The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 2010
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2007
Chieh-fang Chen, Banciao, TW;
Shih Hung Chen, Jhudong Township, TW;
Yi-chou Chen, Hsinchu, TW;
Thomas Happ, Tarrytown, NY (US);
Chia Hua Ho, Kaohsiung, TW;
Ming-hsiang Hsueh, Hsinchu, TW;
Chung Hon Lam, Peekskill, NY (US);
Hsiang-lan Lung, Hsinchu, TW;
Jan Boris Philipp, Peekskill, NY (US);
Simone Raoux, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Chieh-Fang Chen, Banciao, TW;
Shih Hung Chen, Jhudong Township, TW;
Yi-Chou Chen, Hsinchu, TW;
Thomas Happ, Tarrytown, NY (US);
Chia Hua Ho, Kaohsiung, TW;
Ming-Hsiang Hsueh, Hsinchu, TW;
Chung Hon Lam, Peekskill, NY (US);
Hsiang-Lan Lung, Hsinchu, TW;
Jan Boris Philipp, Peekskill, NY (US);
Simone Raoux, Santa Clara, CA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A layer of nanoparticles having a dimension on the order of 10 nm is employed to form a current constricting layer or as a hardmask for forming a current constricting layer from an underlying insulator layer. The nanoparticles are preferably self-aligning and/or self-planarizing on the underlying surface. The current constricting layer may be formed within a bottom conductive plate, within a phase change material layer, within a top conductive plate, or within a tapered liner between a tapered via sidewall and a via plug contains either a phase change material or a top conductive material. The current density of the local structure around the current constricting layer is higher than the surrounding area, thus allowing local temperature to rise higher than surrounding material. The total current required to program the phase change memory device, and consequently the size of a programming transistor, is reduced due to the current constricting layer.