Ultrathin Metal/Amorphous-Silicon/Metal Diode for Bipolar RRAM Selector Applications

Author

Leqi Zhang ; Redolfi, A. ; Adelmann, C. ; Clima, S. ; Radu, Iuliana P. ; Yang-Yin Chen ; Wouters, D.J. ; Groeseneken, Guido ; Jurczak, Malgorzata ; Govoreanu, B.

Author_Institution

Interuniv. Microelectron. Centre, Leuven, Belgium

Volume

35

Issue

2

fYear

2014

fDate

Feb. 2014

Firstpage

199

Lastpage

201

Abstract

We propose a novel metal/silicon/metal (MSM) selector using ultrathin undoped amorphous silicon (a-Si) for resistive-RAM selector application. The new selector behaves as a bidirectional diode, showing a high current drive (~2.2 MA/cm)², high selectivity (~240 for 1/2 bias), fast switching speed , and excellent endurance ( at target drive current). The doping-free a-Si structure alleviates the dopant-induced variability concerns for ultrascaled devices and eliminates the need for a dopant-activation anneal. Circuit simulations show feasibility of 1-Mb array, with over 25% read margin and 70% write margin, when using the new MSM structure as a selector for a HfO₂-based resistive switching memory element.

Keywords

amorphous semiconductors; elemental semiconductors; random-access storage; semiconductor diodes; silicon; Si; bidirectional diode; bipolar RRAM selector applications; circuit simulations; dopant activation anneal; dopant induced variability; fast switching speed; high current drive; high selectivity; metal diode; metal silicon metal selector; resistive RAM; resistive switching memory element; ultrascaled devices; ultrathin metal; ultrathin undoped amorphous silicon; Arrays; Doping; Metals; Performance evaluation; Reliability; Silicon; Switches; Amorphous silicon (a-Si); bidirectional diode; bipolar RRAM; cross-point array; metal/silicon/metal (MSM); selector;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2013.2293591

Filename

6684313