Patent US2832099A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6514820B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6514820B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for forming single electron resistor memory
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 2001-08-29
•
Granted: 2003-02-04
•
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 10:43
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.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5323344A
Cited
US5485595A
Cited
US5621687A
Cited
US5681770A
Cited
US5731598A
Cited
US5708605A
Cited
US6121157A
Cited
US5952692A
Cited
US5740104A
Cited
US5754477A
Cited
US6222778B1
Cited
US6301162B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-02-03 | 2006-08-05 | 2007-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-02-03 | 2010-08-05 | 2011-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-02-03 | 2014-08-05 | 2015-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |