Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method of processing a substrate in an integrated tool comprising a physical vapor deposition chamber and a thermal atomic layer deposition chamber comprises depositing, in the physical vapor deposition chamber, a bottom layer of titanium nitride on the substrate to a thickness of about 10 nm to about 80 nm, transferring, without vacuum break, the substrate from the physical vapor deposition chamber to the thermal atomic layer deposition chamber for depositing a nanolaminate layer of high-k material atop the bottom layer of titanium nitride to a thickness of about 2 nm to about 10 nm, and transferring, without vacuum break, the substrate from the thermal atomic layer deposition chamber to the physical vapor deposition chamber for depositing a top layer of titanium nitride atop the nanolaminate layer of high-k material to a thickness of about 10 nm to about 80 nm.

Abstract: Provided are nonvolatile memory assemblies each including a resistive switching layer and current steering element. The steering element may be a transistor connected in series with the switching layer. Resistance control provided by the steering element allows using switching layers requiring low switching voltages and currents. Memory assemblies including such switching layers are easier to embed into integrated circuit chips having other low voltage components, such as logic and digital signal processing components, than, for example, flash memory requiring much higher switching voltages. In some embodiments, provided nonvolatile memory assemblies operate at switching voltages less than about 3.0V and corresponding currents less than 50 microamperes. A memory element may include a metal rich hafnium oxide disposed between a titanium nitride electrode and doped polysilicon electrode. One electrode may be connected to a drain or source of the transistor, while another electrode is connected to a signal line.

Abstract: Selector devices that can be suitable for memory device applications can have low leakage currents at low voltages to reduce sneak current paths for non selected devices, and high leakage currents at high voltages to minimize voltage drops during device switching. In some embodiments, the selector device can include a first electrode, a tri-layer dielectric layer, and a second electrode. The tri-layer dielectric layer can include a high leakage dielectric layer sandwiched between two lower leakage dielectric layers. The low leakage layers can function to restrict the current flow across the selector device at low voltages. The high leakage dielectric layer can function to enhance the current flow across the selector device at high voltages.

Abstract: Resistive switching nonvolatile memory elements are provided. A metal-containing layer and an oxide layer for a memory element can be heated using rapid thermal annealing techniques. During heating, the oxide layer may decompose and react with the metal-containing layer. Oxygen from the decomposing oxide layer may form a metal oxide with metal from the metal-containing layer. The resulting metal oxide may exhibit resistive switching for the resistive switching memory elements.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a nonvolatile memory device and related methods of manufacture and operation. The device may include one or more resistive random access memory (ReRAM) approaches to provide a memory device with more predictable operation. In particular, the forming voltage required by particular designs may be reduced through the use of a barrier layer, a reverse polarity forming voltage pulse, a forming voltage pulse where electrons are injected from a lower work function electrode, or an anneal in a reducing environment. One or more of these techniques may be applied, depending on the desired application and results.

Abstract: Methods for sealing a porous dielectric are presented including: receiving a substrate, the substrate including the porous dielectric; exposing the substrate to an organosilane, where the organosilane includes a hydrolysable group for facilitating attachment with the porous dielectric, and where the organosilane does not include an alkyl group; and forming a layer as a result of the exposing to seal the porous dielectric. In some embodiments, methods are presented where the organosilane includes: alkynyl groups, aryl groups, fluoroalkyl groups, heteroaryl groups, alcohol groups, thiol groups, amine groups, thiocarbamate groups, ester groups, ether groups, sulfide groups, and nitrile groups. In some embodiments, method further include: removing contamination from the porous dielectric and a conductive region of the substrate prior to the exposing; and removing contamination from the conductive region after the forming.

