MULTIPLE BIT CHALCOGENIDE STORAGE DEVICE.

摘要

Multi-terminal chalcogenide memory cells having multiple binary or non-binary bit storage capacity and methods of programming same. The memory cells include a pore region (210) containing a chalcogenide material along with three or more electrical terminals (240, 250 and 260) in electrical communication therewith. The configuration of terminals delineates spatially distinct regions of chalcogenide material that may be selectively and independently programmed to provide multibit storage. The application of an electrical signal (e.g. electrical current or voltage pulse) between a pair of terminals effects a structural transformation in one of the spatially distinct portions of chalcogenide material. Application of electrical signals to different pairs of terminals within a chalcogenide device effects structural transformations in different portions of the chalcogenide material. The structural states produced by the structural transformations may be used for storage of information values in a binary or non-binary (e.g. multilevel) system.