US 12,245,527 B2
Non-stoichiometric resistive switching memory device and fabrication methods
Sung Hyun Jo, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Crossbar, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Crossbar, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/097,748.
Application 18/097,748 is a continuation of application No. 17/097,742, filed on Nov. 13, 2020, abandoned.
Application 17/097,742 is a continuation of application No. 15/159,135, filed on May 19, 2016, granted, now 10,840,442.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/165,874, filed on May 22, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0157186 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H10N 70/20 (2023.01); H10N 70/00 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 70/24 (2023.02) [H10N 70/026 (2023.02); H10N 70/801 (2023.02); H10N 70/826 (2023.02); H10N 70/883 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A resistive non-volatile memory device, comprising:
an electrically conductive bottom electrode formed overlying a substrate material;
an active region formed overlying the bottom electrode, the active region comprising:
a switching layer comprised of a first aluminum oxide compound (AlOy), where y is a relative concentration of oxygen with respect to atomic aluminum of the first aluminum oxide compound and wherein the first aluminum oxide compound is an oxide of single metal, wherein the single metal consists of aluminum;
a conductor layer comprised of one of: a second aluminum oxide compound (AlOx) or an aluminum nitride compound (AlNx), where x is a second relative concentration of oxygen or nitrogen with respect to atomic aluminum of the second aluminum oxide compound or aluminum nitride compound, where y>x, and wherein the conductor layer is configured to provide metal ions of the atomic aluminum to form a metal filament within the switching layer in response to a voltage or electric field applied across the resistive non-volatile memory device and wherein the second aluminum oxide compound or the aluminum nitride compound is an oxide or a nitride, respectively, of the single metal that consists of aluminum; and
a top electrode overlying the active region, wherein:
the switching layer is in direct contact with either the electrically conductive bottom electrode or with the top electrode; and
the electrically conductive bottom electrode or the top electrode which is in direct contact with the switching layer consists of one or more materials selected from a group consisting of: a metal, a metal alloy, a metal nitride, a conductive silicon semiconductor material and a conductive polysilicon semiconductor material.