U.S. patent application number 16/933516 was filed with the patent office on 2022-01-20 for resistive element for pcm rpu by trench depth patterning.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Guy M. Cohen.
Application Number | 20220020922 16/933516 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006062718 |
Filed Date | 2022-01-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220020922 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cohen; Guy M. |
January 20, 2022 |
Resistive Element for PCM RPU by Trench Depth Patterning
Abstract
Resistive elements for PCM RPUs and techniques for fabrication
thereof using trench depth pattering are provided. In one aspect,
an RPU device includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; a
heater; and a PCM disposed over the first electrode, the second
electrode and the heater, wherein the heater includes a combination
of a first material having a resistivity r1 and a second material
having a resistivity r2, wherein r1>r2, and wherein only the
first material is present beneath the PCM and forms a resistive
heating element. A method of operating an RPU device is also
provided.
Inventors: |
Cohen; Guy M.; (Ossining,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006062718 |
Appl. No.: |
16/933516 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11C 13/0004 20130101;
G11C 2013/008 20130101; H01L 45/06 20130101; H01L 45/16 20130101;
H01L 45/1226 20130101; G11C 13/0069 20130101; H01L 45/126
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 45/00 20060101
H01L045/00; G11C 13/00 20060101 G11C013/00 |
Claims
1. A resistive processing unit (RPU) device, comprising: a first
electrode; a second electrode; a heater; and a phase change
material (PCM) disposed over the first electrode, the second
electrode and the heater, wherein the heater comprises a
combination of a first material having a resistivity r1 and a
second material having a resistivity r2, wherein r1>r2, and
wherein only the first material is present beneath the PCM and
comprises a resistive heating element.
2. The RPU device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is
oriented parallel to the second electrode, and wherein the heater
is present in between the first electrode and the second
electrode.
3. The RPU device of claim 2, wherein the PCM is oriented
orthogonal to the first electrode, the second electrode and the
heater.
4. The RPU device of claim 1, wherein the PCM is in direct contact
with the first electrode, the second electrode.
5. The RPU device of claim 1, further comprising: an insulator
separating the PCM from the heater.
6. The RPU device of claim 5, wherein the insulator comprises an
electrical insulator that is a thermal conductor.
7. The RPU device of claim 6, wherein the insulator comprises a
material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum nitride
(AlN), boron nitride (BN), hexagonal BN, diamond, and combinations
thereof.
8. The RPU device of claim 1, wherein the first material is
selected from the group consisting of: tantalum nitride (TaN),
carbon doped with hydrogen, and combinations thereof, and wherein
the second material is selected from the group consisting of:
titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten (W), and combinations thereof.
9. The RPU device of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises
TaN, and wherein the second material comprises TiN.
10. The RPU device of claim 1, further comprising: a substrate on
which the first electrode, the second electrode and the heater are
disposed, wherein the substrate comprises a trench in which the
heater is present, and wherein the trench has a first depth D1 to
either side of the PCM, and a second depth D2 directly below the
PCM, wherein D1>D2.
11. A method of forming an RPU device, the method comprising the
steps of: forming a first electrode and a second electrode on a
substrate, wherein the first electrode is oriented parallel to the
second electrode; forming a heater on the substrate in between the
first electrode and the second electrode; and depositing a PCM onto
the first electrode, the second electrode and the heater.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of forming the heater
further comprises the steps of: patterning a trench in the
substrate to a depth D1; depositing hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ)
onto the substrate and into the trench to reduce the trench to a
depth D2, wherein D1>D2; cross-linking the HSQ within the trench
to form cross-linked HSQ in a select portion of the trench;
removing non-cross-linked HSQ; depositing a first material having a
resistivity r1 into the trench over the cross-linked HSQ;
depositing a second material having a resistivity r2 over the first
material, wherein r1>r2; and planarizing the first material and
the second material such that, following the planarization, only
the first material is present in the select portion of the trench
and comprises a resistive heating element.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cross-linking is performed
using electron-beam (e-beam) exposure.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the HSQ deposited into the
trench is thicker than the HSQ deposited on a surface of the
substrate near an edge of the trench.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first material is selected
from the group consisting of: TaN, carbon doped with hydrogen, and
combinations thereof, and wherein the second material is selected
from the group consisting of: TiN, W, and combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
depositing an insulator onto the heater such that the PCM is
deposited on the heater over the insulator, wherein the insulator
comprises an electrical insulator that is a thermal conductor.
