US6514820B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for forming single electron resistor memory
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 2001-08-29
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Granted: 2003-02-04
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Expires: 2021-08-29
Abstract
Abstract Method for forming a memory device that includes a plurality of cells, each having a first electrode coupled to a first location on semiconductor material, a second electrode coupled to a second location disposed away from the first location on the semiconductor material and a plurality of islands of semiconductor material. The islands have a maximum dimension of three to five nanometers and are surrounded by an insulator having a thickness of between five and twenty nanometers. The islands and the surrounding insulator are formed in pores extending into the semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes. As a result, the memory cells formed from the method are able to provide consistent, externally observable changes in response to the presence or absence of a single electron on the island.
Inventors
- 👤 Kie Y. Ahn
- 👤 Leonard Forbes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:26
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C16/00; G11C16/02; G11C16/04; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G11C11/00; G11C11/21; G11C11/34; G11C16/0408; G11C16/0416; H; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/68; H10D30/688; G11C2216/00; G11C2216/02; G11C2216/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/902; Y10S977/932; Y10S977/936; Y10S977/937
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of forming a memory comprising: forming a group of regions of semiconductor material; forming a first electrode at a first end of each region; forming a second electrode at a second end of each region, the second end distant from the first end; anodizing the regions of semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes to form pores extending into the regions of semiconductor material; coating interiors of the pores with a first dielectric having a thickness of less than ten nanometers; forming a conductive material in the interiors of the pores; and coating exposed portions of the conductive material with a second dielectric.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of forming a memory comprising: forming a group of regions of semiconductor material; forming a first electrode at a first end of each region; forming a second electrode at a second end of each region, the second end distant from the first end; anodizing the regions of semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes to form pores extending into the regions of semiconductor material; coating interiors of the pores with a first dielectric having a thickness of less than ten nanometers; forming a conductive material in the interiors of the pores; and coating exposed portions of the conductive material with a second dielectric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
83 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: forming a group of regions of semiconductor material comprises forming a group of regions of n-type single crystal silicon having a carrier concentration of less than ten to the fifteenth per cubic centimeter; and anodizing comprises anodizing the silicon in a hydrofluoric acid solution having between twelve and twenty four percent hydrogen fluoride at a current density of between five and forty milliamperes per square centimeter to provide pores having a diameter of less than forty nanometers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: coating interiors of the pores with a first dielectric comprises oxidizing the silicon including the interiors of the pores; forming a conductive material comprises depositing polycrystalline silicon; and coating exposed portions of the conductive material with a second dielectric comprises oxidizing exposed portions of the polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of forming a memory comprising: forming a group of regions of semiconductor material; forming a first electrode at a first end of each region; forming a second electrode at a second end of each region, the second end distant from the first end; forming pores extending into the regions of semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes; forming a first dielectric on the interior surface of the pores; forming a conductive material in the interiors of the pores; and forming a second dielectric on exposed portions of the conductive material.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of forming a memory comprising: forming a group of regions of semiconductor material; forming a first electrode at a first end of each region; forming a second electrode at a second end of each region, the second end distant from the first end; forming pores extending into the regions of semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes; forming a first dielectric on the interior surface of the pores; forming a conductive material in the interiors of the pores; and forming a second dielectric on exposed portions of the conductive material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the semiconductor material comprises n-type single crystal silicon and forming pores extending into the regions comprises anodizing the silicon in a hydrofluoric acid solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5 wherein anodizing the silicon comprises anodizing the silicon in a hydrofluoric acid solution having between twelve and twenty four percent hydrogen fluoride at a current density of between five and forty milliamperes per square centimeter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the semiconductor material comprises n-type silicon and forming a first dielectric on the interior surface of the pores comprises oxidizing the silicon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the thickness of the dielectric layer formed on the interior surface of the pores is less than ten nanometers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 4 wherein forming the conductive material in the interiors of the pores comprises depositing polycrystalline silicon therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 4 wherein forming the second dielectric on the exposed portions of the conductive material comprises oxidizing exposed portions of the polycrystalline silicon.
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