Hafnium Oxide RRAM, and others, at the 2012 VLSI Symposia

Let the claims begin! Memory papers will be in abundance at this years IEEE Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits.

IMEC (the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre out of Leuven, Belgium) has started it off with a summary of what will be presenting on hafnium oxide and other alternatives for formulation of ReRAM. One paper of interest is “Dynamic ‘Hourglass’ Model for SET and RESET in HfO2 RRAM”, in part because of its look at alternatives to resistive switching, using filamentary switching as opposed to interfacial switching:

The set and reset process in Hafnium oxide RRAM filament is modeled as a dynamic flow between two oxygen vacancy reservoirs connected by a narrow filament. The current is controlled by the width of the filament, that determines the electron transmission. The diffusion of oxygen vacancies is controlled by the local power in the filament. As a result, RESET is modeled as a dynamic balance between an upward and downward vacancy flow, while SET is modeled as an unbalanced filament growth bounded by the external compliance. [from IEEE Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits, Technology Track]

Additional papers from IMEC will talk about advances in sub-nanosecond programming times, “Field-Driven Ultrafast sub-ns RRAM Programming”, and ultra-low power sub-500 nanoamp operating currents using filamentary switching, in “Ultralow sub-500nA Operating Current in High-Performance Bipolar RRAM Achieved Through Understanding-Based Stack-Engineering”.

From their press release:

[…] Overview of the papers with IMEC authors, accepted at the VLSI symposia:

RRAM papers:

  • Dynamic ‘Hourglass’ Model for SET and RESET in HfO2 RRAM – R. Degraeve et al.
  • Ultralow sub-500nA operating current high-performance TiN\Al2O3\HfO2\Hf\TiN bipolar RRAM achieved throughunderstanding-based stack-engineering – L. Goux et al.
  • Process-improved RRAM cell performance and reliability and paving the way formanufacturability and scalability for high density memory application – G.Kar et al.
  • Field-driven ultrafast sub-ns programming in W\Al2O3\Ti\CuTe-based 1T1R CBRAM system – L. Goux et al.

Logic scaling papers:

  • Process control & Integration options of RMG Technology for aggressively scaled devices – A. Veloso et al.
  • Implementing cubic-phase HfO2 with κ-value ~ 30 in low-VT replacement gate pMOS devices for improved EOT-Scaling and reliability – L. Ragnarsson et al.
  • 85nm-Wide 1.5mA/μm-ION IFQW SiGe-pFET: Raised vs Embedded Si0.75Ge0.25S/D Benchmarking and In-Depth Hole Transport Study – J. Mitard et al.
  • GeSn channel nMOSFETs: Material Potential and Technological Outlook – Gupta et al.
  • Atom Probe Tomography for 3D-Dopant Analysis in FinFET Devices – Kambham et al.

VLSI circuits papers:

  • A 700μW 8-Channel EEG/Contact-impedance Acquisition System for Dry-electrodes – Mitra et al.

[Full Press Release]




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