Limited maximum fields of electrode-switching layer interfaces in Re-RAM cells

US8860002B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• INTERMOLECULAR, INC. · US
• Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba · JP
• SanDisk 3D LLC · US

Inventors

• Mihir Tendulkar · Mountain View, US
• Imran Hashim · Saratoga, US
• Tim Minvielle · San Jose, US
• Yun Wang · San Jose, US
• Takeshi Yamaguchi · Sakai, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 20, 2012
• Grant date: Oct 14, 2014
• Expiry date: Dec 20, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N70/026

Abstract

Provided are ReRAM cells, each having at least one interface between an electrode and a resistive switching layers with a maximum field value of less than 0.25. The electrode materials forming such interfaces include tantalum nitrides doped with lanthanum, aluminum, erbium yttrium, or terbium (e.g., TaX(Dopant)YN, where X is at least about 0.95). The electrode materials have low work functions (e.g., less than about 4.5 eV). At the same time, the resistive switching materials have high relative dielectric permittivities (e.g., greater than about 30) and high electron affinities (greater than about for 3.5 eV). Niobium oxide is one example of a suitable resistive switching material. Another electrode interfacing the resistive switching layer may have different characteristics and, in some embodiments, may be an inert electrode.