Programmable impedance elements and devices that include such elements

• Main Authors: Ma Yi, Gopalan Chakravarthy, Gallo Antonio R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.07.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INFORMATION STORAGE; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; STATIC STORES

Programmable impedance elements structures, devices and methods are disclosed. Methods can include: forming a first electrode layer within an electrode opening that extends through a cap layer; planarizing to expose a top of the cap layer; cleaning the exposed top surface of the cap layer to remove residual species from previous process steps. Additional methods can include forming at least a base ion conductor layer having an active metal formed therein that may ion conduct within the ion conductor layer; and forming an inhibitor material that mitigates agglomeration of the active metal within the base ion conductor layer as compared to the active metal alone. Programmable impedance elements and/or devices can have switching material and electrodes parallel to both bottoms and sides of a cell opening formed in a cell dielectric. Other embodiments can include an ion conductor layer having an alloy of an active metal, or two ion conductor layers in contact with an active electrode.