17. (canceled)
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the PCM is oriented orthogonal
to the first electrode, the second electrode and the heater.
19. A method of operating an RPU device, the method comprising the
steps of: providing the RPU device comprising: a first electrode, a
second electrode, a heater, and a PCM disposed over the first
electrode, the second electrode and the heater; and applying a
programming pulse to the heater to convert at least a portion of
the PCM from a poly-crystalline state to an amorphous state.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:
applying a SET pulse to the heater to convert the PCM from the
amorphous state back to the poly-crystalline state.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to phase change material (PCM)
resistive processing units (RPUs), and more particularly, to
resistive elements for PCM RPUs and techniques for fabrication
thereof using trench depth patterning.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A resistive processing unit (RPU) stores information based
on the resistance of the RPU. During programming, a SET operation
is used to program the RPU to a low-resistance state representing a
data value such as a logic `1` or a logic `0`. A subsequent RESET
operation is then used to return the RPU to its previous
high-resistance state.
[0003] As its name implies, a phase change material or PCM is a
material that can be switched from one phase to another. Based on
the properties of the different phases, PCMs have been explored for
their use in RPUs. Namely, a PCM provides a relatively high
resistance when it is in an amorphous phase, and a relatively low
resistance when it is in a crystalline phase.
[0004] Conventional PCM RPU devices often employ the PCM material
as a layer disposed between two electrodes. For instance, the PCM
material can be disposed on a bottom electrode, and a top electrode
disposed on the PCM material. This configuration is also referred
to herein as a two-terminal design.
[0005] However, with a two-terminal PCM RPU design both programming
and readout of the RPU is performed using the same two electrodes,
which imposes some notable performance limitations. For instance,
in a two-terminal PCM RPU, once a RESET pulse is applied the bottom
electrode becomes covered by amorphous PCM. At that point, any
additional RESET pulses will not change the amorphous region.
[0006] Accordingly, improved PCM RPU designs and techniques for
fabrication thereof would be desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides resistive elements for phase
change material (PCM) resistive processing units (RPUs) and
techniques for fabrication thereof using trench depth patterning.
In one aspect of the invention, an RPU device is provided. The RPU
device includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; a heater;
and a PCM disposed over the first electrode, the second electrode
and the heater, wherein the heater includes a combination of a
first material having a resistivity r1 and a second material having
a resistivity r2, wherein r1>r2, and wherein only the first
material is present beneath the PCM and forms a resistive heating
element.
[0008] In another aspect of the invention, a method of forming an
RPU device is provided. The method includes: forming a first
electrode and a second electrode on a substrate; forming a heater
on the substrate in between the first electrode and the second
electrode; and depositing a PCM onto the first electrode, the
second electrode and the heater. The heater can be formed by
patterning a trench in the substrate to a depth D1; depositing
hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) onto the substrate and into the
trench to reduce the trench to a depth D2, wherein D1>D2;
cross-linking the HSQ within the trench to form cross-linked HSQ in
a select portion of the trench; removing non-cross-linked HSQ;
depositing a first material having a resistivity r1 into the trench
over the cross-linked HSQ; depositing a second material having a
resistivity r2 over the first material, wherein r1>r2; and
planarizing the first material and the second material such that,
following the planarization, only the first material is present in
the select portion of the trench and forms a resistive heating
element.
[0009] In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of
operating an RPU device is provided. The method includes: providing
the RPU device including: a first electrode, a second electrode, a
heater, and a PCM disposed over the first electrode, the second
electrode and the heater; and applying a programming pulse to the
heater to convert at least a portion of the PCM from a
poly-crystalline state to an amorphous state.
[0010] A more complete understanding of the present invention, as
well as further features and advantages of the present invention,
will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a top-down diagram illustrating an exemplary phase
change material (PCM) resistive processing unit (RPU) device
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a view
(i.e., through line A-A') of the PCM RPU device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology
for operating the PCM RPU device according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a view
(i.e., through line B-B') of the PCM RPU device according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology
for trench depth patterning according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology
for forming the PCM RPU device according to an embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a view
(i.e., through line A-A') of the PCM RPU device as a tunable
metasurface according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] As provided above, due to the nature of their design,
two-terminal phase change material (PCM) resistive processing units
(RPUs) have notable performance limitations based on the fact that
both programming and readout of the RPU is performed using the same
two electrodes. Advantageously, provided herein are four-terminal
PCM RPU designs and techniques for fabrication thereof that
separates the programming from the reading functions of the device.
