Novel Electrode Structures and Alloy Techniques with Plasma Treatment on Metal Oxide Resistive Layer for Resistive Switching Memory Application(I)

Recently, the technology for some new nonvolatile memories (NVMs) has to be developed to replace the conventional hard disk storage. Resistive switching memory, ReRAM, is such novel technology among the developed NVM. It has taken lots of notice of the international companies and research centers. It is responsible for the simple structure, popular material and compatible with integrated circuit process of the resistive switching memory. In addition, the characteristics of resistive switching memory are defined by the material itself. The most popular material is metal oxide such as NiO etc., showing superior memory and endurance properties. In this project, we will fabricate HfO2 and Gd2O3 metal-oxide resistive switching memories with novel hemi-spherical grain (HSG) bottom electrode structure, Al- and Ti-alloy top electrode, and plasma treatment on metal-oxide resistive layer to improve the memory characteristics. Besides, the optimized design of this resistive switching memory with structure and process will also be studied. It will be deeply analyzed by the electrical and physical characteristics and the operation mechanisms will be proposed by simulation. The main project items are shown as following: 1. The process of Al- and Ti-alloy top electrode is optimized and studied. 2. The process of oxygen and hydrogen-contained plasma treatment on metal-oxide resistive layers is optimized and studied. 3. The hemi-spherical grain poly-Si bottom electrode structure fabricated by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) is optimized and studied. 4. Finally, with the combination of above three novel techniques, the resistive switching memory with novel HSG electrode structures, alloy techniques and plasma treatment on metal oxide resistive layer is fabricate to obtain the superior memory characteristics.

Project ID:PB9907-12665
External Project ID:NSC99-2221-E182-059