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US 11,641,786 B2Granted
Memory device
AssigneesCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies, STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsPaolo Giuseppe Cappelletti, Gabriele Navarro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phase-change memory cell includes, in at least a first portion, a stack of at least one germanium layer covered by at least one layer made of a first alloy of germanium, antimony, and tellurium In a programmed state, resulting from heating a portion of the stack to a sufficient temperature, portions of layers of germanium and of the first alloy form a second alloy made up of germanium, antimony, and tellurium, where the second alloy has a higher germanium concentration than the first alloy.
Claims14
A method, comprising:
- forming an insulating layer including a first resistive heating element associated with a first phase-change memory cell and a second resistive heating element associated with a second phase-change memory cell;
- forming a stack of layers overlying the insulating layer, comprising:
- forming a first layer of a first alloy made of germanium, antimony, and tellurium on the insulating layer over the resistive heating element;
- forming a germanium layer over the first layer made of the first alloy;
- and
- forming a second layer of the first alloy over the germanium layer;
- and
- applying heat to the stack of layers through the second resistive heating element sufficient for portions of the germanium layer and the first and second layers of the first alloy to form a second alloy made up of germanium, antimony, and tellurium, the second alloy having a higher germanium concentration than the first alloy and program the second phase-change memory cell to a logic state different from a logic state of the first phase-change memory cell.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming an insulating layer including a resistive heating element associated with a phase-change memory cell;
- forming a stack of layers overlying the insulating layer, comprising:
- forming a first layer of a first alloy made of germanium, antimony, and tellurium on the insulating layer over the resistive heating element;
- forming a germanium layer over the first layer made of the first alloy;
- and
- forming a second layer of the first alloy over the germanium layer;
- wherein the memory cell is in a first logic state;
- and
- applying heat to the stack of layers through the resistive heating element sufficient for portions of the germanium layer and the first and second layers of the first alloy to form a second alloy made up of germanium, antimony, and tellurium, the second alloy having a higher germanium concentration than the first alloy and change the phase-change memory cell to a second logic state different from the first logic state.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.