Patent ID: 8206995

Claim:
Method for manufacturing a resistive memory device, the resistive memory device comprising a top electrode (TE), a bottom electrode (BE) and a resistive switching element, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an electrical contact; providing on the substrate a dielectric layer comprising a trench exposing the electrical contact, the trench comprising at least one sidewall surface and a bottom surface and providing in the trench at least the bottom electrode (BE) and the resistive switching element of the resistive memory device; wherein providing in the trench at least the bottom electrode (BE) and the resistive switching element further comprises: forming a conductive layer on the at least one sidewall surface and on the bottom surface of the trench thereby only partially filling the trench so as to leave a cavity in the trench, the conductive layer comprising a sidewall conductive layer in contact with the at least one sidewall surface of the trench and a bottom conductive layer in contact with the bottom surface of the trench; modifying the conductive properties of at least part of the sidewall conductive layer, the bottom electrode (BE) comprising the bottom conductive layer and the unmodified part of the sidewall conductive layer; and forming the resistive switching element in at least part of the cavity of the trench, the resistive switching element being in contact with the bottom conductive layer and in contact with at least part of the modified or unmodified sidewall conductive layer.