Thin film diode integrated with chalcogenide memory cell Number:6,855,975 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Sponsored Links Title: Thin film diode integrated with chalcogenide memory cell Abstract: An integrated programmable conductor memory cell and diode device in an integrated circuit comprises a diode and a glass electrolyte element, the glass electrolyte element having metal ions mixed or dissolved therein and being able to selectively form a conductive pathway under the influence of an applied voltage. In one embodiment, both the diode and the memory cell comprise a chalcogenide glass, such as germanium selenide (e.g., Ge.sub.2 Se.sub.8 or Ge.sub.25 Se.sub.75). The first diode element comprises a chalcogenide glass layer having a first conductivity type, the second diode element comprises a chalcogenide glass layer doped with an element such as bismuth and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and the memory cell comprises a chalcogenide glass element with silver ions therein. In another embodiment, the diode comprises silicon and there is a diffusion barrier layer between the diode and the chalcogenide glass memory element. Methods of fabricating integrated programmable conductor memory cell and diode devices are also disclosed. Patent Number: 6,855,975 Issued on 02/15/2005 to Gilton Inventors: Gilton; Terry L. (Boise, ID) Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc. (Boise, ID) Appl. No.: 121794 Filed: April 10, 2002 Current U.S. Class: 257/296; 257/2; 257/3; 257/5; 257/7; 257/46; 257/71; 257/104; 257/209 Intern'l Class: H01L 027//10.8; H01L 029//88 Field of Search: 257/46,2,3,5,7,104,71,209,296,72 References Cited [Referenced By] U.S. Patent Documents 3271591 Sep., 1966 Ovshinsky. 3622319 Nov., 1971 Sharp. 3743847 Jul., 1973 Boland. 3961314 Jun., 1976 Klose et al. 3966317 Jun., 1976 Wacks et al. 3983542 Sep., 1976 Ovshinsky. 3988720 Oct., 1976 Ovshinsky. 4177474 Dec., 1979 Ovshinsky. 4267261 May., 1981 Hallman et al. 4269935 May., 1981 Masters et al. 4312938 Jan., 1982 Drexler et al. 4316946 Feb., 1982 Masters et al. 4320191 Mar., 1982 Yoshikawa et al. 4405710 Sep., 1983 Balasubramanyam et al. 4419421 Dec., 1983 Wichelhaus et al. 4499557 Feb., 1985 Holmberg et al. 4597162 Jul., 1986 Johnson et al. 4608296 Aug., 1986 Keem et al. 4637895 Jan., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4646266 Feb., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4664939 May., 1987 Ovshinsky. 4668968 May., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4670763 Jun., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4671618 Jun., 1987 Wu et al. 4673957 Jun., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4678679 Jul., 1987 Ovshinsky. 4696758 Sep., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4698234 Oct., 1987 Ovshinsky et al. 4710899 Dec., 1987 Young et al. 4728406 Mar., 1988 Banerjee et al. 4737379 Apr., 1988 Hudgens et al. 4766471 Aug., 1988 Ovshinsky et al. 4769338 Sep., 1988 Ovshinsky et al. 4775425 Oct., 1988 Guha et al. 4788594 Nov., 1988 Ovshinsky et al. 4795657 Jan., 1989 Formigoni et al. 4800526 Jan., 1989 Lewis. 4804490 Feb., 1989 Pryor et al. 4809044 Feb., 1989 Pryor et al. 4818717 Apr., 1989 Johnson et al. 4843443 Jun., 1989 Ovshinsky et al. 4845533 Jul., 1989 Pryor et al. 4847674 Jul., 1989 Sliwa et al. 4853785 Aug., 1989 Ovshinsky et al. 4891330 Jan., 1990 Guha et al. 4920078 Apr., 1990 Bagley et al. 5128099 Jul., 1992 Strand et al. 5159661 Oct., 1992 Ovshinsky et al. 5166758 Nov., 1992 Ovshinsky et al. 5177567 Jan., 1993 Klersy et al. 5219788 Jun., 1993 Abernathey et al. 5238862 Aug., 1993 Blalock et al. 5272359 Dec., 1993 Nagasubramanian et al. 5296716 Mar., 1994 Ovshinsky et al. 5314772 May., 1994 Kozicki. 5315131 May., 1994 Kishimoto et al. 5330630 Jul., 1994 Klersy et al. 5335219 Aug., 1994 Ovshinsky et al. 5341328 Aug., 1994 Ovshinsky et al. 5350484 Sep., 1994 Gardner et al. 5359205 Oct., 1994 Ovshinsky. 5360981 Nov., 1994 Owen et al. 5379250 Jan., 1995 Harshfield. 5406509 Apr., 1995 Ovshinsky et al. 5414271 May., 1995 Ovshinsky et al. 5500532 Mar., 1996 Kozicki et al. 5512328 Apr., 1996 Yoshimura et al. 5512773 Apr., 1996 Wolf et al. 5534711 Jul., 1996 Ovshinsky et al. 5534712 Jul., 1996 Ovshinsky et al. 5536947 Jul., 1996 Klersy et al. 5543737 Aug., 1996 Ovshinsky. 5591501 Jan., 1997 Ovshinsky et al. 5596522 Jan., 1997 Ovshinsky et al. 5646879 Jul., 1997 Harshfield. 5687112 Nov., 1997 Ovshinsky. 5694054 Dec., 1997 Ovshinsky et al. 5714768 Feb., 1998 Ovshinsky et al. 5726083 Mar., 1998 Takaishi. 5751012 May., 1998 Wolstenholme et al. 5761115 Jun., 1998 Kozicki et al. 5789277 Aug., 1998 Zahorik et al. 5814527 Sep., 1998 Wolstenholme et al. 5818749 Oct., 1998 Harshfield. 5825046 Oct., 1998 Czubatyj et al. 5837564 Nov., 1998 Sandhu et al. 5841150 Nov., 1998 Gonzalez et al. 5846889 Dec., 1998 Harbison et al. 5851882 Dec., 1998 Harshfield. 5869843 Feb., 1999 Harshfield. 5896312 Apr., 1999 Kozicki et al. 5912839 Jun., 1999 Ovshinsky et al. 5914893 Jun., 1999 Kozicki et al. 5920788 Jul., 1999 Reinberg. 5933365 Aug., 1999 Klersy et al. 5998066 Dec., 1999 Block et al. 6011757 Jan., 2000 Ovshinsky. 6031287 Feb., 2000 Harshfield. 6072716 Jun., 2000 Jacobson et al. 6077729 Jun., 2000 Harshfield. 6084796 Jul., 2000 Kozicki et al. 6087674 Jul., 2000 Ovshinsky et al. 6117720 Sep., 2000 Harshfield. 6141241 Oct., 2000 Ovshinsky et al. 6143604 Nov., 2000 Chiang et al. 6177338 Jan., 2001 Liaw et al. 6236059 May., 2001 Wolstenholme et al. 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