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US 2015/0029780 A1Published application
Two-terminal reversibly switchable memory device
AssigneeUnity Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsDarrell Rinerson, Christophe J. Chevallier, Wayne Kinney, Roy Lambertson, John E. Sanchez, JR., Lawrence Schloss, Philip Swab, Edmond Ward
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Abstract
A memory using mixed valence conductive oxides is disclosed. The memory includes a mixed valence conductive oxide that is less conductive in its oxygen deficient state and a mixed electronic ionic conductor that is an electrolyte to oxygen and promotes an electric field effective to cause oxygen ionic motion.
Claims21
(canceled)
A method, comprising:
- providing a memory element (ME) including a first ion reservoir having mobile oxygen ions and in contact with a first electrode of a two-terminal switch and a tunnel barrier and a second reservoir in contact with the tunnel barrier and positioned between a second electrode of the two-terminal switch and the tunnel barrier, the second reservoir operative as a repository for the mobile oxygen ions;
- and
- applying a read voltage across the across the first and second electrodes, the read voltage operative to generate a read current having a magnitude that is indicative of a present conductivity of the ME, wherein applying the read voltage is non-destructive to the present conductivity of the ME.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- and
- a memory element (ME) positioned between the first and second electrodes, the ME electrically in series with the first and second electrodes, the ME including:
- a first ion reservoir including mobile oxygen ions, the first ion reservoir in contact with the first electrode,
- a tunnel barrier in contact with the first ion reservoir and the second electrode, the tunnel barrier made from a material that is an electrolyte to the mobile oxygen ions and is permeable by the mobile oxygen ions when a first voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes, and the tunnel barrier is electrically in series with the first ion reservoir;
- and
- a second reservoir in contact with the tunnel barrier and positioned between the second electrode and the tunnel barrier, the second reservoir operative as a repository for the mobile oxygen ions.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.