Namely, as will be described in detail below, separate terminals
are used to program versus read the state (i.e., high resistance or
low resistance state) of the RPU which provides a greater level of
operational control as compared to conventional two-terminal
designs.
[0019] Further, as will be described in detail below, programming
of the RPU is achieved by a heater located proximate to the PCM
that is used to change the phase of the PCM. Thus, no current has
to be run through the PCM to change the phase of the PCM. By
comparison, programming in conventional two-terminal designs is
based on heat produced by the passage of an electric current
through the PCM, and there is a limit on the amount of current that
can be passed through the PCM material. This limitation on the
maximum current limits the type of PCM materials that can be used
in conventional designs to mostly highly resistive PCM in the
crystalline phase. Lower resistance crystalline PCM requires two
much current to switch. Advantageously, by decoupling the PCM
material resistance from the resistive element resistance used for
programing (proximity heater), even PCM materials with low
resistance (in the crystalline) phase can be used. With a proximity
heater for programming, the present PCM RPU devices effectively
function as a variable resistor that can be tuned based on the size
and duration of the current pulse applied to the heater and
corresponding amount of amorphous phase PCM created.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, a top-down view of a PCM RPU 100 in
accordance with the present techniques is provided. As shown in
FIG. 1, PCM RPU 100 includes a first electrode 104 and a second
electrode 106 oriented parallel to one another on a substrate 102.
A heater 108 is present on substrate 102 in between the first
electrode 104 and the second electrode 106. In this exemplary
embodiment, heater 108 is also oriented parallel to the first
electrode 104 and the second electrode 106.
[0021] A PCM 110 is disposed over the first electrode 104, the
second electrode 106 and the heater 108. In this exemplary
embodiment, the PCM 110 is oriented orthogonal to the first
electrode 104, the second electrode 106 and the heater 108. The PCM
110 is in direct contact with the first electrode 104 and the
second electrode 106. However, as shown in FIG. 1, PCM 110 is
separated from the heater 108 by an insulator 112. As will be
described in detail below, insulator 112 is an electrical insulator
that is at the same time a good thermal conductor.
[0022] As will become apparent from the description that follows,
programming of PCM RPU 100 occurs via the heater 108. As shown in
FIG. 1, one end of heater 108 is connected to ground 130.
Resistance readout 118 of the PCM 110 occurs via the first
electrode 104 and the second electrode 106. Thus, when reference is
made herein to the four terminals of PCM RPU 100, these are the
first electrode 104, the second electrode 106 and the two opposing
ends of the heater 108 which are arbitrarily labeled in FIG. 1 as a
first terminal 120, a second terminal 122, a third terminal 124 and
a fourth terminal 126, respectively.
[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, substrate 102 is a
bulk semiconductor wafer, such as a bulk silicon (Si), bulk
germanium (Ge), bulk silicon germanium (SiGe) and/or bulk III-V
semiconductor wafer. Other materials such as glass and ceramic can
also be used. Alternatively, substrate 102 can be a
semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. A SOI wafer includes a SOI
layer separated from an underlying substrate by a buried insulator.
When the buried insulator is an oxide it is referred to herein as a
buried oxide or BOX. The SOI layer can include any suitable
semiconductor, such as Si, Ge, SiGe, and/or a III-V semiconductor.
Substrate 102 may already have pre-built structures (not shown)
such as transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors, interconnects,
wiring, etc.
[0024] First electrode 104 and the second electrode 106 can be
formed from a material or a combination of materials. Suitable
materials for the first electrode 104 and the second electrode 106
include, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium (Ti),
tungsten (W) and/or titanium nitride (TiN).
[0025] As will be described in detail below, a unique process using
trench depth patterning is provided herein for forming the heater
108. By this trench depth patterning approach, a relatively higher
resistivity material (such as tantalum nitride (TaN)) is present in
shallow regions of the trench, and a relatively lower resistivity
material (such as titanium nitride (TiN)) is present in the deeper
regions of the trench, resulting in a resistive element design that
localizes the heating to the regions below the PCM 110.
