Misaligned Annular Heater Phase Change Memory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional phase change memory technologies face challenges with large contact areas between the heater and phase change layer, requiring precise alignment, leading to slow temperature rise and fall rates, high manufacturing costs, and low manufacturing yield.
Innovation Solution
A phase change memory design featuring an annular heater and phase change layer misaligned in the normal direction of the lower electrode, with a small contact area, allowing for simplified manufacturing and reduced costs, achieved through a method involving the formation of a lower electrode, annular heater, annular phase change layer, and upper electrode, where the annular heater is integrally formed with the lower electrode and the phase change layer is misaligned with the heater.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the heater has a large contact area with the phase change layer, then the heating is more uniform, but the temperature rise and fall rates become slow and the reset current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is designed as an annular structure with a hollow portion, segmenting the contact area between the heater and phase change layer. This segmentation reduces the overall contact area while maintaining annular heating coverage, enabling faster temperature rise and fall rates while keeping heating relatively uniform across the phase change layer.
2Use of energy by moving object
If precise alignment mechanism is used to manufacture heater with small contact area, then the reset current is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is integrally formed with the lower electrode, merging two previously separate components into one. This integration eliminates the need for precise alignment mechanisms between the heater and lower electrode, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining the small contact area between the heater and phase change layer, thus reducing reset current without increasing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the heater contact area with phase change layer is reduced, then the manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but the heating efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change layer is misaligned with the heater in the normal direction of the lower electrode, creating a configuration where the phase change layer is positioned to receive heat efficiently from the annular heater. This local quality optimization ensures that despite the reduced contact area, the heating efficiency is maintained by positioning the phase change material in the optimal location for heat transfer from the heater.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and improves yield by minimizing the contact area between the heater and phase change layer, resulting in a phase change memory with a low reset current and enhanced heating efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
When the phase change memory is in operation, a current can be applied to cause temperature of the memory element to rise to change the phase state of the material
Implementation Method 2
The memory element can have a material that can be switched between different phase states (e.g., a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase)
Data Source
AI summary
A phase change memory and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The phase change memory includes a lower electrode, an annular heater disposed over the lower electrode, an annular phase change layer disposed over the annular heater, and an upper electrode. The annular phase change layer and the annular heater are misaligned in a normal direction of the lower electrode. The upper electrode is disposed over the annular phase change layer, in which the upper electrode is in contact with an upper surface of the annular phase change layer. The present disclosure simplifies the manufacturing process of the phase change memory, reduces the manufacturing cost, and improves the manufacturing yield. In addition, a contact surface between the heater and the phase change layer of the phase change memory of the present disclosure is very small, so that the phase change memory has an extremely low reset current.