Oxygen-free plasma etching for contact etching of resistive random access memory

US11258012B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED · JP

Inventors

• Devi Koty · Hopewell Junction, US
• Qingyun Yang · Hopewell Junction, US
• Hiroyuki Miyazoe · White Plains, US
• Takashi Ando · Tuckahoe, US
• Eduard A. Cartier · New York, US
• Vijay Narayanan · New York, US
• Sebastian Ulrich Englemann · Armonk, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 16, 2019
• Grant date: Feb 22, 2022
• Expiry date: Jun 9, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N70/8833

Abstract

A resistive random access memory (RERAM) apparatus and method for forming the apparatus are provided. Oxygen content control in the RERAM is provided. To provide oxygen content control, a via to an electrode of the RERAM is formed utilizing an oxygen-free plasma etch step. In one embodiment, the dielectric within which the via is formed is silicon nitride (SiN). In exemplary embodiments, the plasma chemistry is a hydrofluorocarbon (CxHyFz)-based plasma chemistry or a fluorocarbon (CxFy)-based plasma chemistry. In one embodiment, the resistive layer of the RERAM is a metal oxide. In another embodiment, the oxygen concentrations in the electrode of the RERAM under the via and outside the via are the same after formation of the via.