Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
Abstract: A memory circuit, including a memory array (such as a cross-point array), may include circuit elements that may function both as selection elements/drivers and de-selection elements/drivers. A selection/de-selection driver may be used to provide both a selection function as well as an operation function. The operation function may include providing sufficient currents and voltages for WRITE and/or READ operations in the memory array. When the de-selection path is used for providing the operation function, highly efficient cross-point implementations can be achieved. The operation function may be accomplished by circuit manipulation of a de-selection supply and/or de-selection elements.
Abstract: A phase change memory with a heater with sublithographic dimensions may be achieved, in some embodiments, with lower thermal budget. The phase change memory may use a controlled etching process to reduce the lateral dimension of the heater.
Abstract: 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.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 13, 2014
Date of Patent:
February 2, 2016
Assignee:
Carlow Innovations LLC
Inventors:
George A. Gordon, Semyon D. Savransky, Ward D. Parkinson, Sergey Kostylev, James Reed, Tyler A. Lowrey, Ilya V. Karpov, Gianpaolo Spadini