Micron and Ovonyx Assigned Patent

Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID, and Ovonyx Inc., Boise, ID, has been assigned a patent (9,876,166) developed by Bez, Roberto, Milan, Italy, Pellizzer, Fabio, Follina, Italy, Tosi, Marina, Trezzo Sull’Adda, Italy, and Zonca, Romina, Paullo, Italy, for a “phase change memory cell and manufacturing method thereof using minitrenches.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A process forms a phase change memory cell using a resistive element and a memory region of a phase change material. The resistive element has a first thin portion having a first sublithographic dimension in a first direction, and the memory region has a second thin portion having a second sublithographic dimension in a second direction transverse to the first dimension. The first thin portion and the second thin portion are in direct electrical contact and define a contact area of sublithographic extension. The second thin portion is delimited laterally by oxide spacer portions surrounded by a mold layer which defines a lithographic opening. The spacer portions are formed after forming the lithographic opening, by a spacer formation technique.”

The patent application was filed on June 10, 2011 (13/158,291).