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US 12,520,738 B2Granted
Phase-change memory cell with asymmetric structure, a memory device including the phase-change memory cell, and a method for manufacturing the phase-change memory cell
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsMario Allegra, Andrea Redaelli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A phase-change memory cell includes a heater, a memory region made of a phase-change material located above said heater, and an electrically conductive element positioned adjacent to the memory region and the heater at a first side of the heater. The electrically conductive element extends parallel to a first axis and has, parallel to the first axis, a first dimension at the first side that is greater than a second dimension at a second side opposite to the first side.
Claims24
A phase-change memory cell, comprising:
- a heater having a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite to one another along a first axis, and a top side and a bottom side opposite to one another along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;
- and
- a memory region made of a phase-change material that is electrically and thermally coupled to the top side of the heater;
- and
- an electrically conductive element, having a resistive characteristic, that extends parallel to the first axis away from the first lateral side;
- wherein said electrically conductive element is positioned adjacent the first lateral side and in contact with said memory region;
- wherein the electrically conductive element has, at said first lateral side and along the first axis, a first extension having a length that is equal to a corresponding first length of the memory region along the first axis at said first lateral side;
- and
- wherein the electrically conductive element extends parallel to the first axis exclusively at said first lateral side and is absent at said second lateral side.
6 more elements
A phase-change memory cell, comprising:
- a heater having a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite to one another along a first axis, and a top side and a bottom side opposite to one another along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;
- and
- a memory region made of a phase-change material that is electrically and thermally coupled to the top side of the heater;
- and
- an electrically conductive element, having a resistive characteristic, that extends parallel to the first axis away from the first lateral side;
- wherein said electrically conductive element is positioned adjacent the first lateral side and in contact with said memory region;
- wherein the electrically conductive element has, at said first lateral side and along the first axis, a first extension having a length that is equal to a corresponding first length of the memory region along the first axis at said first lateral side;
- and
- wherein the electrically conductive element further extends parallel to the first axis away from the second lateral side with a second extension having a length that is less than a corresponding second length of the memory region along the first axis at said second lateral side.
6 more elements
A method for manufacturing a phase-change memory cell, comprising:
- forming a heater having a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite to one another along a first axis, and a top side and a bottom side opposite to one another along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;
- and
- forming a memory region made of a phase-change material that is electrically and thermally coupled to the top side of the heater;
- and
- forming an electrically conductive element, having a resistive characteristic, that extends parallel to the first axis at the first lateral side, adjacent to the first lateral side of said heater and to said memory region;
- wherein forming the electrically conductive element includes forming the electrically conductive element to have, at said first lateral side and along the first axis, a first extension that is equal to a corresponding first length of the memory region along the first axis at said first lateral side;
- and
- wherein the electrically conductive element is not formed at said second lateral side.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.