Patent ID: 7745807

Claim:
A semiconductor structure comprising: a dielectric layer containing a tapered via hole sidewall that extends from a lower end at a bottom surface of said dielectric layer to an upper end at a top surface of said dielectric layer; a tapered via liner contacting said tapered via hole sidewall, said tapered via liner having an outer liner bottom surface at a bottom side of a horizontal portion of said tapered via liner, and containing a monolayer of insulating nanoparticles that are embedded in, and separated by, a first volume of a conductive material; a conductive via plug comprising a second volume of said conductive material and contacting said tapered via liner, said first and second volumes being integrated as a single contiguous structure; a phase change material layer contacting said outer liner bottom surface and said dielectric layer; and a bottom conductive plate contacting said a phase change material layer, wherein said monolayer contiguously extends from a top surface of said phase change material layer to said upper end of said tapered via hole sidewall at said top surface of said dielectric layer.