Resistance-switching oxide thin film devices

Abstract

Resistance-switching oxide films, and devices therewith, are disclosed. Resistance-switching oxide films, according to certain preferred aspects of the present invention, include at least about 75 atomic percent of an insulator oxide matrix having a conducting material dopant in an amount up to about 25 atomic percent. The matrix and dopant are preferably in solid solution. The insulator oxide matrix may also preferably include about 6 to about 12 atomic percent of a conducting material dopant. According to certain aspects of the present invention, the insulator oxide matrix, the conducting material dopant, or both, may have a perovskite crystal structure. The insulator oxide matrix may preferably include at least one of LaAlO 3 and CaZrO 3 . Preferred conducting material dopants include SrRuO 3 , CaRuO 3 , or combinations thereof.

1 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first electrically conductive layer;   at least one semiconductor composition layer disposed on said first conductive layer, wherein said semiconductor composition layer comprises a solid solution of at least two perovskite materials; and   a second electrically conductive layer disposed on said semiconductor layer.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein said device comprises at least one non-volatile memory device. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein said device comprises at least one resistance random access memory device. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate wherein said first conductive layer is disposed on said substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein said substrate comprises SrTiO 3 . 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein said substrate comprises at least one of platinum and silicon. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein said first conductive layer and said semiconductor layer maintain an epitaxial relationship with said substrate layer. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein said substrate layer has a crystal orientation of (100), or its crystallographic equivalent. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first conductive layer and said second conductive layer comprises SrRuO 3 . 
     
     
         10 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a first electrically conductive layer;   at least one semiconductor composition layer disposed on said first conductive layer, wherein said semiconductor layer comprises at least about 75 atomic percent of an insulator oxide matrix and up to about 25 atomic percent of at least one dopant; and   a second electrically conductive layer disposed on said semiconductor layer, wherein said at least one dopant has a work function equivalent to at least one of said first conductive layer and second conductive layer.   
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein said semiconductor layer comprises about 6 to about 12 atomic percent of said dopant. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein said semiconductor layer comprises about 5 to about 17 atomic percent of said dopant. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , further comprising a substrate wherein said first conductive layer is disposed on said substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor device of  claim 13 , wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor. 
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor device of  claim 13 , wherein said substrate comprises SrTiO 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The semiconductor device of  claim 13 , wherein said first conductive layer and said semiconductor layer maintain an epitaxial relationship with said substrate layer. 
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor device of  claim 13 , wherein said substrate layer has a crystal orientation of (100), or its crystallographic equivalent. 
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor device of  claim 13 , wherein said substrate comprises at least one of platinum and silicon. 
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein said first conductive layer comprises SrRuO 3 . 
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one isolation layer. 
     
     
         21 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one isolation layer wherein said isolation layer includes the same insulator oxide matrix as that used for the semiconductor composition layer. 
     
     
         22 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein said device is a non-volatile memory device. 
     
     
         23 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein said device comprises at least one resistance random access memory device.