Patent ID: 7951619

Claim:
A method of forming a diode, comprising: forming a metal silicide-containing structure over a semiconductor substrate, the metal silicide-containing structure having a surface that is silicon rich relative to other metal silicide of the structure; oxidizing said surface to form SiO 2 , and leaving some of the metal silicide not oxidized; the metal silicide that is not oxidized being at least part of a first electrode; depositing one or more electrically insulative layers across the SiO 2 ; forming a second electrode over said one or more layers; and wherein the first electrode, SiO 2 , one or more layers, and second electrode together form a construction that conducts current between the first and second electrodes when voltage of one polarity is applied to the construction, and that inhibits current flow between the first and second electrodes when voltage having a polarity opposite to said one polarity is applied to the construction.