[0026] A wide variety of materials can be employed as PCM 110 in
accordance with the present techniques. In the sense that it can
exist in amorphous and crystalline form almost any material is a
phase change material, such as metals, semiconductors or
insulators. However, only a small group of materials has the
properties that makes them technologically useful PCMs, with high
on/off resistance ratio, fast switching times and good data
retention. Many technologically relevant PCMs are chalcogenides,
i.e., they contain one or more chalcogenide elements. These are
Group 16 in the periodic table, e.g., sulfur (S), selenium (Se)
and/or tellurium (Te). According to one exemplary embodiment, PCM
110 is a chalcogenide alloy that includes the chalcogenide element
Te, in addition to other elements such as antimony (Sb) and/or
germanium (Ge), forming the alloys Sb.sub.2Te.sub.3, GeTe, and
Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 (GST 225). Other technologically relevant
materials for PCM 110 that are not chalcogenides include III-V
semiconductor materials (such as gallium antimonide (GaSb)) or
Ge--Sb based alloys. Often additional elements such as silver (Ag),
indium (In), nitrogen (N) or bismuth (Bi) are added to the phase
change alloys to optimize their properties.
[0027] The PCM 110 can be switched between two states,
poly-crystalline (or single-crystal) and amorphous, based on heat
produced by the heater 108. In the poly-crystalline state, each
grain of the PCM 110 is a perfect crystal and the PCM 110 is
conductive (almost metallic). It is notable however that each of
the grains is randomly oriented with respect to the other grains
resulting in an overall poly-crystalline material. In the amorphous
state, there is no order in the material and PCM 110 is highly
resistive. These two states make phase-change materials
particularly well-suited for storing data.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, to change PCM 110 from the amorphous to
the poly-crystalline state a programming pulse 132 is applied to
heater 108 in order to heat PCM 110 above its crystallization
temperature for a sufficiently long time. See RESET pulse 134/SET
pulse 136. The PCM 110 will arrange itself into a poly-crystalline
state during that heating time. To change the material from the
poly-crystalline state to the amorphous state PCM 110 will be
heated above its melting temperature and then quenched (quickly
cooled). See programming pulse. The PCM 110 will not have time to
rearrange itself in an ordered state, and an amorphous state will
result. Both the crystallization temperature and melting
temperature vary depending on the particular phase change material
being employed. For example, for Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 the
crystallization temperature is approximately 160.degree. C. while
the melting temperature is above 600.degree. C.
[0029] As provided above, insulator 112 is formed from a material
that is an electrical insulator while at the same time a good
thermal conductor. Thus, insulator 112 electrically isolates the
heater 108 from PCM 110, thereby permitting readout of PCM RPU 100
via first electrode 104 and second electrode 106. However,
insulator 112 thermally couples heater 108 to the PCM 110 thereby
permitting heat generated by heater 108 to pass to the PCM 110 in
order to program the PCM. Suitable materials for insulator 112
include, but are not limited to, metal nitrides (such as aluminum
nitride (AlN) and/or boron nitride (BN)), ceramic and/or glass. For
example, AlN, BN (in particular hexagonal BN), and diamond have
excellent thermal conductivity and can be used as electrical
insulators.
[0030] A cross-sectional view of PCM RPU 100 (i.e., through line
A-A'--see FIG. 1) is provided in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the
first electrode 104, second electrode 106 and heater 108 are each
at least partially embedded in the substrate 102. See, for example,
the description of the present trench depth patterning approach
provided below.
[0031] PCM 110 is present over the first electrode 104, the second
electrode 106 and the heater 108. As shown in FIG. 2, the first
electrode 104 and the second electrode 106 are in direct physical
(and electrical) contact with PCM 110. Insulator 112 physically
separates and electrically isolates the heater 108 from PCM 110.
However, insulator 112 thermally couples the heater 108 to PCM 110.
Namely, as highlighted above, insulator 112 is an electrical
insulator while at the same time a good thermal conductor.
[0032] Operation of PCM RPU 100 is now described by way of
reference to methodology 300 of FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 2.
In this example the PCM 110 is in a
poly-crystalline/electrically-conductive state, and a programming
pulse is used to heat the PCM 110 in order to form the amorphous
material which increases the resistance of the PCM 110 between the
first electrode 104 and the second electrode 106.
