Phase-change memory (PCM) based universal content-addressable memory (CAM) configured as binary/ternary CAM
US7675765B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 3, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 9, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C15/046
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Content-addressable memory (CAM) cells comprised of phase change material devices (PCMDs), including PCMD-based binary CAM cells (PCMD-based BCAM cells), PCMD-based ternary CAM cells (PCMD-based TCAM cells), and PCMD-based universal CAM cells (PCMD-based UCAM cells). The PCMDs of the various PCMD-based CAM cells are configured and programmed in a manner that allows a logic “0” or a logic “1” to be stored by the CAM cell. The logic value stored by a given PCMD-based CAM cell depends on the program states of the PCMDs. A program state of a PCMD is determined by whether the phase change material of the PCMD has been allowed to solidify to a crystalline, low-resistance state during a programming operation, or whether the phase change material of the PCMD is forced to solidify to an amorphous, high-resistance state during the programming operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.