Patent · US Expired

Method for forming single electron resistor memory

US6514820B2 · kind B2 · utility

163Cited by
12References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 2001
Grant dateFeb 4, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S977/937
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Method for forming a memory device that includes a plurality of cells, each having a first electrode coupled to a first location on semiconductor material, a second electrode coupled to a second location disposed away from the first location on the semiconductor material and a plurality of islands of semiconductor material. The islands have a maximum dimension of three to five nanometers and are surrounded by an insulator having a thickness of between five and twenty nanometers. The islands and the surrounding insulator are formed in pores extending into the semiconductor material between the first and second electrodes. As a result, the memory cells formed from the method are able to provide consistent, externally observable changes in response to the presence or absence of a single electron on the island.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.