NONVOLATILE MEMORY ELEMENT, PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE NONVOLATILE MEMORY ELEMENT, AND NONVOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE USING THE NONVOLATILE MEMORY ELEMENT

摘要

This invention provides a nonvolatile memory element that can be operated at a high speed and, at the same time, has reversibly stable rewrite characteristics and good resistance retention characteristics, a process for producing the nonvolatile memory element, and a nonvolatile memory device using the nonvolatile memory element. The nonvolatile memory element comprises a first electrode layer (103), a second electrode layer (105), and a resistance change layer (104) which is interposed between the first electrode layer (103) and the second electrode layer(105) and undergoes a reversible change in resistance based on an electrical signal applied between the first electrode layer (103) and the second electrode layer (105). The resistance change layer (104) is constructed so that the resistance change layer (104) comprises a tantalum oxide containing at least a transition metal oxide different from tantalum and satisfies the requirement that the tantalum oxide containing the transition metal oxide different from tantalum is represented by TaxMyOz wherein 0 < y/x < 1 and 0.5 = z/(x + y) = 1.9.