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:
Jan. 29, 2013
Filed:
Oct. 14, 2009
Wolodymyr Czubatyj, Warren, MI (US);
Tyler Lowrey, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Charles Dennison, San Jose, CA (US);
Carl Schell, Waterford, MI (US);
Wolodymyr Czubatyj, Warren, MI (US);
Tyler Lowrey, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Charles Dennison, San Jose, CA (US);
Carl Schell, Waterford, MI (US);
Ovonyx, Inc., Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of programming an electrical variable resistance memory device. When applied to variable resistance memory devices that incorporate a phase-change material as the active material, the method utilizes a plurality of crystalline programming states. The crystalline programming states are distinguishable on the basis of resistance, where the resistance values of the different states are stable with time and exhibit little or no drift. As a result, the programming scheme is particularly suited to multilevel memory applications. The crystalline programming states may be achieved by stabilizing crystalline phases that adopt different crystallographic structures or by stabilizing crystalline phases that include mixtures of two or more distinct crystallographic structures that vary in the relative proportions of the different crystallographic structures. The programming scheme incorporates at least two crystalline programming states and further includes at least a third programming state that may be a crystalline, amorphous or mixed crystalline-amorphous state.