Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D84/00—Integrated devices formed in or on semiconductor substrates that comprise only semiconducting layers, e.g. on Si wafers or on GaAs-on-Si wafers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D18/00—Thyristors

Definitions

• Thyristor random access memory provides a memory structure that does not need an exclusive storage capacitor, separate from a select transistor, to store a memory state.
• TRAM Thyristor random access memory
• device configurations to date use a considerable amount of surface area. Improvements in device configuration are needed to further improve memory density. Further, it is desirable to form devices using manufacturing methods that are reliable and efficient.
• FIG. 1 shows an example memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 shows trigger voltage of an example memory cell at various gate voltages according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 3 shows an example method of forming a memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 4 shows an information handling system that includes an example memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention.
• wafer and substrate used in the following description include any structure having an exposed surface with which to form a device or integrated circuit (IC) structure.
• substrate is understood to include semiconductor wafers.
• substrate is also used to refer to semiconductor structures during processing, and may include other layers, such as silicon-on- insulator (SOI), etc. that have been fabricated thereupon.
• SOI silicon-on- insulator
• Both wafer and substrate include doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial semiconductor layers supported by a base semiconductor or insulator, as well as other semiconductor structures well known to one skilled in the art.
• conductor is understood to include semiconductors, and the term insulator or dielectric is defined to include any material that is less electrically conductive than the materials referred to as conductors.
• horizontal as used in this application is defined as a plane parallel to the conventional plane or surface of a wafer or substrate, regardless of the orientation of the wafer or substrate.
• vertical refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as defined above. Prepositions, such as “on”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “over” and “under” are defined with respect to the conventional plane or surface being on the top surface of the wafer or substrate, regardless of the orientation of the wafer or substrate.
• Figure 1 shows a memory cell 100 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the memory cell 100 includes a first type doped semiconductor base 110.
• the first type doped semiconductor base 110 is shown with two upward facing ends 106 and 108.
• the term "upward" in the present specification is defined with respect to a semiconductor wafer during manufacture.
• a fabricated memory chip may have any of a number of possible orientations when in use.
• a space is included between the two upward facing ends 106 and 108. In one embodiment, the space defines a part of a conduction path 140, discussed in more detail below.
• Figure 1 further shows a second type doped semiconductor structure 112 coupled to a first of the upward facing ends 106, and another second type doped semiconductor structure 114 coupled to a second of the upward facing ends 108.
• the first type doped semiconductor is p-type
• the second type doped semiconductor is n-type although the invention is not so limited.
• the first type doped semiconductor is n-type
• the second type doped semiconductor is p-type.
• first type doped semiconductor top structure 116 located over the second type doped semiconductor structure 112.
• the configuration shown in Figure 1 forms a first p-n junction 122, a second p-n junction 124, and a third p-n junction 126.
• the p-n junctions (122, 124, 126) are coupled in series along a conduction path 140 to form a thyristor device.
• the first type doped semiconductor base 110 along with the upward facing ends 106 and 108 define a folded structure.
• a folded structure is more compact in areal footprint than horizontal structures.
• the areal footprint includes a width 130 and a length 132 that is approximately four lithographic feature squares (4F 2 ).
• Lithographic feature squares define how many devices or elements of devices can fit into a given area on a substrate when manufactured by optical lithography. The actual device dimensions may depend on several factors, including lithography and etch conditions. However, the relative figure of merit "F" is independent of wavelength, and is often used in the semiconductor industry to compare device architectures to one another for spatial efficiency.
• Figure 1 further illustrates an embodiment where the first type doped semiconductor base 110 is located on an insulator region 102.
• the insulator region 102 includes an oxide as the insulator material.
• a floating body region 160 is created at the base of the memory device 100. Embodiments with a floating body region 160 may show less charge leakage over embodiments formed directly on semiconductor material, without an insulator region.
• the insulator region 102 is an insulator region in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer.
• SOI silicon-on-insulator
• the first type doped semiconductor base 110 may be formed from a top semiconductor region in the wafer.
• the top semiconductor region is provided as a p-doped region in the wafer form.
• the top semiconductor region is doped during fabrication of the memory device 100.
• the insulator region 102 is formed under individual memory devices 100 using a shallow trench isolation (STI) undercut operation.
• STI shallow trench isolation
• trenches are etched adjacent to the memory device 100, and anisotropic etching is used to form an undercut region, that is subsequently filled, e.g. by deposition, with an insulator material, such as an oxide of silicon.
• Figure 1 further illustrates a gate 120 formed adjacent to at least one side of the first type doped semiconductor base 110.
• the example shown in Figure 1 illustrates the gate 120 formed adjacent to four sides of the first type doped semiconductor base 110 to substantially surround the first type doped semiconductor base 110.
• a gate insulator is formed at an interface 121 between the gate 120 and the first type doped semiconductor base 110.
