Electrically programmable read-only memory stacked above a semiconductor substrate
AssigneeBurroughs Corporation
InventorBruce B. Roesner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In the disclosed memory, address decode means are integrated into a surface of a substrate, for addressing cells in the memory; an insulating layer covers the address decode means and the substrate; an array of spaced-apart memory cell select lines lie on the insulating layer; and outputs from the address decode means respectively couple through the insulating layer to the select lines. Each cell of the memory is comprised of a pair of the select lines and further includes a resistive means between that pair which irreversibly switches from a relatively high resistance state to a relatively low resistance state upon the application of a threshold voltage thereacross, and the resistance states are representative of the information in the cell.
Claims12
An electrically programmable read only memory having memory cells on an insulating layer which overlies a semiconductor substrate;
- each of said memory cells comprising:
- a first semiconductor material having a polycrystalline grain structure;
- a metallic compound in contact with said first semiconductor material forming a Schottky diode therewith;
- and
- a second semiconductor material serially coupled within said cell to said Schottky diode;
- said second semiconductor material consisting essentially of a single element semiconductor selected from the group of Si, Ge, C, and .alpha.-Sn, having a crystalline grain size which is smaller than that of said polycrystalline semiconductor material, and having a concentration of dopant atoms of less than 10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 ;
- whereby said second semiconductor material will exhibit a high resistance that will irreversibly switch to a low resistance without the flowing of any metal therethrough upon the application of a threshold voltage thereacross.
An electrically programmable memory cell comprising:
- a first semiconductor material having a polycrystalline grain structure;
- a metallic compound in contact with said first semiconductor material forming a Schottky diode therewith;
- and
- a second semiconductor material forming a Schottky diode therewith;
- and
- a second semiconductor material serially coupled within said cell to said Schottky diode;
- said second semiconductor material consisting essentially of a single element semiconductor selected from the group of Si, Ge, C, and .alpha.-Sn, having a crystalline grain size which is smaller than that of said polycrystalline semiconductor material, and having a concentration of dopant atoms of less than 10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 ;
- whereby said second semiconductor material will exhibit a high resistance that will irreversibly switch to a low resistance without the flowing of any metal therethrough upon the application of a threshold voltage thereacross.
An electrically programmable memory cell comprising:
- a pair of spaced apart conductors for applying a threshold voltage thereacross;
- and
- a semiconductor materially serially coupled between said conductors for receiving said threshold voltage;
- said semiconductor material consisting essentially of a single element semiconductor selected from the group of Si, Ge, C, and .alpha.-Sn, having a crystalline grain size which is smaller than polycrystalline and having dopant atoms which are interstitial in the crystals and not substitutional;
- whereby said semiconductor material will exhibit a high resistance that will irreversibly switch to a low resistance without the flowing of any metal therethrough upon the application of said threshold voltage thereacross.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.