HTSCs as Electrodes in DRAMs

The continuing drive toward increased circuit densities in dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) has spurred great interest in new dielectric materials that permit greater storage capacitor charge density. Ferroelectrics are particularly attractive because of their intrinsically large dielectric constant, and non-volatile and radiation-hard memory capability. Application of ferroelectrics in microelectronics has been severely limited by materials processing and compability problems. Advanced Technology Materials, Inc., has developed a novel approach to solving these compatibility problems through the utilization of high temperature superconductors (HTSCs) as electrode materials. Their development and subsequent use in DRAMs will allow significant increase in memory storage while affording designers maximum flexibility in device configuration.