• a gate voltage to the gate 120 above a threshold value causes the first type doped semiconductor base 110 to invert and causes the second type doped semiconductor structure 114 to overcome the barrier of the first type doped semiconductor base 110 and connect to the second type doped semiconductor structure 112. Because of gate inversion, an anode to cathode voltage need not be high enough to cause avalanche generation, and therefore a snap back voltage resembles a diode turn-on.
• a gate coupled base e.g. gate 120, as illustrated, is used to modulate "write" voltage conditions of the memory device 100.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a spectrum of gate voltages (VGs) and the effect on current versus applied voltage at the second type doped semiconductor structure 114.
• VGs gate voltages
• Figure 3 shows an example method of making a memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention.
• a p-type base region is formed on a semiconductor substrate.
• Operation 310 further describes forming a pair of upward facing ends in the p-type base region, with a folded conduction path between the pair of upward facing ends.
• Operation 320 recites forming a pair of n-type structures over the upward facing ends of the p-type base structure to form first and second p-n junctions along the conduction path.
• p-type base structure and n-type structures attached to the base structure are described, alternative doping arrangements are possible.
• Operation 330 recites forming a p-type structure on one of the n-type structures to form a third p-n junction along the conduction path, and operation 340 recites forming a gate substantially surrounding the p-type base structure.
• Operation 350 recites electrically isolating the p-type base region from the rest of the semiconductor substrate.
• electrical isolation is provided by forming the memory device 100 on an SOI substrate.
• the insulator region of the SOI substrate provides the electrical isolation, and at least the base region is formed from the surface semiconductor region of the SOI substrate.
• This example may use a small number of process steps, because the insulator region is part of the wafer, and does not need to be created during the manufacturing process.
• SOI wafers can cost more than silicon wafers.
• a silicon wafer is used, and an STI undercut operation is used to electrically isolate the memory device from the semiconductor substrate. This process may use more steps in manufacture, but the wafer can be less expensive.
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an information handling system 400 incorporating at least one chip or chip assembly 404 that includes memory cells according to embodiments of the invention as described above.
• Information handling system 400 is merely one embodiment of an electronic system in which the present invention can be used. Other examples include, but are not limited to, netbooks, cameras, personal data assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones, MP3 players, aircraft, satellites, military vehicles, etc.
• information handling system 400 comprises a data processing system that includes a system bus 402 to couple the various components of the system.
• System bus 402 provides communications links among the various components of the information handling system 400 and may be implemented as a single bus, as a combination of busses, or in any other suitable manner.
• Chip assembly 404 is coupled to the system bus 402.
• Chip assembly 404 may include any circuit or operably compatible combination of circuits.
• chip assembly 404 includes a processor 406 that can be of any type.
• processor means any type of computational circuit such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or any other type of processor or processing circuit.
• a memory chip 407 is included in the chip assembly 404.
• the memory chip 407 includes a thyristor memory device as described in embodiments above.
• additional logic chips 408 other than processor chips are included in the chip assembly 404.
• An example of a logic chip 408 other than a processor includes an analog to digital converter.
• Other circuits on logic chips 408 such as custom circuits, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. are also included in one embodiment of the invention.
• Information handling system 400 may also include an external memory 411, which in turn can include one or more memory elements suitable to the particular application, such as one or more hard drives 412, and/or one or more drives that handle removable media 413 such as floppy diskettes, compact disks (CDs), flash drives, digital video disks (DVDs), and the like.
• an external memory 411 can include one or more memory elements suitable to the particular application, such as one or more hard drives 412, and/or one or more drives that handle removable media 413 such as floppy diskettes, compact disks (CDs), flash drives, digital video disks (DVDs), and the like.
• a memory constructed as described in examples above is included in the information handling system 400.
• Information handling system 400 may also include a display device 409 such as a monitor, additional peripheral components 410, such as speakers, etc. and a keyboard and/or controller 414, which can include a mouse, trackball, game controller, voice-recognition device, or any other device that permits a system user to input information into and receive information from the information handling system 400.
• a display device 409 such as a monitor
• additional peripheral components 410 such as speakers, etc.
• keyboard and/or controller 414 which can include a mouse, trackball, game controller, voice-recognition device, or any other device that permits a system user to input information into and receive information from the information handling system 400.

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• Non-Volatile Memory (AREA)

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• 2010
  • 2010-07-19 US US12/838,803 patent/US8455919B2/en active Active
• 2011
  • 2011-07-18 TW TW100125334A patent/TWI481015B/zh active
  • 2011-07-19 KR KR1020137004069A patent/KR101875677B1/ko active Active
  • 2011-07-19 CN CN201180042303.4A patent/CN103098212B/zh active Active
  • 2011-07-19 WO PCT/US2011/044546 patent/WO2012012435A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2011-07-19 JP JP2013520812A patent/JP5686896B2/ja active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-09-15 US US13/621,002 patent/US8754443B2/en active Active

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