Abstract: Techniques for forming thin film transistors (TFTs) having multilayer and/or concentration gradient semiconductor regions. An example integrated circuit includes a gate electrode, a gate dielectric on the gate electrode, and a semiconductor region on the gate dielectric. In some cases, the semiconductor region includes a plurality of compositionally different material layers, at least two layers of the different material layers each being a semiconductor layer. In some other cases, the semiconductor region includes a single layer having a material concentration gradient extending from a bottom surface of the single layer (adjacent to the gate dielectric) to a top surface of the single layer. The integrated circuit further includes first and second conductive contacts that each contact a respective portion of the semiconductor region.

Abstract: A memory device includes a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) stack, between a bottom electrode and a top electrode. In an embodiment, the pMTJ includes a fixed magnet, a tunnel barrier above the fixed magnet and a free magnet structure on the tunnel barrier. The free magnet structure includes a first free magnet on the tunnel barrier and a second free magnet above the first free magnet, wherein at least a portion of the free magnet proximal to an interface with the free magnet includes a transition metal. The free magnet structure having a transition metal between the first and the second free magnets advantageously improves the switching efficiency of the MTJ, while maintaining a thermal stability of at least 50 kT.

Abstract: An apparatus, includes an interconnect, including a conductive material, above a substrate and a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device coupled to the interconnect. The RRAM device includes an electrode structure above the interconnect, where an upper portion of the electrode structure has a first width. The RRAM device further includes a switching layer on the electrode structure, where the switching layer has the first width and an oxygen exchange layer, having a second width less than the first width, on a portion of the switching layer. The RRAM device further includes a top electrode above the oxygen exchange layer, where the top electrode has the second width and an encapsulation layer on a portion of the switching layer, where the switching layer extends along a sidewall of the oxygen exchange layer.

Abstract: A material layer stack for a pSTTM memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack, a oxide layer, a protective layer and a capping layer. The MTJ includes a fixed magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier disposed above the fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer disposed on the tunnel barrier. The oxide layer, which enables an increase in perpendicularity of the pSTTM material layer stack, is disposed on the free magnetic layer. The protective layer is disposed on the oxide layer, and acts as a protective barrier to the oxide from physical sputter damage during subsequent layer deposition. A conductive capping layer with a low oxygen affinity is disposed on the protective layer to reduce iron-oxygen de-hybridization at the interface between the free magnetic layer and the oxide layer. The inherent non-oxygen scavenging nature of the conductive capping layer enhances stability and reduces retention loss in pSTTM devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are transistor cap-channel arrangements, and related methods and devices. For example, in some embodiments, a transistor cap-channel arrangement may include a channel material having a conductivity type; an insulating material; and a cap material between the channel material and the insulating material, wherein the cap material is different from the channel material and the insulating material, and the cap material has a conductivity type that is a same conductivity type as the channel material.

Abstract: Integrated circuits including MOSFETs with selectively recessed gate electrodes. Transistors having recessed gate electrodes with reduced capacitive coupling area to adjacent source and drain contact metallization are provided alongside transistors with gate electrodes that are non-recessed and have greater z-height. In embodiments, analog circuits employ transistors with gate electrodes of a given z-height while logic gates employ transistors with recessed gate electrodes of lesser z-height. In embodiments, subsets of substantially planar gate electrodes are selectively etched back to differentiate a height of the gate electrode based on a given transistor's application within a circuit.

Abstract: Integrated circuits including MOSFETs with selectively recessed gate electrodes. Transistors having recessed gate electrodes with reduced capacitive coupling area to adjacent source and drain contact metallization are provided alongside transistors with gate electrodes that are non-recessed and have greater z-height. In embodiments, analog circuits employ transistors with gate electrodes of a given z-height while logic gates employ transistors with recessed gate electrodes of lesser z-height. In embodiments, subsets of substantially planar gate electrodes are selectively etched back to differentiate a height of the gate electrode based on a given transistor's application within a circuit.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a semi-conductor device comprising a channel having a first semiconductor material; a source contact coupled to the channel, comprising a first Heusler alloy; and a drain contact coupled to the channel, comprising a second Heusler alloy. The first Heusler alloy is lattice-matched to the first semiconductor material within a first predetermined threshold. A first Schottky barrier between the channel and the source contact, and a second Schottky barrier between the channel and the drain contact are negative, or smaller than another predetermined threshold. The source contact and the drain contact can be applied to a strained silicon transistor, an III-V transistor, a tunnel field-effect transistor, a dichalcogenide (MX2) transistor, and a junctionless nanowire transistor.

