US 20080304312A1
(19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2008/0304312 A1
Ho et al. (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 1 1, 2008
(54) RESISTANCE MEMORY WITH TUNGSTEN Publication Classi?cation COMPOUND AND MANUFACTURING
(51) Int. Cl. (75) Inventors: ChiaHua Ho, Kaoshing City (TW); G11 C 11/ 00 (200601)
Erh-Kun Lai, Longjing Shiang H05H 1/24 (200601)
(TW) (52) US. Cl. ....................................... .. 365/148; 427/569
Correspondence Address: MACRONIX (57) ABSTRACT C/O HAYNES BEFFEL & WOLFELD LLP 1)_ ()_ BOX 366 Memory devices based on tungsten-oxide memory regions HALF MOON BAY, C A 94019 (Us) are described, along With methods for manufacturing and
methods for programming such devices. The tungsten-oxide (73) Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL memory region can be formed by oxidation of tungsten mate
CO., LTD., HSINCHU (TW) rial using a non-critical mask, or even no mask at all in some embodiments. A memory device described herein includes a
(21) APP1- NO-3 11/ 955,137 bottom electrode and a memory element on the bottom elec _ trode. The memory element comprises at least one tungsten
(22) Flled: Dec‘ 12’ 2007 oxygen compound and is programmable to at least tWo resis
Related U-s- Application Data tance states. A top electrode comprising a barrier material 1s on the memory element, the barrier material preventing
(60) Provisional application No. 60/943,300, ?led on Jun. movement Of metal-ions frOm the top electrode intO the 11, 2007. memory element.
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 3 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 4 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 6 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 7 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 8 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
Oxygen Content __._-________._
Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 9 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 10 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 12 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 13 0f 36 US 2008/0304312 A1
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