half that of buffer layer 150. In some embodiments, metal electrode 160 has a different composition than metal electrode 130. Although the composition of metal electrodes 130 and 160 may be the same, the choice of materials for metal electrode 160 is less constrained because metal electrode 160 interfaces with buffer layer 150 rather than FE tunneling layer 140. In some exemplary embodiments, metal electrode 160 is Co or Cu, or another metal of having a comparable specific resistivity. Metal electrode 160 may be of any thickness as the electrical resistance of FEM bit-cell 101 will not be significantly impacted by metal electrode 160.
Notably absent from FEM bit-cell 101 is any growth substrate upon which FE tunneling layer 140 was epitaxially grown. FEM bit-cell 101 therefore will not suffer high electrical resistance attributable to significant thicknesses of growth substrate material.
In some embodiments, a bonding material layer joins a metal electrode of an FTJ to a host substrate. The bonding material layer may be a metal, for example a noble metal, such as, but not limited to, Au. The bonding material layer may be in direct contact with a polycrystalline metal electrode of the FTJ and the bonding material layer may be in further contact with either a front side or back side of a host substrate.
In some embodiments, a FEM bit-cell includes a FTJ bonded to a host substrate including a transistor cell.
In
Source and drain metallization 350 is disposed on opposite sides of gate electrode 373 and also extends across semiconductor bodies 303. In the illustrated embodiment, source/drain metallization 350 is disposed on a raised source/drain semiconductor 340, which is further disposed on semiconductor bodies 303. Source/drain semiconductor 340 may be heavily-doped with electrically active impurities imparting n-type or p-type conductivity. In some exemplary embodiments, both the source and drain semiconductor 340 is doped to the same conductivity type (e.g., n-type for NMOS and p-type for PMOS). In alternative embodiments (e.g., for a tunneling FET), the source/drain semiconductor 340 may be doped complementarily. Source/drain semiconductor 340 may be any semiconductor material compatible with semiconductor bodies 303, such as group IV materials (e.g., Si, Ge, SiGe), and/or group III-V materials (e.g., InGaAs, InAs).
An electrically insulating dielectric spacer 371 laterally separates gate electrode 373 from source/drain metallization 350 and/or source/drain semiconductor 340. Source/drain metallization 350 may include one or more metals, such as Ti, W, Pt, their alloys, and nitrides that form an ohmic or tunneling junction with doped-semiconductor terminals 340. In the illustrative embodiment, FET cell 315 further includes a deep via 385 that passes through the material thickness (e.g., z-dimension) occupied by FET cell 315. Dielectric spacer 371 also laterally separates gate electrode 373 from deep via 385. In the illustrative embodiment, deep via 385 is disposed between two stripes of dielectric spacer 371. Dielectric spacer 371 may be or any conventional dielectric such as, but not limited to, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride. Dielectric spacer 371 may also be any known low-k material having a relative permittivity below 4.0. Deep via 385 is at least partially filled with via metallization (e.g., Ti, W, Pt, their alloys, and nitrides).
In the illustrative embodiment, semiconductor bodies 103 have a z-height Hf, and transistor cell 315 has a thickness Tc as measured from a bottom, or back-side cell surface interfacing with a carrier 405. Front-side stack 404 and carrier 405 are illustrated in dashed line as not being part of the transistor cell stratum or FTJ and only provide a contextual reference illustrating what may be disposed between the FTJ and transistor cell and how FEM bit-cell 101 may be mechanically supported. Carrier 405 may be any known to be suitable for supporting a transistor cell strata. For example, carrier 405 may include one or more materials from which semiconductor bodies 303 were fabricated. For silicon semiconductor bodies, carrier 405 may include a crystalline group IV substrate, such as Si. For group III-V semiconductor bodies, carrier 405 may include a crystalline III-V material, such as GaAs, or a group IV substrate, such as Si. Alternatively, carrier 405 may include a material to which the stratum including transistor cell 315 was transferred (e.g., bonded), or which was deposited onto a back-side of cell 315, before or after FTJ 110 was bonded to the front side of the transistor stratum. For example, carrier 405 may include another transistor cell stratum, another FTJ, a polymer sheet, a plurality of thin films, or any other material(s) built up over a back side of semiconductor bodies 303.
