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US 6,969,866 B1Granted
Electrically programmable memory element with improved contacts
AssigneeOvonyx, Inc.
InventorsTyler Lowrey, Stanford R. Ovshinsky, Guy C. Wicker, Patrick J. Klersy, Boil Pashmakov, Wolodymyr Czubatyj, Sergey A. Kostylev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory element comprising a volume of phase change memory material; and first and second contact for supplying an electrical signal to the memory material, wherein the first contact comprises a conductive sidewall spacer. Alternately, the first contact may comprise a contact layer having an edge adjacent to the memory material.
Claims33
A memory element, comprising:
- a first dielectric material having an opening, said opening having a sidewall surface and a bottom surface;
- a conductive material lining the sidewall surface of said opening, said conductive material formed over a portion of the bottom surface of said opening, said portion being less than the entire bottom surface;
- a second dielectric material formed over said conductive material within said opening;
- and
- a programmable resistance material electrically coupled to a top surface of said conductive material, said top surface having a lateral dimension less than 1000 Angstroms.
2 more elements
A memory element, comprising:
- a first dielectric material having an opening, said opening having a sidewall surface and a bottom surface;
- a conductive material lining the sidewall surface of said opening;
- a second dielectric material formed over said conductive material within said opening;
- and
- a programmable resistance material electrically coupled to a top surface of said conductive material, said conductive material being formed over a portion of the bottom surface of said opening, said portion being less than the entire bottom surface, said portion being adjacent to the sidewall surface of said opening, said second dielectric layer being formed over the remainder of the bottom surface of said opening.
2 more elements
A memory element, comprising:
- a first dielectric material having an opening, said opening having a sidewall surface and a bottom surface;
- a conductive material lining the sidewall surface of said opening, said conductive material formed over a portion of the bottom surface of said opening, said portion being less than the entire bottom surface;
- a second dielectric material formed over said conductive material within said opening;
- and
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to a top surface of said conductive material, said conductive material having a lateral thickness of less than 1000 Angstroms at said top surface.
2 more elements
A memory element, comprising:
- a first dielectric material having an opening, said opening having a sidewall surface and a bottom surface;
- a conductive material lining the sidewall surface of said opening, said conductive material formed over a portion of the bottom surface of said opening, said portion being less than the entire bottom surface;
- a second dielectric material formed over said conductive material within said opening;
- and
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to said conductive material, said phase-change material and said conductive material having an area of contact with a dimension less than 1000 Angstroms.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.