Patents by Inventor Greg Atwood
Greg Atwood has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10522757Abstract: In various examples, dual resistive-material regions for a phase change material region are fabricated by initially forming a resistive material. Prior to forming the phase change material region over the resistive material, at least an upper portion of the resistive material is exposed to an implantation or plasma that increases the resistance of an upper portion of the resistive material relative to the remainder, or bulk, of the resistive material. As a result, in certain embodiments, the portion of the resistive material proximate to the phase change material region may be used as a heater because of a relatively, high resistance value of the resistive material, but the bulk of the resistive material has a relatively lower resistance value and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and current usage of the device. Other methods and devices are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey, Greg Atwood
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Patent number: 10522756Abstract: In various examples, a dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is fabricated by forming a resistive material. Prior to forming the phase change material region over the resistive material, at least an upper portion of the resistive material is exposed to an implantation or plasma that increases the resistance of an upper portion of the resistive material relative to the remainder, or bulk, of the resistive material. As a result, the portion of the resistive material proximate to the phase change material region forms a heater because of its high resistance value, but the bulk of the resistive material has a relatively lower resistance value and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and current usage of the device. Other methods and devices are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2015Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20180138406Abstract: In various examples, dual resistive-material regions for a phase change material region are fabricated by initially forming a resistive material. Prior to forming the phase change material region over the resistive material, at least an upper portion of the resistive material is exposed to an implantation or plasma that increases the resistance of an upper portion of the resistive material relative to the remainder, or bulk, of the resistive material. As a result, in certain embodiments, the portion of the resistive material proximate to the phase change material region may be used as a heater because of a relatively, high resistance value of the resistive material, but the bulk of the resistive material has a relatively lower resistance value and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and current usage of the device. Other methods and devices are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey, Greg Atwood
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Patent number: 9159915Abstract: An ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a continuous chalcogenide layer. That layer spans multiple cells, forming a phase change memory. In other words, the ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a chalcogenide layer which extends, uninterrupted, over numerous cells of a phase change memory.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Ovonyx, Inc.Inventors: Ilya V. Karpov, Sean Jong Lee, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20150188050Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2015Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey, Greg Atwood
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Patent number: 8952299Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey
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Publication number: 20140104939Abstract: An ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a continuous chalcogenide layer. That layer spans multiple cells, forming a phase change memory. In other words, the ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a chalcogenide layer which extends, uninterrupted, over numerous cells of a phase change memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: Ovonyx, Inc.Inventors: Ilya V. Karpov, Sean Jong Lee, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20140038379Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler A. Lowrey
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Patent number: 8513576Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler Lowrey
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Publication number: 20120100688Abstract: A phase change memory may be formed with an upper electrode self-aligned to a phase change memory element. In some embodiments, patterning techniques may be used to form the elements of the memory. The memory element may be formed as a sidewall spacer formed on both opposed sides of an elongate strip of material. The resulting elongate strip of phase change memory element material may then be singulated in the same etching step that forms the upper electrodes extending in the column direction. Thus, the memory elements may be singulated in the row direction, while, at the same time, the top electrodes are defined to extend continuously in the column direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2012Publication date: April 26, 2012Inventors: DerChang Kau, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20110155986Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler Lowrey
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Patent number: 7880123Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2005Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Santina Marangon, Tyler Lowrey
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Publication number: 20100165716Abstract: A memory device including a plurality of memory cells being arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each memory cell includes a storage element and a selector for selecting the corresponding storage element during a reading operation or a programming operation. The memory device further including a plurality of row lines each one for selecting the memory cells of a corresponding row and a plurality of column lines each one for selecting the memory cells of a corresponding column. The memory device further includes for each line among the row lines and/or the column lines a respective set of local lines each one for selecting a group of memory cells of the corresponding line, and a respective set of selection elements each one for selecting a corresponding local line of the set in response to the selection of the respective line.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2008Publication date: July 1, 2010Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Derchang Kau, Greg Atwood, Gianpaolo Spadini
