The present disclosure relates generally to memory devices and, more particularly, to memory devices with tungsten digitlines.
Many electronic devices and systems include integrated circuits for the storage of data during the operation of the devices. For example, electronic devices such as computers, printing devices, scanning devices, personal digital assistants, calculators, computer work stations, audio and/or video devices, communications devices such as cellular telephones, and routers for packet switched networks may include memory in the form of integrated circuits for retaining data as part of their operation. Advantages of using integrated circuit memory compared to other forms of memory include space conservation and miniaturization, conserving limited battery resources, decreasing access time to data stored in the memory, and cutting the costs of assembling the electronic devices.
Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) is an example of integrated circuit memory. DRAM typically comprises an array of semiconductor capacitor cells, each of which may hold an amount of electric charge that represents the logical value of a stored bit. The cells in the array are typically arranged in rows and columns. Each cell is situated at the intersection of a row and a column. Each cell in the DRAM array may be accessed by simultaneously addressing the intersecting row and column.
In operation, internal amplifiers in the DRAM sense the amounts of electric charges stored on the capacitors. Based on the sensed electric charges, the outputs of the sense amplifiers represent the logical values of the bits that are stored in the DRAM array. In this manner, the data stored in the array may be extracted from the DRAM integrated circuit for use by other integrated circuits in the electronic device. In addition, other internal circuitry on the DRAM refreshes the charge on those cells that the sense amplifiers have determined to already hold an electric charge. In this manner, the DRAM compensates for leakages of electric charge from the semiconductor capacitor cells, such as leakage into the substrate of the DRAM integrated circuit. Such reading, writing, and maintaining of charge on the cells are substantial internal operations of the DRAM.
The sense amplifiers connect to the cells through digitlines, which comprise the columns of the DRAM. Before reading from a cell, the DRAM removes residual charge on the digitline that addresses the cell. The residual charge is left over from a previous reading of another cell that shares the same digitline. The DRAM equalizes the digitline by pre-charging the digitline to a common potential before reading from the cell. When the DRAM addresses the cell, the charge stored in the cell raises or lowers the potential of the digitline from the common potential, signifying the logic value of the bit stored in the cell.
Digitlines, however, have internal resistance, internal parasitic capacitance, and parasitic capacitance with other digitlines. The resistances and capacitances comprise an RC circuit whose time constant increases the equalization time for pre-charging the digitlines. If too large, the time constant results in a slower read time for the DRAM integrated circuit that limits the use of the DRAM integrated circuit in modern high-speed electronic devices. As clock speeds for DRAM integrated circuits increase, the minimum time between commands lessens and the equalization times for digitlines should likewise decrease.
Decreasing bitline resistance/capacitance can improve write and read performance and failure rates. The capacitance can be decreased by reducing the bitline thickness. However, a decrease in the line thickness below 1000 angstroms (Å) significantly increases its electrical resistivity, resulting in a degradation of the device performance.
Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices having tungsten digitlines. One method embodiment includes forming tungsten digitlines with a tungsten (W) monolayer on a tungsten nitride (WNx) substrate, forming a boron (B) monolayer on the W monolayer, and forming a bulk W layer on the B monolayer.
In some embodiments, the monolayer of tungsten (W) can be grown using one cycle of diborane (B2H6) followed by hydrogen (H2) reduction of tungsten hexafluoride (WF6). This step can promote adhesion of the bulk tungsten layer to the structure. In various embodiments, the deposition of a monolayer of boron can be performed by thermal decomposition of B2H6 at a high temperature. Boron acts as a surfactant and acts to facilitate the formation of the grain-structure in the bulk tungsten layer. However, a large amount of boron can reduce the adhesion of tungsten. In various embodiments, a low-resistivity and conformal bulk tungsten layer can be grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using H2 reduction of WF6.
The achieved grain-structure of the bulk tungsten layer reduces the resistivity in the digitline. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the grain structure using the CVD process to grow the bulk tungsten layer with H2 reduction of WF6 creates grains that are 1000-6000 angstroms (Å) in width on a bulk tungsten layer that is less than 500 angstroms (Å) thick. These dimensions are 4-5 times larger than that achievable by previous tungsten deposition processes. This increase in the grain structure results in a decrease in resistivity in the digitline of over 10 μOhm·cm. This decrease reduces the resistivity by half over the resistivity of previous tungsten deposition processes.
The wordline 104, connected to the gate of the transistor 106, is used to activate the memory cell. The memory cell 100 is addressed at an intersection of wordline 104 and digitline 102. The state of the memory cells is then read by a sense amplifier (not shown) that determines through digitline 102 the state of the cell 100. A potential is provided to digitline 102 as part of a refresh operation to refresh the state read from the memory cell. A DRAM memory cell constantly needs to be refreshed because the capacitor 108 in the memory cell 100 continuously is losing its charge. A typical memory cell needs to be refreshed at a minimum of once every several nanoseconds.