Transistor cell 315 is supported by carrier 405. Carrier 405 and back-side stack 406 are illustrated in dashed line as not being part of the transistor cell stratum or FTJ and only providing a contextual reference illustrating what deep via 385 may intersect, and how FEM bit-cell 101 may be mechanically supported. Carrier 405 may be any known to be suitable for supporting a transistor cell strata. In some embodiments, carrier 405 includes a material to which transistor cell 315 was transferred (e.g., bonded), or which was deposited onto a front-side of cell 315, before or after FTJ 110 was bonded to the back side. For example, carrier 405 may include another transistor cell stratum, another FTJ, a polymer sheet, a plurality of thin films, or any other material(s) built up over a front side of semiconductor bodies 303.
FEM bit-cells including a bonded FTJ, for example with one or more of the features described above, may be fabricated by a variety of methods applying a variety of techniques and processing chamber configurations.
Any epitaxial process known in the art to be suitable for a particular buffer layer may be employed to grow buffer layer 150 on a monocrystalline surface of growth substrate 605. In some embodiments, one or more of SrTiO3, LaGaO3, DyScO3, GdScO3, SmSCo3, LaAlSrTi, KTaO3, and LSMO is grown. In some embodiments where growth substrate 605 has cubic crystal structure, buffer layer 150 is epitaxially grown on a (001) surface of growth substrate 605. For exemplary embodiments where growth substrate 605 has a smaller lattice constant than buffer layer 150, buffer layer 150 may be grown pseudomorphically as a strained layer. Buffer layer 150 may also be grown as a fully relaxed film. Buffer layer 150 may be grown to a thickness of 25-100 nm, for example.
Any epitaxial process known in the art to be suitable for a particular ferroelectric tunneling layer may be employed to grow FE tunneling layer 140 on a surface of buffer layer 150. In some advantageous embodiments, the FE tunneling layer 140 has the same crystal structure as buffer layer 150, but a smaller lattice constant and is grown pseudomorphically as a monocrystalline material with in-plane strain. In some embodiments, one of Bi4Ti3O12, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrRuO3, (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiMnO3, BiFeO3, PbTiO3, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and BaTiO3 is grown on a surface of buffer layer 150. FE tunneling layer 140 may be grown to a thickness of 2-5 nm, for example.
Returning to
With preparation of the epitaxial FTJ substrate substantially complete, method 501 proceeds with transfer of the partial FTJ stack from the FE growth substrate to a host substrate. Depending on the diameter of the FTJ substrate, one or more FTJ substrate may be joined with one host substrate. Referring again to
Returning to
Referring again to
Either disposed within the integrated system 910 illustrated in the expanded view 920, or as a stand-alone packaged chip within the server machine 906, monolithic SoC 950 includes a memory block (e.g., RAM), a processor block (e.g., a microprocessor, a multi-core microprocessor, graphics processor, or the like) including at least one bonded FTJ stack, for example as described elsewhere herein. The monolithic SoC 950 may be further coupled to a board, a substrate, or an interposer 960 along with, one or more of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 930, RF (wireless) integrated circuit (RFIC) 925 including a wideband RF (wireless) transmitter and/or receiver (TX/RX) (e.g., including a digital baseband and an analog front end module further comprises a power amplifier on a transmit path and a low noise amplifier on a receive path), and a controller 935.
Functionally, PMIC 930 may perform battery power regulation, DC-to-DC conversion, etc., and so has an input coupled to battery 915 and with an output providing a current supply to other functional modules. As further illustrated, in the exemplary embodiment, RFIC 925 has an output coupled to an antenna (not shown) to implement any of a number of wireless standards or protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family), IEEE 802.20, long term evolution (LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, derivatives thereof, as well as any other wireless protocols that are designated as 3G, 4G, 4G, and beyond. In alternative implementations, each of these board-level modules may be integrated onto separate ICs or integrated into monolithic SoC 950.
