Ceramic thin film memory device
AssigneeDow Corning Corporation
InventorsUdo C. Pernisz, Keith W. Michael, Loren A. Haluska
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Abstract
A digital memory circuit for electronic applications. The circuit has at least one memory element connected in series with a load resistor. The digital memory circuit also includes a voltage supply and a data output terminal. The memory element in the digital memory circuit is in the form of a silicon dioxide film derived from a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin. The silicon dioxide film is characterized by a jV curve which includes both resistive and conductive regions for the memory element.
Claims30
A digital memory circuit for electronic applications comprising a circuit having at least one memory element connected to logic control circuitry, the digital memory circuit including a voltage supply and a data input/output terminal, the memory element in the digital memory circuit being substantially in the form of a silicon dioxide derived from the oxidation of a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, and including electrical contacts for applying an electrical potential difference across the film, the silicon dioxide film being characterized by a conductive and a resistive state between which transitions can be induced by the application of voltage pulses, the silicon dioxide film being further characterized by a jV curve which includes both linear and non-linear regions for the memory element, the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including:
- (i) a first non-linear region wherein increasing the voltage applied to the memory element increases the current to a current maximum;
- followed by (ii) a second non-linear region of a negative differential resistance wherein increasing voltage applied to the memory element decreases the current to a current minimum while the voltage is increasing;
- the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iii) a third region capable of being activated by a voltage in excess of the voltage at the current minimum, up to which a rapid removal of the excess voltage causes the current to decrease in a linear fashion;
- and the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iv) a fourth region wherein an increase of voltage applied to the memory element up to a threshold voltage causes a rapid transition from an essentially linear current increase to a non-linear current increase which continues to the current maximum.
A digital memory circuit for electronic applications comprising a circuit having at least one memory element connected in series with a load resistor, the digital memory circuit including a voltage supply and a data output terminal, the memory element in the digital memory circuit being substantially in the form of a silicon dioxide derived from the oxidation of a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, the silicon dioxide film being characterized by a conductive and a resistive state between which transitions can be induced by the application of voltage pulses.
An electronic circuit comprising at least one memory element which is a non-fully densified silicon dioxide derived substantially from a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, and including electrical contacts for applying an electrical potential difference across the film, the silicon dioxide being characterized by a conductive and a resistive state between which transitions can be induced by the application of voltage pulses, the silicon dioxide film being further characterized by a jV curve which includes both linear and non-linear regions for the memory element, the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including:
- (i) a first non-linear region wherein increasing the voltage applied to the memory element increases the current to a current maximum;
- followed by (ii) a second non-linear region of a negative differential resistance wherein increasing voltage applied to the memory element decreases the current to a current minimum while the voltage is increasing;
- the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iii) a third region capable of being activated by a rapid removal of a voltage in excess of the current maximum;
- and the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iv) a fourth region wherein an increase of voltage applied to the memory element up to a threshold voltage causes a rapid transition from an essentially linear current increase to a non-linear current increase which continues to the current maximum:
- and wherein the film is placed in an non-oxidizing atmosphere.
An electronic circuit which performs a stand-alone function comprising at least one memory element which is a non-fully densified silicon dioxide derived substantially from a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, and including electrical contacts for applying an electrical potential difference across the film, the silicon dioxide being characterized by a conductive and a resistive state between which transitions can be induced by the application of voltage pulses, the silicon dioxide film being further characterized by a jV curve which includes both linear and non-linear regions for the memory element, the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including:
- (i) a first non-linear region wherein increasing the voltage applied to the memory element increases the current to a current maximum;
- followed by (ii) a second non-linear region of a negative differential resistance wherein increasing voltage applied to the memory element decreases the current to a current minimum while the voltage is increasing;
- the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iii) a third region capable of being activated by a voltage in excess of the voltage at the current minimum, up to which a rapid removal of the excess voltage causes the current to decrease in a linear fashion;
- and the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iv) a fourth region wherein an increase of voltage applied to the memory element up to a threshold voltage causes a rapid transition from an essentially linear current increase to a non-linear current increase which continues to the current maximum, and wherein the film is placed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.
A digital memory circuit for electronic applications comprising a circuit having at least one memory element connected in series with a load resistor, the digital memory circuit including a voltage supply and a data output terminal, the memory element in the digital memory circuit being substantially in the form of a silicon dioxide derived from the oxidation of a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, the silicon dioxide film being characterized by a jV curve which includes both linear and nonlinear regions for the memory element, the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including:
- (i) a first non-linear region wherein increasing the voltage applied to the memory element increases the current to a current maximum;
- followed by (ii) a second non-linear region of a negative differential resistance wherein increasing voltage applied to the memory element decreases the current to a current minimum while the voltage is increasing;
- the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iii) a third region capable of being activated by a voltage in excess of the voltage at the current minimum, at which time a rapid removal of the excess voltage causes the current to decrease in a linear fashion;
- and the jV curve of the silicon dioxide film including (iv) a fourth region wherein an increase of voltage applied to the memory element up to a threshold voltage causes a rapid transition from a linear current increase to a non-linear current increase which continues to the current maximum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.