[0033] Thus, in step 302 of methodology 300, during a RESET process
a programming pulse is applied to heater 108. As provided above,
heater 108 is a resistive heating element, meaning that when a
programming pulse (i.e., a voltage pulse) is applied to heater 108
this will cause heater 108 to heat up by an amount and for a length
of time commensurate with the magnitude and duration of the
programming pulse. The heat generated by heater 108 will heat at
least a portion of the PCM 110 adjacent to the heater 108, causing
the heated portion of the PCM 110 to change from the
poly-crystalline/electrically-conductive state to the
amorphous/resistive state.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the size of the programming pulse can
impact the size of the amorphous material created in PCM 110. For
instance, application of a programming pulse 200 to heater 108
results in the formation of amorphous material 202 in PCM 110
proximate to heater 108. On the other hand, if a programming pulse
201 (which is of a greater duration than programming pulse 200,
e.g., see plot 210 of the magnitude and duration of programming
pulse 200 and plot 212 of the magnitude and duration of programming
pulse 201) is instead applied to heater 108, then the size of the
amorphous material 204 formed in PCM 110 proximate to heater 108 is
greater, i.e., amorphous material 204 is larger in size than
amorphous material 202. This is a notable design feature that
enables PCM RPU 100 function as a variable resistor.
[0035] Namely, the resistance in PCM 110 between first electrode
104 (V-) and second electrode 106 (V+) is less with amorphous
material 202 than it is with amorphous material 204. For example,
with programming pulse 1 PCM RPU 100 has a resistance R1 and with
programming pulse 2 PCM RPU 100 has a resistance R2, wherein
R1<R2. In fact, one could even envision a scenario where an even
larger programming pulse is applied that forms an amorphous
material (not shown) that extends all the way to the top of PCM
110, effectively blocking current from V- to V+. Thus, by varying
the size of the programming pulse, the resistance of the PCM 110
can be easily and effectively tuned.
[0036] In step 304 of methodology 300, a readout of PCM RPU 100 is
performed by measuring the resistance between the first electrode
104 (V-) and the second electrode 106 (V+). As provided above,
based on the present four-terminal design, readout of PCM RPU 100
is performed via these separate terminals which are distinct from
the heater 108 terminals. By way of example only, one notable
advantage of the present four-terminal design is that heater 108
can be used to program the resistance of PCM RPU 100 while readout
is performed at the same time via first electrode and second
electrode 106. To look at it another way, steps 302 and steps 304
of methodology 300 can be performed concurrently, if so
desired.
[0037] In step 306 of methodology 300, during a SET process the PCM
110 is returned to its poly-crystalline/conductive state. As
provided above, this involves heating the PCM 110 above its
crystallization temperature for a sufficiently long time. Namely, a
SET pulse (i.e., a voltage pulse) is applied to heater 108 which
will cause heater 108 to heat up by an amount and for a length of
time commensurate with the magnitude and duration of the SET pulse.
Heat generated by heater 108 will heat the PCM 110, causing the PCM
110 to change from the amorphous/resistive state back to the
poly-crystalline/electrically-conductive state. The SET pulse is
usually lower in magnitude than the RESET pulse since the
crystallization temperature is typically lower than the melting
temperature needed for amorphization. For example, as provided
above, in GeSbTe 2:2:5 the crystallization temperature is about
160.degree. C. while the melting temperature is above 600.degree.
C. It is also possible to crystallize the PCM from melt if the
cooling is gradual. This can be achieved by modifying a RESET pulse
(a RESET pulse causes the PCM to melt) such that the pulse shape
will have a gradual (tapered) trailing edge. This allows for a slow
cooling that leads to crystallization. If the trailing edge of the
RESET pulse is abrupt, the molten PCM will solidify in the
amorphous phase (this is also known as melt-quench).
[0038] As highlighted above, a unique process using trench depth
patterning can be employed for forming the heater 108. See, for
example, FIG. 4 which provides a cross-sectional view of PCM RPU
100 (i.e., through line B-B'--see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 4,
heater 108 is formed from a combination of materials, such as a
first material 404 and a second material 406. First material 404
has a higher resistivity than second material 406. For instance,
first material 404 has a resistivity r1 and second material 406 has
a resistivity r2, wherein r1>r2. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the first material 404 is TaN and/or carbon doped with
hydrogen, and the second material 406 is TiN and/or tungsten
(W).
[0039] First material 404 and second material 406 are deposited
into a trench 402 in substrate 102 that has a first depth D1 to
either side of the PCM 110, and a second depth D2 in a region of
the trench 402 directly below the PCM 110 wherein D1>D2. See
FIG. 4. Thus, when the first material 404 is deposited enough to
fill the depth D2 of trench 402, a portion of the depth D1 of
trench 402 remains unfilled. The remainder of the trench is then
filled with the second material 406 over the first material 404
(followed by planarization using a process such as
chemical-mechanical polishing). The result is that only the first
material 404 is present in the depth D2 of trench 402, while a
combination of the first material 404 and the second material 406
are present in the depth D1 of trench 402.
