Asymmetric phase-change memory unit and element

Abstract

The invention belongs to an asymmetric phase-change memory unit and an element. The asymmetric phase-change memory unit comprises a lower electrode layer, a first insulation layer, a phase change layer, a second insulation layer and an upper electrode layer, which are overlapped from top down, wherein the first insulation layer has a small hole which is 10 nanometers to 4 micrometers wide; the phase change layer is contacted with the lower electrode layer through the small hole in the first insulation layer; the second insulation layer also has a small hole which is 10 nanometers to 5 micrometers wide; and an upper electrode is contacted with the phase change layer through the small hole in the second insulation layer. The core structural characteristic of the asymmetric phase-change memory unit lies in that any two of the axis of the small hole in the first insulation layer, the axis of the small hole in the second insulation layer and the axis of the lower electrode layer are not coincide. When the asymmetric phase-change memory unit and the element, which are provided by the invention, are used, a memory has a higher thermal property, and consequently, power consumption can be reduced while the original properties of the element are kept.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention belongs to phase-change memory technology, in particular to an asymmetric phase-change memory unit and device. Background technique [0002] Phase change memory technology was developed based on the rapid and reversible phase transition of chalcogenide compounds discovered by Ovshinsky in the late 1960s. Due to its significant advantages in data read and write speed, erasable times, device power consumption, component size and non-volatility, phase change memory is considered by the International Semiconductor Industry Association to be the most likely to replace the current flash memory and become the future memory Mainstream products and the first devices to become commercial products. [0003] The working principle of phase change memory is to use electric pulses to act on the device unit, so that the phase change material undergoes reversible phase transition between amorphous state and polycrystalline state, and realizes by distingu...

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Problems solved by technology

[0005] However, in the above working process, the heat used for the reversible phase change of the phase change material actually accounts for only about 15% of the total heat, which means that 85% of the heat provided by the pulse current is dissipated.

On the one hand, it seriously hinders the reduction of power consumption of phase change memory unit devices, and also affects the integration of high-density device unit arrays due to the excessive heat generation of unit devices.

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