Memory using variable tunnel barrier widths
US7538338B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 3, 2004 |
| Grant date | May 26, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2213/71
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A memory using a tunnel barrier is disclosed. A memory element includes a tunneling barrier and two conductive materials. The conductive material typically has mobile ions that either move towards or away from the tunneling barrier in response to a voltage across the memory element. A low conductivity region is irreversibly formed for one time programmable memory. The tunneling barrier can be formed by mobile ions combining with complementary ions. The low conductivity region increases the effective width of the tunnel barrier, making electrons tunnel a greater distance, which reduces the memory element's conductivity. By varying conductivity, multiple states can be created in the memory cell.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.