Current constricting phase change memory element structure

A semiconductor structure comprising:

• a first conductive plate comprising a first conductive material;
• a phase change material layer abutting said first conductive plate and comprising a phase change material;
• a current constricting layer comprising a set of disjoined insulating layer islands in a planar arrangement, wherein each of said disjoined insulating layer islands is embedded in and separated by a volume of material selected from said phase change material and said first conductive material, has a lateral dimension of a nanoparticle, and directly contacts said first phase change material layer;
• and
• a second conductive plate comprising a second conductive material and resistively connected to said phase change material layer through said current constricting layer.

A semiconductor structure comprising:

• a dielectric layer containing a tapered via hole sidewall;
• a tapered via liner abutting said tapered via hole sidewall and having a liner bottom surface and containing a monolayer of insulating nanopaiticles that are embedded in and separated by a volume of a conductive material;
• a conductive via plug abutting said tapered via liner and comprising said conductive material;
• a phase change material layer abutting said liner bottom surface and said dielectric layer;
• and
• a bottom conductive plate abutting said a phase change material layer.

A semiconductor structure comprising:

• a top conductive plate;
• a dielectric layer abutting said top conductive plate and containing a tapered via hole sidewall;
• a tapered via liner abutting said tapered via hole sidewall and having a liner bottom surface and containing insulating nanoparticles that are embedded in and separated by a volume of a phase change material;
• a via plug consisting of another volume of said phase change material and encapsulated by said tapered via liner and said top conductive plate;
• and
• a bottom conductive plate resistively connected to said top plate through said tapered via.