Abstract: Multistate nonvolatile memory elements are provided. The multistate nonvolatile memory elements contain multiple layers. Each layer may be based on a different bistable material. The bistable materials may be resistive switching materials such as resistive switching metal oxides. Optional conductor layers and current steering elements may be connected in series with the bistable resistive switching metal oxide layers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to memory devices and methods for fabricating such memory devices. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a resistive switching memory device includes depositing a metallic layer on a lower electrode disposed on a substrate and exposing the metallic layer to an activated oxygen source while heating the substrate to an oxidizing temperature within a range from about 300° C. to about 600° C. and forming a metal oxide layer from an upper portion of the metallic layer during an oxidation process. The lower electrode contains a silicon material and the metallic layer contains hafnium or zirconium. Subsequent to the oxidation process, the method further includes heating the substrate to an annealing temperature within a range from greater than 600° C. to about 850° C. while forming a metal silicide layer from a lower portion of the metallic layer during a silicidation process.

Abstract: Steps are taken to ensure that the bulk dielectric layer exhibits a crystalline phase before the deposition of a second electrode layer. The crystalline phase of the bulk dielectric layer facilitates the crystallization of the second electrode layer at lower temperature during a subsequent anneal treatment. In some embodiments, one or more interface layers are inserted between the bulk dielectric layer and the first electrode layer and/or the second electrode layer. The interface layers may act as an oxygen sink, facilitate the crystallization of the electrode layer at lower temperature during a subsequent anneal treatment, or provide barriers to leakage current through the film stack.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention sets forth an embedded resistive memory cell that includes a first stack of deposited layers, a second stack of deposited layers, a first electrode disposed under a first portion of the first stack, and a second electrode disposed under a second portion of the first stack and extending from under the second portion of the first stack to under the second stack. The second electrode is disposed proximate to the first electrode within the embedded resistive memory cell. The first stack of deposited layers includes a dielectric layer, a high-k dielectric layer disposed above the dielectric layer, and a metal layer disposed above the high-k dielectric layer. The second stack of deposited layers includes a high-k dielectric layer formed simultaneously with the high-k dielectric layer included in the first stack, and a metal layer disposed above the high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A nonvolatile resistive memory element includes an oxygen-gettering layer. The oxygen-gettering layer is formed as part of an electrode stack, and is more thermodynamically favorable in gettering oxygen than other layers of the electrode stack. The Gibbs free energy of formation (?fG°) of an oxide of the oxygen-gettering layer is less (i.e., more negative) than the Gibbs free energy of formation of an oxide of the adjacent layers of the electrode stack. The oxygen-gettering layer reacts with oxygen present in the adjacent layers of the electrode stack, thereby preventing this oxygen from diffusing into nearby silicon layers to undesirably increase an SiO2 interfacial layer thickness in the memory element and may alternately be selected to decrease such thickness during subsequent processing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally include a method of forming a nonvolatile memory device that contains a resistive switching memory element that has an improved device switching performance and lifetime, due to the addition of a current limiting component disposed therein. In one embodiment, the current limiting component comprises at least one layer of resistive material that is configured to improve the switching performance and lifetime of the formed resistive switching memory element. The electrical properties of the formed current limiting layer, or resistive layer, are configured to lower the current flow through the variable resistance layer during the logic state programming steps (i.e., “set” and “reset” steps) by adding a fixed series resistance in the formed resistive switching memory element found in the nonvolatile memory device.

Abstract: Methods for sealing a porous dielectric are presented including: receiving a substrate, the substrate including the porous dielectric; exposing the substrate to an organosilane, where the organosilane includes a hydrolysable group for facilitating attachment with the porous dielectric, and where the organosilane does not include an alkyl group; and forming a layer as a result of the exposing to seal the porous dielectric. In some embodiments, methods are presented where the organosilane includes: alkynyl groups, aryl groups, flouroalkyl groups, heteroarlyl groups, alcohol groups, thiol groups, amine groups, thiocarbamate groups, ester groups, ether groups, sulfide groups, and nitrile groups. In some embodiments, method further include: removing contamination from the porous dielectric and a conductive region of the substrate prior to the exposing; and removing contamination from the conductive region after the forming.