[0040] To use an illustrative, non-limiting example to illustrate
this concept, say for example that the depth D1 is about 50 nm, and
the depth D2 is about 10 nm, and the as-deposited material 404 is
about 20 nm thick and the as-deposited material 406 is about 200 nm
thick. After polishing by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), the
first planarized material 404 has a thickness of about 10 nm, and
the second material 406 has a thickness of about 30 nm. It is
important that the deposited material 404 will be thicker than
depth D2, or otherwise material 406 will also cap the material 404
in the region with a depth D2.
[0041] As such, by this trench depth patterning approach, a thin
layer (i.e., from about 5 nm to about 20 nm and ranges
therebetween) of the relatively higher resistivity first material
404 forms a resistive heating element 410 below the PCM 110. A
combination of the first material 404 and a thicker layer (i.e.,
from about 30 nm to about 45 nm and ranges therebetween) of the
relatively lower resistivity second material 406 is connected to
both sides of the resistive heating element. During operation, the
programming pulse will cause the resistive heating element to heat
up via resistive heating. Advantageously, the resistive heating
element is localized to the region of heater 108 below PCM 110,
thus making programming of the PCM RPU 100 more efficient. To look
at it another way, much more energy would be needed to heat the
entire line that makes up heater 108, as opposed to the small
(resistive heating element) portion beneath PCM 110.
[0042] As highlighted above, this process requires the patterning
of a trench 402 in substrate 102 that has a first depth D1 to
either side of the PCM 110, and a second depth D2 (directly below
the PCM 110), wherein D1>D2. According to an exemplary
embodiment, this variable depth trench is created by first
patterning trench 402 in substrate 102 to the first depth D1. Oxide
is then added locally to the bottom of a portion of the trench 402
below where the PCM 110 will be deposited. Adding the oxide makes
that portion of the trench shallower (i.e., to the depth D2).
[0043] This concept is further illustrated by way of reference to
exemplary methodology 500 of FIG. 5. FIG. 5 depicts cross-sectional
views of a section 114 of PCM RPU 100 (i.e., through line A-A'--see
FIG. 1). As shown in step 502, trench 402 is patterned in substrate
102 to the first depth D1. Standard lithography and etching
techniques can be employed for patterning trench 402 in substrate
102.
[0044] In step 504, hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) 510 is then
deposited onto substrate 102 including into the trench 402,
reducing a depth of the trench to depth D2, wherein D1>D2. A
casting process such as spin-coating can be employed to deposit HSQ
510 onto substrate 102. According to an exemplary embodiment, the
HSQ 510 has a thickness in trench 402 from about 20 nm to about 45
nm and ranges therebetween (see above). As shown in step 504, the
HSQ 510 has a constant thickness 512 within trench 402. However,
outside of the trench 402 this is not the case. Namely, the HSQ 510
is thinner on the surface of substrate 102 near the edge of trench
402. Moving away from trench 402 the thickness of HSQ 510 increases
along the surface of substrate 102 until it reaches the constant
thickness 512.
[0045] This configuration of HSQ 510 both in the trench 402 and
along the surface of substrate 102 is important. Namely, the goal
is to remove all but the HSQ in a portion of trench 402. The HSQ
510 that remains in trench 402 is the oxide (see above) that is
added to locally make the trench shallower. As will be described in
detail below, an electron-beam (e-beam) exposure will be used to
cross-link the HSQ 510. A developer will then be used to remove any
non-cross-linked HSQ 510. The only cross-linked HSQ 510 should be
in trench 402, and the non-cross-linked HSQ 510 should include all
of the HSQ 510 outside of the trench 402.
[0046] To do so, the present techniques leverage the fact that the
thinner the layer of HSQ, the higher the e-beam dose that is needed
to cross-link the HSQ. Thus, as in the present example, if there
are varying thicknesses of HSQ, then the e-beam dose needed to
cross-link the thicker portions (such as in trench 402) will leave
the thinner portions (such as on the surface of substrate 102 at
the edge of trench 402) non-cross-linked. To look at it another
way, the e-beam dose needed to cross-link the thicker portions of
HSQ 510 in trench 402 is less than the dose needed to cross-link
the thinner portions HSQ 510 on the surface of substrate 102 at the
edge of trench 402. See, for example, Sidorkin et al., "Resist
thickness effects on ultra thin HSQ patterning capabilities,"
Microelectronic Engineering 86, pp. 749-751 (January 2009), the
contents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set
forth herein.
