Low forming voltage non-volatile storage device

A method of operating a non-volatile storage element, comprising:

• apply a forming voltage to a non-volatile storage element with a polarity of voltage such that an electrode with a lower electron injection energy barrier acts as a cathode and an electrode with a higher electron injection energy barrier acts as an anode, and limiting current through the non-volatile storage element to be lower than maximum current for the non-volatile storage element while applying the forming voltage;
• perform a sensing operation;
• and
• determining if non-volatile storage element is in low resistance condition based on the sensing operation.

A non-volatile storage system, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a monolithic three dimensional array of memory elements positioned above and not in the substrate, the memory elements include switching material;
• word lines connected to the memory elements;
• a plurality of word line drivers in the substrate and in communication with the word lines;
• a plurality of bit line drivers in the substrate;
• a plurality of global bit lines in communication with the bit line drivers;
• a plurality of vertically oriented bit lines that are above and not in the substrate, the vertically oriented bit lines include silicon that has been annealed;
• a plurality of vertically oriented select devices that are above and not in the substrate, the vertically oriented select devices are connected to the vertically oriented bit lines and the global bit lines;
• and
• a plurality of select lines connected to the vertically oriented select devices;
• wherein the memory elements can be set to a low resistance state and reset to a high resistance state during operation by biasing appropriate voltages on the word lines and vertically oriented bit lines, prior to operation the memory elements undergo a forming process, during the forming process an intermediate voltage is driven on the select lines so that the vertically oriented select devices are partially on and are limiting the current through the bit lines, a forming voltage is applied to the memory elements during forming with a polarity such that a particular bit line acts as a cathode and the appropriate word line acts as an anode with the cathode having a lower electron injection energy barrier to the switching material than the anode, the bit line has a lower electron injection energy barrier than the word line.