In various examples, one or more communication chips 1006 may also be physically and/or electrically coupled to the motherboard 1002. In further implementations, communication chips 1006 may be part of processor 1004. Depending on its applications, computing device 1000 may include other components that may or may not be physically and electrically coupled to motherboard 1002. These other components include, but are not limited to, volatile memory (e.g., DRAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), flash memory, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, a crypto processor, a chipset, an antenna, touchscreen display, touchscreen controller, battery, audio codec, video codec, power amplifier, global positioning system (GPS) device, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, speaker, camera, and mass storage device (such as hard disk drive, solid-state drive (SSD), compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), and so forth), or the like.
Communication chips 1006 may enable wireless communications for the transfer of data to and from the computing device 1000. The term “wireless” and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communications channels, etc., that may communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. The term does not imply that the associated devices do not contain any wires, although in some embodiments they might not. Communication chips 1006 may implement any of a number of wireless standards or protocols, including but not limited to those described elsewhere herein. As discussed, computing device 1000 may include a plurality of communication chips 1006. For example, a first communication chip may be dedicated to shorter-range wireless communications, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a second communication chip may be dedicated to longer-range wireless communications such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO, and others.
While certain features set forth herein have been described with reference to various implementations, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Hence, various modifications of the implementations described herein, as well as other implementations, which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains are deemed to lie within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
It will be recognized that principles of the disclosure are not limited to the embodiments so described, but can be practiced with modification and alteration without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example the above embodiments may include specific combinations of features as further provided below.
In one or more first embodiments, a method of fabricating a ferroelectric memory (FEM) bit-cell includes epitaxially growing a monocrystalline metal-oxide stack including a ferroelectric (FE) tunneling layer and a buffer layer on a growth substrate, depositing a first metal electrode layer over the tunneling layer, depositing a bonding material layer over the electrode layer, bonding the bonding material layer to a bonding material layer disposed on a front or back side of a host substrate further comprising a transistor cell, removing the growth substrate from the metal-oxide stack to expose the buffer layer, and forming a second metal electrode layer over the buffer layer.
In furtherance of the first embodiments, epitaxially growing the metal-oxide stack further comprises epitaxially growing a perovskite crystal to a thickness of no more than 50 nm on a heterogeneous crystalline substrate. Depositing the first metal electrode layer further comprises depositing a polycrystalline metal electrode in direct contact with the FE tunneling layer. Depositing the bonding material layer further comprises depositing a metal in direct contact with the metal electrode.
In furtherance of the first embodiments immediately above, epitaxially growing the perovskite crystal further comprises growing the FE tunneling layer to a thickness less than 5 nm and in direct contact with a buffer layer having a smaller lattice constant than that of the tunneling layer.
In furtherance of the first embodiments, bonding the bonding material layer to the host substrate further comprises thermal-compression bonding. Removing the growth substrate further comprises cleaving or grinding off a partial thickness of the growth substrate, and polishing away the remaining thickness of the growth substrate to expose the buffer layer.
In furtherance of the first embodiments immediately above, the method further comprises blanket-implanting a species to a target depth within the growth substrate; and cleaving or grinding off the partial thickness of the growth substrate further comprises heating the bonded host and growth substrates to a temperature sufficient to form a fracture within the growth substrate proximate to the target depth.
In furtherance of the first embodiments immediately above, the growth substrate comprises NdGaO3 (NGO). Growing the buffer layer further comprises growing LaSrMnO3 (LSMO) on a surface of the NGO. Growing the tunneling layer further comprises growing BaTiO3 (BTO) on a surface of the LSMO. Depositing the first metal electrode layer further comprises depositing at least one of Co, Pt, In2O3, or IrO2 on a surface of the BTO. Depositing the bonding metal further comprises depositing Au on a surface of one of the FM material layers.
In furtherance of the first embodiments, the transistor cell further comprises a source semiconductor and a drain semiconductor separated by a channel semiconductor, a gate electrode stack including a gate electrode and a gate dielectric disposed over the channel semiconductor, and source/drain metallization in contact with the source and drain semiconductor and separated from the gate electrode by at least a first dielectric spacer. The host substrate further comprises a carrier bonded to a front side or back side of the transistor cell, the carrier being of a material distinct from that of the channel semiconductor.
In furtherance of the first embodiments immediately above, the carrier is bonded to a front side of the transistor cell. The transistor cell further comprises a deep via extending between a front-side and back-side of the transistor cell, a first end of the deep via being in contact with the source/drain metallization. Bonding the bonding material layer further comprises interconnecting a second end of the deep via with the first metal electrode layer.
