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US 8,569,729 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for reducing programmed volume of phase change memory
AssigneeOvonyx, Inc.
InventorJim Ricker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A phase change memory includes a volume of phase change material disposed between, and coupled to, two electrodes, with the composition of a region of at least one of the two electrodes or phase change material having been compositionally altered to reduce the programmed volume of the phase change material.
Claims29
A phase-change memory, comprising:
- a first electrode, said first electrode having a first surface;
- a second electrode disposed over said first electrode, said second electrode having a second surface, said second surface facing said first surface;
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to said first and second electrodes, said phase-change material being disposed between said first surface of said first electrode and said second surface of said second electrode, said phase-change material having a first cross-section parallel to said first surface, said phase-change material having a non-uniform composition over said first cross-section, said first cross-section including a first region having a first composition and a second region having a second composition, said first composition consisting essentially of the chemical elements present in said second composition, said first composition including said elements in a different proportion than said second composition.
A phase-change memory, comprising:
- a first electrode, said first electrode having a first surface;
- a second electrode disposed over said first electrode, said second electrode having a second surface, said second surface facing said first surface;
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to said first and second electrodes, said phase-change material being disposed between said first surface of said first electrode and said second surface of said second electrode, said phase-change material having a first cross-section directly contacting said first electrode and parallel to said first surface, said first cross-section including a first region having a first composition and a second region having a second composition, said phase-change material having a second cross-section directly contacting said second electrode and parallel to said first cross-section, said second cross-section including a third region having said first composition and a fourth region having said second composition, the area of said third region differing from the area of said first region and the area of said fourth region differing from the area of said second region, said phase-change material having a non-uniform composition over said first and second cross-sections of said phase change material;
- and
- an insulating material, said insulating material having an opening formed therein, said opening exposing said first electrode, said opening having a sidewall, said phase-change material occupying said opening and directly contacting said sidewall, said first region and said second region of said first cross-section of said phase change material fully occupying said first cross-section of said opening, said third region and said fourth region of said second cross-section of said phase-change material fully occupying a second cross-section of said opening;
- wherein said first and fourth regions have a composition materially different from said second and third regions.
3 more elements
A phase-change memory, comprising:
- a first electrode, said first electrode having a first surface;
- a second electrode disposed over said first electrode, said second electrode having a second surface, said second surface facing said first surface;
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to said first and second electrodes, said phase-change material being disposed between said first surface of said first electrode and said second surface of said second electrode, said phase-change material having a first cross-section directly contacting said first electrode and parallel to said first surface, said first cross-section of said phase-change material including a first region having a first composition and a second region having a second composition, said phase-change material having a second cross-section parallel to said first cross-section of said phase-change material, said second cross-section of said phase-change material including a third region having a third composition and a fourth region having a fourth composition, said first composition extending continuously from said first cross-section of said phase-change material to said second cross-section of said phase-change material, said second composition extending continuously from said first cross-section of said phase-change material to said second cross-section of said phase-change material, said phase-change material having a non-uniform composition over said first and second cross-sections of said phase change material;
- and
- an insulating material, said insulating material having an opening formed therein, said opening exposing said first electrode, said opening having a sidewall, said phase-change material occupying said opening and directly contacting said sidewall, said first and second regions of said first cross-section of said phase-change material fully occupying a first cross-section of said opening;
- wherein said first composition is materially different from said second composition.
3 more elements
A phase-change memory, comprising:
- a first electrode, said first electrode having a first surface;
- a second electrode disposed over said first electrode, said second electrode having a second surface, said second surface facing said first surface;
- a phase-change material electrically coupled to said first and second electrodes, said phase-change material being disposed between said first surface of said first electrode and said second surface of said second electrode, said phase-change material having a first cross-section parallel to said first surface, said phase-change material having a non-uniform composition over said first cross-section, said first cross-section including a first region having a first composition and a second region having a second composition, said first composition being uniform within said first region and said second composition being uniform within said second region, said first and said second compositions including a chalcogen element;
- wherein said first composition is materially different from said second composition.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.