Intel Corporation

Other

Ovonyx Inc.

Stefan K Lai

Valluri Ramana Rao

Ward M Parkinson

Albert Fazio

Gregory E Atwood

Simon M Tam

Been-Jon K Woo

Daniel N Tang

Krishnamurthy Murali

Baylor B Triplett

Simon Y Wang

Mike Brown

Susan L Kao

T C Ong

A memory is configurable among a plurality of operational modes and types of interfaces. The operational modes may dictate the number of storage levels to be associated with each cell within the memory's storage matrix. Individual operational modes may be matched to individual interfaces, operated one at a time or in parallel.

Method and apparatus for accessing a multi-mode programmable resistance memory

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a memory device may include a memory layer and a MEMS layer. The memory layer may include an integrated circuit with a multiplexer and optionally a memory controller and a storage medium disposed on the integrated circuit where the storage medium includes chalcogenide islands as storage elements. The MEMS layer may include a movable MEMS platform having probes to connect selected chalcogenide islands via positioning of the MEMS platform. A high voltage source disposed external to the memory layer and the MEMS layer may provide a high voltage to a stator electrode on the memory layer and to a rotor electrode on the MEMS platform to control movement of the MEMS platform with respect to the storage medium. The memory device may be utilized in portable electronic devices such as media players and cellular telephones to provide a nonvolatile storage of information.

MEMS probe based memory

A phase change memory with a very limited area of contact between the lower electrode and the phase change material may be formed by defining a closed geometric structure for the lower electrode. The lower electrode may then be covered. The covering may then be opened in a very narrow strip extending across the closed geometric shape using phase shift masking. A phase change material may be formed in the opening. Because the opening effectively bisects the closed geometric structure of the lower electrode, two very small contact areas may be created for contacting the lower electrode to the phase change material.

Phase change material memory device

A method of reducing the degradation effects associated with avalanche injection or tunnelling of hot-electrons in a field-effect semiconductor device is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes covering the active regions of the semiconductor device with a protective titanium barrier layer which is deposited directly underneath the ordinary metalization layers used for connecting the devices to bit and word lines within an array. Inclusion of the titanium barrier layer in a flash memory device results in a substantial improvement in the erasetime push-out and reduces excess charge loss normally associated with hot-electron devices.

Method of reducing hot-electron degradation in semiconductor devices

A process for fabricating an electrically programmable read-only memory array having increased density includes forming recessed field oxide regions in a silicon substrate. Elongated parallel wordline stacks are then formed over the surface of the substrate. Source and drain regions are formed by ion implantation in the openings between these vertical stacks. These openings are then filled with a metal layer until the wafer is substantially planar. This metal layer is then patterned to form drain contact pads and V.sub.SS interconnect strips. The V.sub.SS interconnect strips contact adjacent source regions across field oxide regions that insulate adjacent memory cells.

Process for fabricating a flash EPROM having reduced cell size

A method for fabricating floating gate memory arrays with improved electrical erase characteristics and a reduced gate oxide defect density is described. According to the invented method, a protective polysilicon layer is deposited immediately following growth of the tunnel or gate oxide. The polysilicon layer caps the gate oxide--protecting it from exposure to defect-causing contaminants and to insure that a uniform tunnel oxide thickness is maintained across the entire length of the channel; especially over the electron tunneling regions. Following application of the protective polysilicon layer, a second polysilicon layer is deposited and merges with the first polysilicon layer to form the floating gate for the device. Erase speed is improved for flash EEPROM devices fabricated according to the present invention by about 5-100 times.

Method for improving the electrical erase characteristics of floating

Improved processing which permits the simultaneous fabrication of block erasable flash EPROM cells and individually erasable EEPROM cells. A polysilicon finger extends from the floating gate of the EEPROM cell over a tunnel oxide region. Doped regions are formed under this finger by implanting dopants in alignment with the finger during the implantation of the source and drain regions for the cells and then driving the dopant under the finger. The arsenic dopant used to form the source and drain regions for the cells is used to form the doped regions along with the phosphorus dopant used for the source region of the flash EPROM cells.

Growing community of inventors

Belmont, CA, United States of America

Stefan K Lai