The digitlines 204-0, . . . , 204-M consist of a conductive line connected to a memory cell's transistors. Due to the large number of attached memory cells, physical length of given digitline, and the digitline's proximity to other features, the digitline can be susceptive to large capacitive coupling. For instance, a typical value for digitline capacitance on a 350 nanometer (nm) scale fabrication process might be around 300 femtofarads (fF).
Digitline capacitance is an important parameter in memory cells since it dictates many other aspects of the design. A low capacitance in the digitline is desired for improved performance in a memory cell. Low capacitance in the digitline improves read and write times in the memory cell and decreases the amount of read and write failure in the memory cell. The digitline capacitance can be lowered by decreasing the thickness of the digitline. In reducing the thickness of the digitline, the capacitance in not only decreased in a beneficial manner, but also the physical size the memory array can be reduced allowing for more dense memory arrays.
A side effect of decreasing the digitline thickness to reduce capacitance in the digitline and in turn improve the performance characteristics of the memory cell is an increase in digitline resistivity. When the digitline thickness is reduced, the resistivity in the digitline also increases. An increase in resistivity causes degradation in the memory cell performance. Therefore, there is a limit to the amount that the digitline thickness can be reduced.
As shown in
For clarity, the electronic memory system 900 has been simplified to focus on features with particular relevance to the present disclosure. The memory device 920 includes an array of DRAM memory cells 930. The control gates of each row of memory cells are coupled with a word line, while the drain regions of the memory cells are coupled to digitlines. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the manner of connection of the memory cells to the wordlines and digitlines lines depends on the array architecture.
The embodiment of
The memory array 930 of memory cells can include tungsten digitlines formed according to embodiments described herein. The memory device 920 reads data in the memory array 930 by sensing voltage and/or current changes in the memory array columns using sense/buffer circuitry that in this embodiment can be read/latch circuitry 950. The read/latch circuitry 950 can be coupled to read and latch a row of data from the memory array 930. I/O circuitry 960 is included for bi-directional data communication over the I/O connections 962 with the processor 910. Write circuitry 955 is included to write data to the memory array 930.
Control circuitry 970 decodes signals provided by control connections 972 from the processor 910. These signals can include chip signals, write enable signals, and address latch signals that are used to control the operations on the memory array 930; including data read, data write, data refresh, and data erase operations. In various embodiments, the control circuitry 970 is responsible for executing instructions from the processor 910 to perform the operating and programming embodiments of the present disclosure. The control circuitry 970 can be a state machine, a sequencer, or some other type of controller. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional circuitry and control signals can be provided, and that the memory device detail of
In some embodiments, memory module 1000 will include a housing 1005 (as depicted) to enclose one or more memory devices 1010, though such a housing is not essential to all devices or device applications. At least one memory device 1010 includes an array of memory cells with a tungsten digitline formed according to embodiments described herein. Where present, the housing 1005 includes one or more contacts 1015 for communication with a host device. Examples of host devices include digital cameras, digital recording and playback devices, PDAs, personal computers, memory card readers, interface hubs and the like. For some embodiments, the contacts 1015 are in the form of a standardized interface. In general, however, contacts 1015 provide an interface for passing control, address and/or data signals between the memory module 1000 and a host having compatible receptors for the contacts 1015.
The memory module 1000 may optionally include additional circuitry 1020, which may be one or more integrated circuits and/or discrete components. For some embodiments, the additional circuitry 1020 may include a memory controller for controlling access across multiple memory devices 1010 and/or for providing a translation layer between an external host and a memory device 1010. For example, there may not be a one-to-one correspondence between the number of contacts 1015 and a number of 1010 connections to the one or more memory devices 1010. Thus, a memory controller could selectively couple an I/O connection (not shown in
The additional circuitry 1020 may further include functionality unrelated to control of a memory device 1010 such as logic functions as might be performed by an ASIC. Also, the additional circuitry 1020 may include circuitry to restrict read or write access to the memory module 1000, such as password protection, biometrics or the like. The additional circuitry 1020 may include circuitry to indicate a status of the memory module 1000. For example, the additional circuitry 1020 may include functionality to determine whether power is being supplied to the memory module 1000 and whether the memory module 1000 is currently being accessed, and to display an indication of its status, such as a solid light while powered and a flashing light while being accessed. The additional circuitry 1020 may further include passive devices, such as decoupling capacitors to help regulate power requirements within the memory module 1000.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a digitline that is thin enough to lower the capacitance in the digitline for performance enhancement while maintaining a low resistivity in the digitline. To meet this objective, the digitline needs to have a grain structure that is large enough to reduce the impedance of the current flow through the tungsten digitline.
Methods, devices, and systems for using and forming tungsten digitlines have been described. The tungsten digitlines formed according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be formed with a tungsten (W) monolayer on a tungsten nitride (WNx) substrate, a boron (B) monolayer on the W monolayer, and a bulk W layer on the B monolayer.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that an arrangement calculated to achieve the same results can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure includes other applications in which the above structures and methods are used. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure have to use more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.