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US 7,002,820 B2Granted
Semiconductor storage device
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsZhizhang Chen, Mark David Johnson, Lung Tran
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Abstract
A semiconductor storage device including a tip electrode, a media electrode and a storage media. The storage media has a storage area configurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area, by passing a current through the storage area between the tip electrode and media electrode.
Claims34
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- a tip electrode;
- a media electrode;
- a storage media having a storage area configurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area, by passing a current through the storage area between the tip electrode and media electrode, wherein the tip electrode, the media electrode and the storage media are located in a common semiconductor storage device made using semiconductor microfabrication techniques.
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- a tip electrode;
- a media electrode;
- a storage media having a storage area comfigurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area, by passing a current through the storage area between the tip electrode and media electrode;
- and
- wherein the current for writing information at the storage area is as low as 100 pico amperes.
2 more elements
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- a tip electrode;
- a media electrode;
- a storage media having a storage area configurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area, by passing a current through the storage area between the tip electrode and media electrode;
- and
- wherein the current for reading information at the storage area is approximately 80 pico amperes.
2 more elements
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- a silicon tip electrode having a tip contact area structure;
- a media electrode;
- a storage media in contact with the tip electrode, the storage media having a storage area configurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area;
- a controller for applying a voltage between the tip electrode and the media electrode to induce a current through the storage area for reading or writing information at the storage area, wherein the tip electrode is movable relative to the storage media along a surface of the storage media;
- and
- wherein the silicon tip electrode, the media electrode, the storage media and the controller are provided in a single semiconductor storage device.
3 more elements
A storage device comprising:
- a tip electrode;
- a media electrode;
- a storage media made of phase change material positioned between the tip electrode and the media electrode, in contact with the tip electrode and the media electrode, the storage media having a storage area configurable to be in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage area, wherein the plurality of structural states comprises a polycrystalline state and an amorphous state;
- a controller for applying a voltage between the tip electrode and the media electrode to induce a current through the storage area for reading or writing information at the storage area;
- and
- wherein the tip electrode, the media electrode, the storage media and the controller provide a semiconductor storage device made using semiconductor microfabrication techniques.
3 more elements
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- an array of tip electrodes made by semiconductor microfabrication techniques;
- one or more media electrodes;
- a storage media in contact with the array of tip electrodes, the storage medium having a plurality of storage areas being in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage areas;
- and
- a read/write controller for controlling the voltages across the plurality of tip electrodes and the media electrodes to induce currents through the plurality of storage areas for reading or writing information at the plurality of storage areas.
2 more elements
A method of reading the state of a storage area in a semiconductor storage device comprising:
- providing a tip electrode and a storage area in the semiconductor storage device made using semiconductor microfabrication techniques;
- contacting a tip electrode to a storage area;
- applying a voltage across the storage area between the tip electrode and a media electrode to induce a current through the storage area;
- sensing the current through the storage area;
- and
- determining a sensed value representative of the structural state of the storage area using the sensed current.
3 more elements
A method of reading the state of a storage area in a semiconductor storage device comprising:
- contacting a tip electrode to a storage area;
- applying a voltage across the storage area between the tip electrode and a media electrode to induce a current through the storage area;
- sensing the current through the storage area;
- determining a sensed value representative of the structural state of the storage area using the sensed current;
- controlling the current through the storage area to change the structural state of the storage area between an amorphous state and a polycrystalline state;
- and
- wherein controlling the current comprises adjusting the current to approximately 100 pico amperes by applying a voltage between the tip electrode and the media electrode.
4 more elements
A semiconductor storage device comprising:
- an array of tip electrodes made by semiconductor microfabrication techniques;
- one or more media electrodes;
- a storage media in contact with the array of tip electrodes, the storage medium having a plurality of storage areas being in one of a plurality of structural states to represent information stored at the storage areas;
- a semiconductor housing containing the array of tip electrodes, the one or more media electrodes, and the storage media;
- and
- a read/write controller for controlling the voltages across the plurality of tip electrodes and the media electrodes to induce currents through the plurality of storage areas for reading or writing information at the plurality of storage areas.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.