Resistive Memory Cell With Sloped Bottom Electrode

Abstract

A method of forming a resistive memory cell, e.g., a CBRAM or ReRAM cell, may include: forming a plurality of bottom electrode connections, depositing a bottom electrode layer over the bottom electrode connections, performing a first etch to remove portions of the bottom electrode layer such that the remaining bottom electrode layer defines at least one sloped surface, forming an oxidation layer on each sloped surface of the remaining bottom electrode layer, performing a second etch on the remaining bottom electrode layer and oxidation layer on each sloped surface to define at least one upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region above each bottom electrode connection, each upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region defining a bottom electrode tip, and forming an electrolyte region and a top electrode over each bottom electrode tip such that the electrolyte region is arranged between the top electrode and the respective bottom electrode top.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A resistive memory cell, comprising:
 a plurality of bottom electrode connections;   at least one bottom electrode region formed over and conductively coupled to the bottom electrode connections, each bottom electrode region having at least one sloped sidewall and defining an upwardly-pointing tip;   an electrolyte region and a top electrode formed over each bottom electrode region such that the electrolyte region is arranged between the top electrode and the respective bottom electrode region;   wherein the electrolyte region and top electrode formed over each bottom electrode region extend over the respective upwardly-pointing bottom electrode tip and slope downward over the at least one sloped sidewall of the respective bottom electrode region; and   a top electrode connection conductively coupled to each top electrode.   
     
     
         16 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein each bottom electrode region extends over and is conductively coupled to multiple bottom electrode connections. 
     
     
         17 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein each bottom electrode region is aligned with and conductively coupled to a single bottom electrode connection. 
     
     
         18 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein each upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region has a sloped sidewall and a vertical sidewall that meet at a pointed tip edge and define a triangular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         19 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein each upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region comprises a concave bowl-shaped region defining a ring-shaped upper tip. 
     
     
         20 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , further comprising a two-dimensional array of discrete bottom electrode regions. 
     
     
         21 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein each electrolyte region is formed directly over the bottom electrode tip and directly on the at least one sloped sidewall of the respective bottom electrode region. 
     
     
         22 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of bottom electrode connections are arranged in a rows and columns forming a matrix. 
     
     
         23 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 15 , wherein the resistive memory cell is a conductive bridging memory (CBRAM) cell or a resistive RAM (ReRAM) cell. 
     
     
         24 . A resistive memory cell, comprising:
 at least one bottom electrode connection;   a bottom electrode region formed over and conductively coupled to the at least one bottom electrode connection, the bottom electrode region having at least one sloped sidewall and defining an upwardly-pointing tip;   an electrolyte region formed directly on the at least one sloped sidewall and extending directly over the upwardly-pointing tip of the bottom electrode region;   a top electrode formed over the electrolyte region such that the electrolyte region is arranged between the top electrode and the bottom electrode tip; and   a top electrode connection conductively coupled to the top electrode.   
     
     
         25 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the bottom electrode region extends over and is conductively coupled to multiple bottom electrode connections. 
     
     
         26 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the bottom electrode region is aligned with and conductively coupled to a single bottom electrode connection. 
     
     
         27 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region has a sloped sidewall and a vertical sidewall that meet at a pointed tip edge and define a triangular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         28 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 27 , wherein the electrolyte region extends downward adjacent the vertical sidewall of the bottom electrode. 
     
     
         29 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the upwardly-pointing bottom electrode region comprises a concave bowl-shaped region defining a ring-shaped upper tip. 
     
     
         30 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 29 , wherein the electrolyte region extends over the ring-shaped upper tip and downward into the concave bowl-shaped region of the bottom electrode region. 
     
     
         31 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 29 , wherein the electrolyte region and the top electrode extend over the ring-shaped upper tip and downward into the concave bowl-shaped region of the bottom electrode region. 
     
     
         32 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the top electrode is formed directly on the electrolyte region such that both the electrolyte region and the top electrode region slope downwardly over the at least one sloped sidewall of the bottom electrode region. 
     
     
         33 . The resistive memory cell of  claim 24 , wherein the resistive memory cell is a conductive bridging memory (CBRAM) cell or a resistive RAM (ReRAM) cell.