Abstract: During fabrication of a two-terminal memory device, a terminal (e.g., bottom terminal) can be formed. After formation of the terminal, a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process can be applied that, depending on the composition of the terminal, can cause damage that affect operating characteristics of the finished memory device or cell. In some embodiments, such damage can be removed by one or more post-CMP processes. In some embodiments, such damage can be mitigated so as to prevent the damage from occurring at all, by, e.g., forming a sacrificial layer atop the terminal prior to performing the CMP process. Thus, the sacrificial layer can operate to protect the terminal from damage resulting from the CMP process, with the remainder of the sacrificial layer being removed prior to completing the fabrication of the two-terminal memory device.

Abstract: Embodiments of copper-free semiconductor device interfaces and methods for forming and/or utilizing the same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a semiconductor structure may include a substrate having an exposed copper-containing feature; and a copper-free interface disposed over the substrate and providing a conductive interconnect between the copper-containing feature and an upper surface of the copper-free interface to facilitate electrical coupling of the substrate to a semiconductor device while physically isolating the semiconductor device from the copper-containing feature.