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Patent number: 7709822Abstract: Both a chalcogenide select device and a chalcogenide memory element are formed within vias within dielectrics. As a result, the chalcogenides is effectively trapped within the vias and no glue or adhesion layer is needed. Moreover, delamination problems are avoided. A lance material is formed within the same via with the memory element. In one embodiment, the lance material is made thinner by virtue of the presence of a sidewall spacer; in another embodiment no sidewall spacer is utilized. A relatively small area of contact between the chalcogenide used to form a memory element and the lance material is achieved by providing a pin hole opening in a dielectric, which separates the chalcogenide and the lance material.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: STMicroeletronics S.r.l.Inventors: Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20090194756Abstract: A phase change memory may be formed with an upper electrode self-aligned to a phase change memory element. In some embodiments, patterning techniques may be used to form the elements of the memory. The memory element may be formed as a sidewall spacer formed on both opposed sides of an elongate strip of material. The resulting elongate strip of phase change memory element material may then be singulated in the same etching step that forms the upper electrodes extending in the column direction. Thus, the memory elements may be singulated in the row direction, while, at the same time, the top electrodes are defined to extend continuously in the column direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2008Publication date: August 6, 2009Inventors: Derchang Kau, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20080029752Abstract: Both a chalcogenide select device (24, 120) and a chalcogenide memory element (40, 130) are formed within vias within dielectrics (18, 22). As a result, the chalcogenides is effectively trapped within the vias and no glue or adhesion layer is needed. Moreover, delamination problems are avoided. A lance material (30) is formed within the same via (31) with the memory element (40, 130). In one embodiment, the lance material is made thinner by virtue of the presence of a sidewall spacer (28); in another embodiment no sidewall spacer is utilized. A relatively small area of contact between the chalcogenide (40) used to form a memory element (130) and the lance material (30) is achieved by providing a pin hole opening in a dielectric (34), which separates the chalcogenide and the lance material.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2007Publication date: February 7, 2008Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Ilya Karpov, Charles Kuo, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20070259479Abstract: A phase change memory may be formed to have a dimension that is sub-lithographic in one embodiment by forming a surface feature over the phase change material, and coating the surface feature with a mask of sub-lithographic dimensions. The horizontal portions of the mask and the surface feature may then be removed and the remaining portions of the mask may be used to define a dimension of said phase change material. Another dimension of the phase change material may be defined using an upper electrode extending over said phase change material as a mask to etch the phase change material.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2007Publication date: November 8, 2007Inventors: Charles Kuo, Ilya Karpov, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Patent number: 7259023Abstract: A phase change memory may be formed to have a dimension that is sub-lithographic in one embodiment by forming a surface feature over the phase change material, and coating the surface feature with a mask of sub-lithographic dimensions. The horizontal portions of the mask and the surface feature may then be removed and the remaining portions of the mask may be used to define a dimension of said phase change material. Another dimension of the phase change material may be defined using an upper electrode extending over said phase change material as a mask to etch the phase change material.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2004Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Charles C. Kuo, Ilya Karpov, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20070105267Abstract: An ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a continuous chalcogenide layer. That layer spans multiple cells, forming a phase change memory. In other words, the ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a chalcogenide layer which extends, uninterrupted, over numerous cells of a phase change memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2005Publication date: May 10, 2007Inventors: Ilya Karpov, Sean Lee, Yudong Kim, Greg Atwood
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Publication number: 20060246712Abstract: A dual resistance heater for a phase change material region is formed by depositing a resistive material. The heater material is then exposed to an implantation or plasma which increases the resistance of the surface of the heater material relative to the remainder of the heater material. As a result, the portion of the heater material approximate to the phase change material region is a highly effective heater because of its high resistance, but the bulk of the heater material is not as resistive and, thus, does not increase the voltage drop and the current usage of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2005Publication date: November 2, 2006Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.Inventors: Yudong Kim, Ilya Karpov, Charles Kuo, Greg Atwood, Maria Marangon, Tyler Lowrey