Apparatus including rhodium-based charge traps

• US 8,314,456 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Marsh, Eugene P., Kraus, Brenda D
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, Kiesha
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORNOW, MARK W
• Application Number:
  US13/194,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20110278661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 257314-315, 257/317, 257/321, 257/325, 257/E29.3, 365/129, 365/148, 365/159, 438/257, 438/260
• US Class Current: 257/325
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/13 Use of plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/12 starting from gaseous material
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/40114 the electrodes comprising a conductor-insulator-conductor-insulator-semiconductor structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42332 with the floating gate formed by two or more non connected parts, e.g. multi-particles flating gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7881 Programmable transistors with only two possible levels of programmation H01L29/7888 takes precedence

Abstract

Isolated conductive nanoparticles on a dielectric layer and methods of fabricating such isolated conductive nanoparticles provide charge traps in electronic structures for use in a wide range of electronic devices and systems. In an embodiment, conductive nanoparticles are deposited on a dielectric layer by a plasma-assisted deposition process such that each conductive nanoparticle is isolated from the other conductive nanoparticles to configure the conductive nanoparticles as charge traps.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a dielectric;

conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles arranged on the dielectric such that each conductive rhodium-based nanoparticle is isolated from the other conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles configured as charge traps, one or more of the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles including conductive rhodium oxide; and

a conductive element disposed above the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, the conductive element arranged such that the conductive element operatively controls the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles as charge storage elements.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are configured having a selected retention loss property, the selected retention loss property includes a retention loss property of 1 volt or less at 150°

C. at 24 hrs.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles include conductive rhodium oxide nanoparticles.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles include rhodium nanoparticles covered with a conductive rhodium oxide.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric includes one or more of HfO_x, ZrO_x, TiO_x, TaO_x, AlO_x, LaAlO_x, a lanthanide oxide, or corresponding metal silicates.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric includes one or more of a metal oxide, an insulative nitride, or an insulative oxynitride.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, and the conductive element are arranged in a stack in a sequence of a silicon oxide/the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles/a metal oxide/hafnium oxide/the conductive element.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the conductive element includes TaN.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metal oxide includes aluminum oxide.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes dielectric material between the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles and the conductive element, the dielectric material including one or more of a lanthanide oxide, a metal oxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or corresponding metal silicates.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising:

conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles on a dielectric such that each conductive rhodium-based nanoparticle is isolated from the other conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles configured as charge traps, one or more of the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles including conductive rhodium oxide;

a capping dielectric on and contacting the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles and contacting the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles; and

a conductive element over the capping dielectric, the conductive element arranged such that the conductive element operatively controls the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles as charge storage elements.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are configured having a selected retention loss property, the selected retention loss property includes a retention loss property of 1 volt or less at 150°

C. at 24 hrs.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dielectric includes a HfO_x layer in contact with the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dielectric includes a metal oxide.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dielectric includes a nanolaminate.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles include conductive rhodium oxide nanoparticles.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conductive nanoparticles essentially consist of conductive rhodium oxide nanoparticles.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are arranged such that a plurality of the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are disposed on a first plane and another plurality of the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are disposed on a second plane, the second plane intersecting the first plane.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dielectric, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, and the capping dielectric are arranged to operate as a floating gate transistor.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dielectric, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, and the capping dielectric are arranged to operate as a memory element in an integrated circuit.

21. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a memory having an array of memory cells, each memory cell including;

conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles arranged on a dielectric such that each conductive rhodium-based nanoparticle is isolated from the other conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles configured as a charge storage unit, one or more of the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles including conductive rhodium oxide; and

a conductive element disposed above the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles, the conductive element arranged such that the conductive element operatively controls the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles as charge storage elements.

22. The electronic apparatus of claim 21, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a controller coupled to the memory.

23. The electronic apparatus of claim 21, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles are configured having a selected retention loss property, the selected retention loss property includes a retention loss property of 1 volt or less at 150°

C. at 24 hrs.

24. The electronic apparatus of claim 21, wherein the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles include rhodium nanoparticles covered with a conductive rhodium oxide.

25. The electronic apparatus of claim 21, wherein the electronic apparatus includes dielectric material between the conductive rhodium-based nanoparticles and the conductive element, the dielectric material including one or more of a lanthanide oxide, a metal oxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or corresponding metal silicates.