| 主权项 |
1. A storage device, comprising:
a plurality of memory elements, each memory element including (a) a silicon substrate portion with an impurity imparting electric conductivity to the silicon substrate portion, (b) a first electrode portion on said silicon substrate portion, (c) an electrically insulating layer on said first electrode portion, (d) an opening in said electrically insulating layer exposing at least a section of said first electrode portion, (e) a thin-film on said electrically insulating layer and in contact with said first electrode portion within a perimeter of said opening, (f) a second electrode on said thin-film within said perimeter of said opening, said second electrode containing germanium (Ge), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), and copper (Cu), (g) an electrode layer on the second electrode within said perimeter of said opening, and (h) a conductive layer on said electrode layer and in electrical communication with said second electrode, said conductive layer being unique to that memory element and being shorter parallel to a surface of said silicon substrate portion than said first electrode portion, wherein,
said first electrode is common to two or more memory elements, said first electrode does not contain Cu in a memory state, for each memory element, said thin-film is a non-phase changing, amorphous material comprising Ge, Sb, and Te,
for each memory element, said amorphous material of said thin film has a first surface in contact with said first electrode portion and a second surface in contact with the second electrode,for each memory element, said electrode layer comprises a material excluding Cu and including a Ti/TiW multi-layer or a W/TiW multi-layer, said electrode layer being between and in contact with said conductive layer and said second electrode, andfor each memory element, when a positive voltage is applied to said first electrode portion or said second electrode, ions of Cu diffuse into the thin-film resulting in a reduction of electrical resistance of the thin-film, said reduction being persistent until an application of a negative voltage. |
