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US 8,462,537 B2Granted
Method and apparatus to reset a phase change memory and switch (PCMS) memory cell
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsElijah V. Karpov, Gianpaolo Spadini
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to the fabrication of non-volatile memory devices. In at least one embodiment, the non-volatile memory of the present disclosure may include a phase change memory and switch (hereinafter “PCMS”) memory cell and a process for resetting the PCMS memory utilizing a “look-up” table to calculate a current required to place a bit above a reference level to maximum threshold voltage.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- incrementally increasing a programming current to a memory cell until a threshold voltage resulting from the incremented programming current is greater or equal to a reference minimum threshold voltage;
- assigning the programming current to be an initial current when the threshold voltage is greater or equal to the reference minimum threshold voltage;
- determining a final placement programming current value from a look-up based on the value of the initial current;
- and
- resetting the memory cell with the final placement programming current.
2 more elements
A non-volatile memory, comprising:
- a phase change memory and switch (PCMS) memory cell;
- and
- a stored look-up table accessible to reset the PCMS memory cell;
- wherein the stored look-up table is a correlation of a predicted programming current needed to substantially result in a maximum threshold voltage based on an initial current which substantially results in a minimum threshold voltage, and wherein the look-up table is generated from an equation comprising:
- Vt=Vtmin+(Eth·L·[1−((Jcr·S)2/I2])
- where:
- Vt is the threshold voltage
- Vtmin is a reference minimum threshold voltage
- Eth is a parameter based on the phase change material used with some sensitivity to the device architecture
- L is the device thickness
- Jcr is a parameter based on the phase change material used with some sensitivity to the device architecture
- S is the device area
- I is the current.
10 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a non-volatile memory comprising a phase change memory and switch (PCMS) memory cell, and a stored look-up table accessible to reset the PCMS memory cell;
- wherein the stored look-up table is a correlation of a predicted programming current needed to substantially result in a maximum threshold voltage based on an initial current which substantially results in a minimum threshold voltage, and wherein the look-up table is generated from an equation comprising:
- Vt=Vtmin+(Eth·L·[1−((Jcr·S)2/I2])
- where:
- Vt is the threshold voltage
- Vtmin is a reference minimum threshold voltage
- Eth is a parameter based on the phase change material used with some sensitivity to the device architecture
- L is the device thickness
- Jcr is a parameter based on the phase change material used with some sensitivity to the device architecture
- S is the device area
- I is the current.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.