[0047] Namely, as shown in step 506 e-beam exposure 514 is used to
cross-link the HSQ 510. Even though the exposure area 516 extends
slightly beyond the trench 402, the HSQ 510 on the surface of
substrate 102 at the edge of the trench 402 is thinner. Thus, with
the e-beam dose needed to cross-link the (thicker) HSQ 510 in
trench 402, the HSQ 510 on the surface of substrate 102 at the edge
of the trench 402 will remain non-cross-linked. Namely, the dose is
high enough to cross-link the portion 518 of HSQ 510 in trench 402
since portion 518 of HSQ 510 is thick. However, the dose is not
high enough to cross-link portions 520 of the HSQ 510 on the
surface of substrate 102 at the edge of the trench 402 since those
portions 520 of the HSQ 510 are thin, and thus will dissolve in
developer. By way of this process, a portion of the HSQ 510 is
selectively cross-linked within the trench 402. It is notable that
the e-beam exposure area in the B-B' direction (i.e., the direction
into and out of the page in FIG. 5) will limit cross-linking to the
portion of the HSQ 510 within trench 402 below where the PCM 112
will be.
[0048] Thus, when exposed to a developer which removes
non-cross-linked HSQ 510, all that will remain is cross-linked HSQ
510 within a portion trench 402. See step 508. Any suitable
commercially-available developer can be employed. As provided
above, the (cross-linked) HSQ 510 that remains in trench 402 is the
oxide (see above) that is added to locally make a portion of the
trench 402 shallower at the depth D2. Notably, within the trench
402, in the B-B' direction, the cross-linked HSQ 510 will be local
to the area of trench 402 below where the PCM 110 will be.
Following the exposure to the developer, the cross-linked HSQ that
remains can be annealed to densify the HSQ and turn it into a
high-quality oxide (SiO.sub.2). An anneal temperature of greater
than or equal to about 750.degree. C. is often needed to fully
convert the HSQ into SiO.sub.2. However, a lower annealing
temperature (of less than about 400.degree. C.) can be used if the
annealing is combined with O.sub.2 plasma and/or ultraviolet (UV)
radiation.
[0049] An exemplary methodology 600 for forming PCM RPU 100 is now
described by way of reference to FIG. 6. As shown in step 602,
multiple trenches 402 are patterned in substrate 102. Namely, in
this example, the first electrode 104, the second electrode 106,
and the heater 108 are formed concurrently, each corresponding to
one of the trenches 402. Standard lithography and etching
techniques can be employed to pattern the trenches 402 in substrate
102.
[0050] According to an exemplary embodiment, the trenches 402 are
patterned to depth D1 (e.g., depth D1 is from about 50 nm to about
60 nm and ranges therebetween), and the steps of methodology 500 of
FIG. 5 (described above) are then performed to form the oxide 603
(e.g., cross-linked HSQ) locally on the bottom of the center trench
to make the center trench shallower (e.g., a depth D2 of from about
15 nm to about 20 nm and ranges therebetween) beneath the location
of the PCM. During this process, HSQ is deposited over the entire
wafer and then patterned using, e.g., e-beam lithography. With
e-beam lithography, the pattern stored in the tool's memory
controls the e-beam exposure. Regions that are exposed to the
electron beam are cross-linked (assuming the exposure dose is
sufficient as described above). Namely, as provided above, any HSQ
that happens to deposit on the surface of substrate 102 at the edge
of the trench will be thin and thus will not become cross-linked
during the e-beam exposure.
[0051] As shown in step 604, in this example the first electrode
104, the second electrode 106, and the heater 108 are formed from a
combination of first material 404 and second material 406. As
described above, first material 404 has a higher resistivity (r1)
than second material 406 (r2), i.e., r1>r2. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the first material 404 is TaN and/or carbon
doped with hydrogen, and the second material 406 is TiN and/or
W.
[0052] First material 404 is then deposited into the trenches 402.
The first material 404 is deposited over the cross-linked HSQ that
makes a portion of the center trench 402 shallower. A second
material 406 is then deposited over the first material 404. A
process such as evaporation, sputtering (physical vapor deposition,
PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition
(ALD) or electrochemical plating can be employed to deposit the
first/second materials 404/406. Following deposition, the
first/second materials 404/406 are planarized using a process such
as CMP. As shown in step 604, based on the shallower depth (D2) in
the center trench 402, only a thinner (e.g., from about 10 nm to
about 20 nm and ranges therebetween) layer of the first material
404 is present in the portion of the center trench 402 over which
the PCM 110 will be formed (see below). As described above, this
segment of the first material 404 under the PCM 110 forms a
resistive element for localized heating of the PCM 110. Everywhere
else, the trenches 402 are filled with a combination of the first
material 404 and second material 406. As provided above, the second
material 406 can have a thickness of from about 30 nm to about 40
nm and ranges therebetween.
