Integrated memory circuits serve as data-storage components in thousands of products, from televisions, to automobiles, to computers. Often, these memory circuits are implemented as arrays of memory cells, with each memory cell storing an electrical charge representative of a one or a zero.
In recent years, these memory cells have been modified to include a layer of ceramic-based ferroelectric material that exhibits electric polarizations, analogous to north-south magnetic polarizations, in response to appropriate electrical signals. One electrical signal polarizes the material to represent a zero, and another signal oppositely polarizes the material to represent a one. The polarizations can be detected with special circuitry that allows recovery of stored data. Memory circuits using these ferroelectric memory transistors generally enjoy advantages, such as faster write cycles and lower power requirements, over conventional charge-storage memories.
More recently, polymer-based ferroelectrics have emerged as a potential substitute for ceramic-based ferroelectrics because they generally overcome or ameliorate problems, such as fatigue and imprint, that ceramic-based ferroelectrics may suffer. Moreover, polymer-based ferroelectrics are generally more amenable to use in multi-layer (stacked) memory circuits, which provide increased storage capacity. However, polymer-based ferroelectrics are not without their own problems.
For example, conventional fabrication methods that deposit the ferroelectric polymer over metal structures separated by empty gaps may create hills and valleys in the deposited ferroelectric material. The changing thickness of the ferroelectric material is undesirable, because it not only causes cell-to-cell performance variations, but also produces too many defective cells and thus reduces manufacturing yield. Poor yield ultimately raises the cost of manufacturing these type memories. Moreover, as the number of layers in a multi-layer memory increases, the hills and valleys tend to become higher and deeper, exaggerating the thickness variations in the deposited ferroelectric material and further detracting from desired performance and yield.
Accordingly, the present inventors have recognized a need for developing other methods of making polymer-based ferroelectric memories.
To address these and other needs, unique methods, structures, circuits, and systems for polymer-based ferroelectric memories have been devised. One method entails forming an insulative layer on a substrate, forming two or more first conductive structures, with at least two of the first conductive structures separated by a gap, forming a gap-filling structure within the gap, and forming a polymer-based ferroelectric layer over the gap-filling structure and the first conductive structures.
In some embodiments, forming the gap-filling structure entails depositing a spin-on-glass material within the gap between the two first conductors and/or depositing a polymer-based material. For example, one embodiment deposits a polymer-based materials having a different solvent concentration than that used for the polymer-based ferroelectric. Still other methods extend the use of gap-filling structures to subsequent layers in a multi-layer memory circuit.
Other aspects of various embodiments include arrays of memory cells and memory circuits.
The following detailed description, which references and incorporates
The first method, as shown in
In this embodiment, substrate 12 comprises an insulative layer, which itself lies on a layer of semiconductive material (not shown). Useful insulative materials include silicon dioxide, silicon nitrides, silicon oxynitrides, or carbides. Useful semiconductive materials include silicon, silicon carbide, and silicon germanium. However, other embodiments may use different materials. This method forms the insulative layer through oxidation of the semiconductive surface. Other embodiments, however, may grow or deposit another insulative material. In some embodiments, substrate 12 comprises a layer of polymer, for example, a ferroelectric polymer, which is processed as a continuous roll.
More specifically, lower electrode structures 14, 16, and 18 include respective 5-100-nanometer-thick titanium layers 14A, 16A, and 18A; respective 20-1000-nanometer-thick aluminum layers 14B, 16B, and 18B; and respective 5-100-nanometer-thick titanium-nitride layers 14C, 16C, and 18C. (Other embodiments form layers 14C, 16C, and 18C using tantalum nitride, tungsten, and tungsten nitride.) Lower electrode structures 14 and 16 are separated by a gap 15, and lower electrode structures 16 and 18 are separated by a gap 17.
In this embodiment, forming the lower electrode structures entails sequential deposition of titanium, aluminum, and titanium nitride to form respective titanium, aluminum, and titanium-nitride layers. The titanium layer is then masked to define parallel conductive traces (which appear as islands in this cross-sectional view) and all three layers are etched down to (or into) substrate 12.
Some embodiments form the conductive layers of the electrode structures from different materials. For example, some embodiments replace the titanium-nitride layer with a platinum-based layer or a tantalum-nitride layer. And, some embodiments replace the aluminum layer with a copper-, sliver-, or gold-based metallic layer. Some embodiments may use non-metal conductive materials. Note that some embodiments form an adhesion layer on the substrate as preparation for the titanium or other metal.
In some embodiments that use an insulative polymer filler, the polymer includes a polymer-based ferroelectric material. (As used herein, the term “ferroelectric,” indicates that a subject material, material composition, or material structure, exhibits a detectable spontaneous electrical polarization in response to appropriate electrical stimulus. Thus, the term without other express contextual modification or qualification generally encompasses elemental ferroelectric materials as well as combination and composite ferroelectric materials.) Useful ferroelectric polymers include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), trifluoroethylene, (TrFe), and co-polymers of PVDF and TrFe. Useful co-polymers include the PVDF and TrFe in concentrations ranging from 10-90 percent. However, other embodiments may use other concentrations.