Abstract: Non-volatile resistive-switching memories are described, including a memory element having a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal oxide between the first electrode and the second electrode. The metal oxide switches using bulk-mediated switching, has a bandgap greater than 4 electron volts (eV), has a set voltage for a set operation of at least one volt per one hundred angstroms of a thickness of the metal oxide, and has a leakage current density less than 40 amps per square centimeter (A/cm2) measured at 0.5 volts (V) per twenty angstroms of the thickness of the metal oxide.

Abstract: Apparatus for high productivity combinatorial (HPC) processing of semiconductor substrates and HPC methods are described. An apparatus includes a showerhead and two or more pressure-controlled one-way valves connected to the showerhead and used for controlling flow of different processing gases into the showerhead. The pressure-controlled one-way valves are not externally controlled by any control systems. Instead, these valves open and close in response to preset conditions, such as pressure differentials and/or flow differentials. One example of such pressure-controlled one-way valves is a check valve. These valves generally allow the flow only in one direction, i.e., into the showerhead. Furthermore, lack of external controls and specific mechanical designs allow positioning these pressure-controlled one-way valves in close proximity to the showerhead thereby reducing the dead volume between the valves and the showerhead and also operating these valves at high temperatures.

Abstract: Methods for sealing a porous dielectric are presented including: receiving a substrate, the substrate including the porous dielectric; exposing the substrate to an organosilane, where the organosilane includes a hydrolysable group for facilitating attachment with the porous dielectric, and where the organosilane does not include an alkyl group; and forming a layer as a result of the exposing to seal the porous dielectric. In some embodiments, methods are presented where the organosilane includes: alkynyl groups, aryl groups, flouroalkyl groups, heteroarlyl groups, alcohol groups, thiol groups, amine groups, thiocarbamate groups, ester groups, ether groups, sulfide groups, and nitrile groups. In some embodiments, method further include: removing contamination from the porous dielectric and a conductive region of the substrate prior to the exposing; and removing contamination from the conductive region after the forming.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cyclic deposition process suitable for depositing an elemental film. The process employs an enhanced atomic layer deposition technique.

Abstract: According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an apparatus and method for enhanced deposition and etch techniques is described, including a pedestal, the pedestal having at least two electrodes embedded in the pedestal, a showerhead above the pedestal, a plasma gas source connected to the showerhead, wherein the showerhead is configured to deliver plasma gas to a processing region between the showerhead and the substrate and a power source operably connected to the showerhead and the at least two electrodes with plasma being substantially contained in an area which corresponds with one electrode of the at least two electrodes.

Abstract: Provided are nonvolatile memory assemblies each including a resistive switching layer and current steering element. The steering element may be a transistor connected in series with the switching layer. Resistance control provided by the steering element allows using switching layers requiring low switching voltages and currents. Memory assemblies including such switching layers are easier to embed into integrated circuit chips having other low voltage components, such as logic and digital signal processing components, than, for example, flash memory requiring much higher switching voltages. In some embodiments, provided nonvolatile memory assemblies operate at switching voltages less than about 3.0V and corresponding currents less than 50 microamperes. A memory element may include a metal rich hafnium oxide disposed between a titanium nitride electrode and doped polysilicon electrode. One electrode may be connected to a drain or source of the transistor, while another electrode is connected to a signal line.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a resistive switching nonvolatile memory device having an interface layer structure disposed between at least one of the electrodes and a variable resistance layer formed in the nonvolatile memory device, and a method of forming the same. Typically, resistive switching memory elements may be formed as part of a high-capacity nonvolatile memory integrated circuit, which can be used in various electronic devices, such as digital cameras, mobile telephones, handheld computers, and music players. In one configuration of the resistive switching nonvolatile memory device, the interface layer structure comprises a passivation region, an interface coupling region, and/or a variable resistance layer interface region that are configured to adjust the nonvolatile memory device's performance, such as lowering the formed device's switching currents and reducing the device's forming voltage, and reducing the performance variation from one formed device to another.