Semiconductor device, data element thereof and method of fabricating the same

• US 7,981,742 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chien, Wei-Chih, Lai, Erh-Kun, Hsieh, Kuang-Yeu, Chang, Kuo-Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): Toledo; Fernando L
• Application Number:
  US12/166,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 257/324, 257/E21.334, 257/E29.308, 438/237, 438/240, 438/241, 438/396, 438/397
• US Class Current: 438/241
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/101 including resistors or capacitors only
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 20/00 Read-only memory [ROM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 20/20 Programmable ROM [PROM] devices comprising field-effect components H10B20/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method comprises: (a) providing a first and a second conductor; (b) providing a conductive layer; (c) forming a part of the conductive layer into a data storage layer by a plasma oxidation process, wherein the data storage layer is positioned between the first and the second conductor.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

providing a first and a second conductor;

providing a conductive layer; and

forming a part of the conductive layer into a data storage layer by a plasma oxidation process, wherein the data storage layer is positioned between the first and the second conductor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive layer is made of copper, tungsten, nickel, Titanium, Hafnium, magnesium or the combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

forming a diode over the data storage layer.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing a transistor electrically coupled to the data storage layer.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming a patterned dielectric layer over the conductive layer so as to expose the part of the conductive layer; and

oxidizing the exposed conductive layer so as to form the data storage layer over the first conductor.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming a dielectric layer over the first conductor;

patterning the dielectric layer so as to form a through hole thereof;

filling the through hole with the conductive layer; and

oxidizing the conductive layer so as to form the data storage layer, wherein the second conductor is positioned over the dielectric layer and the data storage layer, and the data storage layer is interposed between the second conductor and the conductive layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a programmable read-only memory (PROM).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the conductive layer is made of aluminum and the data storage layer is made of aluminum oxide.

9. A method of fabricating a data element, comprising:

providing a conductive layer; and

oxidizing a part of the conductive layer into a data storage layer by a plasma process.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the conductive layer is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, nickel, titanium, hafnium, magnesium and the combination thereof.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

forming a diode over the data storage layer.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

providing a transistor electrically coupled to the data storage layer.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

forming a patterned dielectric layer over the conductive layer so as to expose the part of the conductive layer; and

oxidizing the exposed conductive layer so as to form the data storage layer.

14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

providing a first conductor;

forming a dielectric layer on the first conductor;

patterning the dielectric layer so as to form a through hole thereof;

filling the through hole with the conductive layer;

oxidizing the conductive layer so as to form the data storage layer; and

providing a second conductor on the dielectric layer and the data storage layer, wherein the data storage layer is interposed between the second conductor and the conductive layer.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the data element is a programmable read-only memory (PROM).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the conductive layer is made of aluminum and the data storage layer is made of aluminum oxide.

17. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first and a second conductors;

a patterned dielectric layer having a through hole, disposed on the first conductor;

a conductive layer filling in the through hole, wherein the second conductor is formed over the conductive layer and the patterned dielectric layer;

a data storage layer formed by a plasma oxidation process;

wherein the data storage layer is positioned between the conductive layer and one of the first conductor and the second conductor.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the data storage layer is made of cooper oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel oxide, Titanium oxide, Hafnium oxide, magnesium or the combination thereof.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a transistor, disposed under the first conductor.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein a diode is positioned in the through hole, the data storage layer is positioned between the first conductor and the diode.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein a diode is electrically coupled to the data storage layer.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the data storage layer is recoverable.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the semiconductor device is a programmable read-only memory (PROM).

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the data storage layer is made of aluminum oxide.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first and a second conductors;

a data storage layer formed by a plasma oxidation process;

a dielectric layer having a through hole, the dielectric layer disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor; and

a diode positioned in the through hole;

wherein the data storage layer is positioned between the first and the second conductors and is positioned between the first conductor and the diode.