[0053] In step 606, insulator 112 is deposited onto the heater 108
over the resistive heating element, and PCM 110 is formed
(orthogonally) over the first electrode 104, the second electrode
106 and the heater 108/insulator 112. As provided above, suitable
materials for insulator 112 that are electrical insulators while at
the same time good thermal conductors include, but are not limited
to, aluminum nitride (AlN), boron nitride (BN) (in particular
hexagonal BN) and/or diamond. For instance, by way of example only,
boron nitride (BN) is deposited as a blanket film and then
patterned by lithography and RIE to cover the heater 108 over the
resistive heating element.
[0054] To form the PCM 110 over the first electrode 104, the second
electrode 106 and the heater 108/insulator 112, a blanket PCM film
is first deposited and then patterned into the bar-shaped PCM 110
structure shown in step 606. Lithography and etching processes
using a directional (anisotropic) etch such as reactive ion etching
(RIE) can be employed to pattern the PCM 110. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the PCM 110 is deposited using a process such
as PVD or CVD. The specific targets (PVD) or precursors (CVD) for
the deposition process depend of course on the particular phase
change material being formed. For example, when physical vapor
deposition (PVD) is used to deposit Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 the
most common source is a Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 target. Separate
elemental Ge, Sb and Te targets can also be used by adjusting the
flux from each target to obtain the desired composition. In another
example, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) can also be used to deposit
Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5. When MBE is used the sources are usually
individual Knudsen effusion cells. Each cell contains one of the
alloy elements (Ge, Sb or Te), and the flux of each element is
controlled by the effusion cell temperature. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the deposition of PCM 110 is performed at a
high substrate temperature, for example, at a substrate temperature
of from about 150 degrees Celsius (.degree. C.) to about
300.degree. C. For example, for Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 the
preferred temperature range is from about 175.degree. C. to about
200.degree. C. The result is formation of crystalline PCM 110. A
room temperature deposition would typically yield amorphous
material when Ge.sub.2Sb.sub.2Te.sub.5 is deposited. However, some
phase change materials such as Sb.sub.2Te.sub.3 would be
crystalline even at deposition temperatures below 100.degree.
C.
[0055] Another notable feature of the present PCM RPU 100 design is
that the variable PCM 110 can be used to change the phase of light
reflected off the surface of PCM RPU 100, creating a tunable
metasurface. See FIG. 7. Metasurfaces typically use an array of
similar elements to manipulate the phase of light reflected off of
the surface. However, these elements are primarily constant
elements that are not tunable in any way. Tunability of the
elements, for example allowing each element to change its
refractive index in response to an electrical input, can allow one
to change the functionality of the metasurface when interacting
with light.
[0056] Advantageously, light reflects differently when it is
incident on an amorphous versus poly-crystalline PCM material due
to the large difference in their optical properties. As such, since
the amount of amorphous versus poly-crystalline PCM 110 of the
present PCM RPU 100 is variable and can be tuned, the present PCM
RPU designs can be used to create a tunable metasurface with
variable degrees of light manipulation. Namely, as shown in FIG. 7
(and as described in detail above), the size of the programming
pulse can impact the size of the amorphous material created in PCM
110, and thus the amount of amorphous versus poly-crystalline PCM
110. Thus, when light 702 is incident on PCM 110, the reflected
light 704 will reflect differently depending on the configuration
of the programmed PCM 110. FIG. 7 is showing just a single element
in an array of PCM 110 elements which forms the metasurface. Each
PCM 110 element in the array can be addressed separately (like
pixels on a computer screen) and can be programed to have a
different amount of amorphous PCM (from none to fully amorphous).
The speed of programing PCM 110 elements depends on the PCM
material and is typically from about 100 nanoseconds (ns) to about
1000 ns for GST 225. This fast configurability allows the
programmable metasurface to be used for beam stirring or fast
lensing in applications such as automobile LIDAR (light detection
and ranging).
[0057] Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention
have been described herein, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that
various other changes and modifications may be made by one skilled
in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
* * * * *