Some embodiments optimize the spin-characteristics of the ferroelectric polymer by controlling solvent concentrations. Useful solvent concentrations range between 20-80 percent. Such optimization can be achieved by changing the molecular weight distribution, copolymer composition, and/or polymer thickness.
Notably, polymer-based ferroelectric layer 30 contacts only the gap-filling material (20, 22, 24) and the uppermost layers of lower electrode structures 14, 16, and 18. In some conventional polymer-based memory structures, the lower electrode structures are formed by lining a trench or other opening in an insulative surface with a diffusion barrier metal and then filling the lined trench with a second metal. In these conventional cases (which also lack the gap-filling layer and associated gap-filling structures), the polymer-based ferroelectric material therefore contacts both the trench-lining metal and the fill metal. This dual-metal interface is undesirable because it produces fringing fields.
In this embodiment, forming the upper electrode structures entails masking titanium-nitride layer 34 to define bars and etching it and layers 36 and 38 down into polymer-based ferroelectric layer 30. The depth of the etch, for example 2-30 percent of the layer thickness, is generally sufficient to ensure separation of the upper electrode structures.
Transistor 80 includes self-aligned source/drain regions 82 and 84, a semiconductive channel region 83, and a gate insulator 86. Source and drain regions 82 and 84, formed using a conventional ion-implantation and diffusion techniques, define the length of channel region 83. Although this embodiment shows simple drain and source profiles, any desirable profile, for example, a lightly doped drain (LDD) profile, an abrupt junction or a “fully overlapped, lightly doped drain” (FOLD) profile, may be used. (Some profiles entail formation of insulative sidewall spacers on the lower electrode structure, before executing the ion-implantation procedure that forms the drain and source regions.) Gate insulator 86, which consists of a silicon oxide or other suitable dielectric material, lies between channel region 83 and lower electrode structure 14. Drain and source contacts (not shown) are formed and interconnected as desired to complete an integrated memory circuit
In operation, the polarization state of a portion of the polymer-based ferroelectric in memory arrays described herein can be controlled by applying appropriate voltages to the electrode structures and/or to the gate, source and drains. Conventional circuitry and related techniques can also be used for sensing the polarization state of each memory cell in the arrays.
Next,
More precisely, this embodiment forms the upper electrodes by forming trenches in polymer-based ferroelectric layer 110 that are transverse or orthogonal to the lower electrodes, blanket depositing aluminum or titanium over the trenches and surrounding regions, and then removing substantially all the metal outside the trenches using a planarization process, such as chemical-mechanical planarization. The planarization ultimately forms upper electrode structures that are substantially flush with a top surface of the polymer-based ferroelectric layer, thus completing a polymer-based memory array 130. Some other embodiments may form the upper electrode structures as multilayer structures, analogous to previously described structures 34, 36, and 38.
Further processing can be used to define one or more additional polymer-based memory arrays atop memory array 130 to produce a multi-level memory analogous to multilevel memory array 70 in
In this embodiment, memory arrays 1312 incorporate one or more of the memory arrays or intermediate integrated-circuit assemblies based on teachings of the present invention. Also, in this embodiment, memory arrays, the address decoders, and the sense circuitry exist in a single integrated circuit. However, in other embodiments, one or more may exist on separate integrated circuits.
Processing unit 1320, input-output devices 1330, and data-storage devices 1340 are intercoupled conventionally via bus 1350. Processing unit 1320 includes one or more processors or virtual processors. Input-output devices 1330 includes one or more keyboards, pointing devices, monitors, etc. And data-storage devices 1340 include one or more optical, electronic, or magnetic storage devices.
In furtherance of the art, the inventors have presented unique methods and structures for polymer-based ferroelectric memories. One method entails forming two or more first conductive structures on a substrate, with at least two of the first electrode structures separated by a gap, forming a gap-filling structure within the gap, and forming a polymer-based ferroelectric layer over the gap-filling structure and the first electrode structures. Two or more second electrode structures are then formed over the polymer-based ferroelectric layer, orthogonal to the first electrode structures. Notably, the gap-filling structures may facilitate formation of a substantially planar and uniformly thick polymer-based ferroelectric layer, thereby promoting memory performance and yield.
The embodiments described above are intended only to illustrate and teach one or more ways of practicing or implementing the present invention, not to restrict its breadth or scope. The actual scope of the invention, which embraces all ways of practicing or implementing the invention, is defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.
The present application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/215,778, filed on Aug. 30, 2005, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,768,049, which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/421,157, filed on Apr. 23, 2003, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,049,153, which applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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Child | 11215778 | US |
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Parent | 11215778 | Aug 2005 | US |
Child | 12847531 | US |