Abstract: Metal chemical vapor deposition approaches for fabricating wrap-around contacts, and semiconductor structures having wrap-around metal contacts, are described. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor feature above a substrate. A dielectric layer is over the semiconductor feature, the dielectric layer having a trench exposing a portion of the semiconductor feature, the portion having a non-flat topography. A metallic contact material is directly on the portion of the semiconductor feature. The metallic contact material is conformal with the non-flat topography of the portion of the semiconductor feature. The metallic contact material has a total atomic composition including 95% or greater of a single metal species.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming semiconductor integrated circuits including one or more of source and drain contacts and gate electrodes comprising crystalline alloys including a transition metal. The crystalline alloys help to reduce contact resistance to the semiconductor devices. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, this reduction in contact resistance is accomplished by aligning the work function of the crystalline alloy with the work function of the source and drain regions such that a Schottky barrier height associated with an interface between the crystalline alloys and the source and drain regions is in a range of 0.3 eV or less.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for magnetoresitive memory are described. An apparatus for magnetoresitive memory includes a fixed layer, a free layer, and a tunneling barrier between the fixed layer and the free layer. The free layer is a new alloy consisting of a composition of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), and Boron (B) intermixed with a non-magnetic metal according to a ratio. A thin insert layer of CoFeB may optionally be added between the alloy and the tunneling barrier.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are structures, methods, and assemblies related to metallization in integrated circuit (IC) structures. For example, in some embodiments, an IC structure may include a first nanowire in a metal region and a second nanowire in the metal region. A distance between the first nanowire and the second nanowire may be less than 5 nanometers, and the metal region may include tungsten between the first nanowire and the second nanowire.

Abstract: Strain engineering of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (PMTJs) is described. In an example, a memory structure includes a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) element disposed above a substrate. A lateral strain-inducing material layer is disposed on the pMTJ element. An inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed laterally adjacent to both the pMTJ element and the lateral strain-inducing material layer.

Abstract: MTJ material stacks, pSTTM devices employing such stacks, and computing platforms employing such pSTTM devices. In some embodiments, perpendicular MTJ material stacks include a multi-layered filter stack disposed between a fixed magnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer or synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) stack. In some embodiments, non-magnetic layers of the filter stack include at least one of Ta, Mo, Nb, W, or Hf. These transition metals may be in pure form or alloyed with other constituents.

Abstract: Material layer stack structures to provide a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having improved perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) characteristics. In an embodiment, a free magnetic layer of the material layer stack is disposed between a tunnel barrier layer and a cap layer of magnesium oxide (Mg). The free magnetic layer includes a Cobalt-Iron-Boron (CoFeB) body substantially comprised of a combination of Cobalt atoms, Iron atoms and Boron atoms. A first Boron mass fraction of the CoFeB body is equal to or more than 25% (e.g., equal to or more than 27%) in a first region which adjoins an interface of the free magnetic layer with the tunnel barrier layer. In another embodiment, the first Boron mass fraction is more than a second Boron mass fraction in a second region of the CoFeB body which adjoins an interface of the free magnetic layer with the cap layer.

Abstract: A material layer stack for a pSTTM device includes a fixed magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier disposed above the fixed magnetic layer and a free layer disposed on the tunnel barrier. The free layer further includes a stack of bilayers where an uppermost bilayer is capped by a magnetic layer including iron and where each of the bilayers in the free layer includes a non-magnetic layer such as Tungsten, Molybdenum disposed on the magnetic layer. In an embodiment, the non-magnetic layers have a combined thickness that is less than 15% of a combined thickness of the magnetic layers in the stack of bilayers. A stack of bilayers including non-magnetic layers in the free layer can reduce the saturation magnetization of the material layer stack for the pSTTM device and subsequently increase the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for carrying out ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) testing on whole wafers populated with one or more buried magnetic layers. The techniques can be used to verify or troubleshoot processes for forming the buried magnetic layers, without requiring the wafer to be broken. The techniques can also be used to distinguish one magnetic layer from others in the same stack, based on a unique frequency response of that layer. One example methodology includes moving a wafer proximate to a waveguide (within 500 microns, but without shorting), energizing a DC magnetic field near the target measurement point, applying an RF input signal through the waveguide, collecting resonance spectra of the frequency response of the waveguide, and decomposing the resonance spectra into magnetic properties of the target layer. One or both of the DC magnetic field and RF input signal can be swept to generate a robust set of resonance spectra.

Abstract: Integrated circuits including MOSFETs with selectively recessed gate electrodes. Transistors having recessed gate electrodes with reduced capacitive coupling area to adjacent source and drain contact metallization are provided alongside transistors with gate electrodes that are non-recessed and have greater z-height. In embodiments, analog circuits employ transistors with gate electrodes of a given z-height while logic gates employ transistors with recessed gate electrodes of lesser z-height. In embodiments, subsets of substantially planar gate electrodes are selectively etched back to differentiate a height of the gate electrode based on a given transistor's application within a circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus, includes an interconnect, including a conductive material, above a substrate and a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device coupled to the interconnect. The RRAM device includes an electrode structure above the interconnect, where an upper portion of the electrode structure has a first width. The RRAM device further includes a switching layer on the electrode structure, where the switching layer has the first width and an oxygen exchange layer, having a second width less than the first width, on a portion of the switching layer. The RRAM device further includes a top electrode above the oxygen exchange layer, where the top electrode has the second width and an encapsulation layer on a portion of the switching layer, where the switching layer extends along a sidewall of the oxygen exchange layer.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming semiconductor integrated circuits including one or more of source and drain contacts and gate electrodes comprising crystalline alloys including a transition metal. The crystalline alloys help to reduce contact resistance to the semiconductor devices. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, this reduction in contact resistance is accomplished by aligning the work function of the crystalline alloy with the work function of the source and drain regions such that a Schottky barrier height associated with an interface between the crystalline alloys and the source and drain regions is in a range of 0.3 eV or less.