Same conductivity type highly-doped regions for antifuse memory cell

• US 6,642,603 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Knall, N. Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, TU TU V
• Application Number:
  US10/185,515
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 257/530
• US Class Current: 257/530
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5252 comprising anti-fuses, i.e. connections having their state changed from non-conductive to conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A memory cell for a 3-D integrated circuit memory is described. An antifuse region is sandwiched between two heavily doped regions of the same conductivity type.

Claims

1. A memory cell comprising:

first and second spaced-apart conductors;

first and second heavily doped regions of a first conductivity type, the first region being coupled to the first conductor;

an antifuse region sandwiched between the first and second regions; and

a third doped region of a second conductivity type in contact with the second doped region and the second conductor, the first and third regions forming a diode.

2. The memory cell defined by claim 1, wherein the heavily doped regions of the first conductivity type are doped with a P type dopant to a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹ atoms cm<sup>−

3</sup> or greater.

3. The memory cell defined by claim 2, wherein the doping level is greater than 1×

10²⁰ atoms cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

4. The memory cell defined by claim 1, wherein the heavily doped regions of the first conductivity type are doped with a N type dopant to a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹ atoms cm<sup>−

3</sup> or greater.

5. The memory cell defined by claim 4, wherein the doping level is greater than 1×

10²⁰ atoms cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

6. The memory cell defined by claim 2, wherein the third doped region is an N−

region.

7. The memory cell defined by claim 4, wherein the third doped region is an P−

region.

8. The memory cell defined by claim 1, wherein the antifuse region is silicon dioxide region.

9. The memory cell defined by claim 8, wherein the antifuse region is a deposited silicon oxide region.

10. The memory cell defined by claim 8, wherein the antifuse region is a grown silicon dioxide layer.

11. The memory cell defined by claim 2, wherein the antifuse region is a silicon dioxide layer.

12. The memory cell defined by claim 11, wherein the antifuse region is a deposited silicon dioxide layer.

13. The memory cell defined by claim 11, wherein the antifuse region is a grown silicon dioxide layer.

14. The memory cell defined by claim 1, wherein the cell is defined, in part, from rail-stacks.

15. The memory cell defined by claim 1, wherein the first, second, third regions and antifuse region form a pillar structure.

16. In a three-dimensional memory having a plurality of cells formed in a plurality of levels, each cell comprising:

first and second heavily doped regions of a first conductivity type;

an antifuse region sandwiched between the first and second regions;

a third region of a second conductivity type being coupled to the first doped region, the first and third regions forming a diode;

at least one of the first and second regions being a dedicated region for the cell and not providing a conductive path to other cells in the array.

17. The memory array defined by claim 16, wherein the first and second regions are doped with a P type dopant to a doping level of 1×

10¹⁹ atoms cm<sup>−

3</sup> or greater.

18. The memory defined by claim 17, wherein the antifuse region is silicon dioxide.

19. The memory defined by claim 18, wherein the silicon dioxide is deposited.

20. The memory defined by claim 18, wherein the silicon dioxide is grown.