In furtherance of the first embodiments, the carrier is bonded to a back side of the transistor cell, and bonding the bonding material layer further comprises interconnecting source/drain metallization with the first electrode material.
In one or more second embodiments, a ferroelectric memory (FEM) bit-cell comprises a host substrate including a transistor cell, and a ferroelectric tunneling junction (FTJ) bonded by a bonding layer to a front side or a back side of the host substrate. The FTJ further comprises a monocrystalline metal-oxide stack including a tunneling layer and a buffer layer, the stack disposed between a pair of polycrystalline metal electrode layers and having a thickness no more than 30 nm. The bonding layer electrically interconnects one of the pair of FTJ electrode layers to the transistor cell.
In furtherance of the second embodiments, the transistor cell further includes a source semiconductor and a drain semiconductor separated by a channel semiconductor, a gate electrode stack including a gate electrode and a gate dielectric disposed over the channel semiconductor, source/drain metallization in contact with the source and drain semiconductor and separated from the gate electrode by at least a first dielectric spacer, and one of the source/drain metallization is in electrical contact with one of the FTJ electrode layers through the bonding layer.
In furtherance of the second embodiments immediately above, the transistor cell further comprises a deep via extending through a thickness of the transistor cell, and the FTJ is bonded to a back side of the transistor cell, the bonding material layer in contact with the deep via.
In furtherance of the second embodiments, the buffer layer further comprises one of SrTiO3, LaGaO3, DyScO3, GdScO3, SmSCo3, LaAlSrTi, and KTaO3, and LaSrMnO3. The tunneling layer further comprises one of Bi4Ti3O12, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrRuO3, (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiMnO3, BiFeO3, PbTiO3, and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. At least the metal electrode layer proximal the FE tunneling layer comprises Co, Pt, In2O3, or IrO2.
In furtherance of the second embodiments, the metal electrode layer proximal the buffer layer has a different composition that the metal electrode layer proximal the FE tunneling layer.
In furtherance of the second embodiments, the transistor cell further includes a source semiconductor and a drain semiconductor separated by a channel semiconductor. The host substrate further comprises a carrier bonded to a side of the transistor cell opposite the FTJ, and the carrier is a different material than the channel semiconductor.
In one or more third embodiments, a computer platform comprises a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a battery coupled to at least the processor, wherein at least one of the processor and memory further comprises one or more transistor strata including a field effect transistor (FET) cell, and one or more FTJ stack bonded to the transistor strata, wherein the FTJ stack further comprises a monocrystalline metal-oxide stack including a ferroelectric tunneling layer and a buffer layer, the stack disposed between a pair of polycrystalline metal electrode layers and having a thickness no more than 30 nm.
In furtherance of the third embodiments, the transistor cell further includes a source semiconductor and a drain semiconductor separated by a channel semiconductor, a gate electrode stack including a gate electrode and a gate dielectric disposed over the channel semiconductor, source/drain metallization in contact with the source and drain semiconductor and separated from the gate electrode by at least a first dielectric spacer, and a deep via extending through a thickness of the transistor cell and in contact with the source/drain metallization. The FTJ is bonded to a back side of the transistor cell, the bonding material layer is in contact with the deep via.
In furtherance of the third embodiments immediately above, a front side of one of the transistor strata is bonded to a carrier, the carrier being of a material distinct from that of the channel semiconductor.
In furtherance of the third embodiments, the buffer layer further comprises one of SrTiO3, LaGaO3, DyScO3, GdScO3, SmSCo3, LaAlSrTi, and KTaO3, and LaSrMnO3. The tunneling layer further comprises one of Bi4Ti3O12, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrRuO3, (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiMnO3, BiFeO3, PbTiO3, and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. At least the metal electrode layer proximal the FE tunneling layer comprises Co, Pt, In2O3, or IrO2.
In furtherance of the third embodiments, the bonding material layer further comprises Au.
However, the above embodiments are not limited in this regard and, in various implementations, the above embodiments may include the undertaking only a subset of such features, undertaking a different order of such features, undertaking a different combination of such features, and/or undertaking additional features than those features explicitly listed. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2016/025576 | 4/1/2016 | WO | 00 |