Ovonyx Inc.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Intel Corporation

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Other

Micron Technology Incorporated

Ovonyx Memory Technology, LLC

Carlow Innovations LLC

Sergey A Kostylev

Wolodymyr Czubatyj

Tyler A Lowrey

Guy Charles Wicker

Ilya V Karpov

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Boil Pashmakov

George A Gordon

Ward D Parkinson

Gianpaolo Spadini

Patrick K Klersy

Semyon D Savransky

James Reed

Stephen J Hudgens

David A Strand

Patrick J Klersy

Charles C Kuo

Ward M Parkinson

Benjamin S Chao

Regino Sandoval

Hellmut Fritzsche

Jesus Gonzalez-Hernandez

Carl Hugh Schell

Qiuyi Ye

Standford R Ovshinsky

Jeffrey P Fournier

Wolodymyr Czubatyi

Quiyi Ye

Disturb from the reset to the set state may be reduced by creating an amorphous phase that is substantially free of crystal nuclei when programming the reset state in a phase change memory. In some embodiments, this can be achieved by using a current or a voltage to program that exceeds the threshold voltage of the phase change memory element, but does not exceed a safe current voltage which would cause a disturb.

Immunity of phase change material to disturb in the amorphous phase

An electronic device includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The device also includes a resistive material between the first and second electrodes. An active material is between the first electrode and the resistive material. The active material is in electrical communication with the first electrode and the active material is in electrical communication with the second electrode through the resistive layer.

Memory device with low reset current

A radial memory device includes a phase-change material, a first electrode in electrical communication with the phase-change material, the first electrode having a substantially planar first area of electrical communication with the phase-change material. The radial memory device also includes a second electrode in electrical communication with the phase-change material, the second electrode having a second area of electrical communication with the phase-change material, the second area being laterally spacedly disposed from the first area and substantially circumscribing the first area. Further, a method of making a memory device is disclosed. The steps include depositing a first electrode, depositing a first insulator, configuring the first insulator to define a first opening. The first opening provides for a generally planar first contact of the first electrode. The method further including the steps of depositing a phase-change material, depositing a second insulator, configuring the second insulator, depositing a second electrode having a second contact laterally displaced from said first contact, and configuring said second electrode.

Memory device and method of making same

A ring shaped heater surrounds a chalcogenide region along the length of a cylindrical solid phase portion thereof defining a change phase memory element. The chalcogenide region is formed in a sub-lithographic pore, so that a relatively compact structure is achieved. Furthermore, the ring contact between the heater and the cylindrical solid phase portion results in a more gradual transition of resistance versus programming current, enabling multilevel memories to be formed.

Manufacturing a phase change memory device having a ring heater

Using a shorter read pulse width may increase read window in some embodiments. This may allow the use of higher voltages with less likelihood of a read disturb where a bit unintentionally changes phase.

Read window in chalcogenide semiconductor memories

Methods of programming a phase-change memory device that remedy device failure. The methods includes applying a sequence of two or more electrical energy pulses to the device, where the sequence of pulses includes positive polarity pulses and negative polarity pulses. In one method, two or more pulses of an initial polarity are applied and are followed by one or more pulses having opposite polarity. In another method, pulses of an initial polarity are repeatedly applied until the device fails and one or more pulses of opposite polarity are subsequently applied to restore the device to its initial performance. The pulses may be set pulses, reset pulses, or pulses that produce programmed states having a resistance intermediate between the set resistance and reset resistance of the device.

Method of restoring variable resistance memory device

A phase change memory may be made with improved speed and stable characteristics over extended cycling. The alloy may be selected by looking at alloys that become stuck in either the set or the reset state and finding a median or intermediate composition that achieves better cycling performance. Such alloys may also experience faster programming and may have set and reset programming speeds that are substantially similar.

Phase change memories with improved programming characteristics

A method of programming a multi-layer chalcogenide electronic device. The device includes an active region in electrical communication with two terminals, where the active region includes two or more layers. The method includes providing an electrical signal between the two terminals, where the electrical signal alters an electrical characteristic of a layer remote from one of the terminals. In one embodiment, the layer remote from the terminal is a chalcogenide material and the electrical characteristic is resistance. In another embodiment, an electrical characteristic of the layer in contact with the terminal is also altered. The alteration of an electrical characteristic may be caused by a transformation of a chalcogenide material from one structural state to another structural state.

Method of programming multi-layer chalcogenide devices

An electrical device includes a composite switching material. The composite switching material includes an electrically switchable component and a non-switchable component. In one embodiment, the composite switching material includes a heterogeneous mixture of at least one chalcogenide material and at least one dielectric material. The composite switching material is disposed between two electrodes and the switchable component is transformable from a resistive state to a conductive state upon application of a voltage between the two electrodes, without changing phase.

Composite chalcogenide materials and devices

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Sergey A Kostylev