IBM Assigned Ten Patents

Multi-terminal phase change memory device
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11812676) developed by Philip,Timothy Mathew, Albany, NY, Clevenger, Lawrence A., Saratoga Springs, NY, and Brew, Kevin W., Albany, NY, for a “multi-terminal phase change memory device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory device is provided. The phase change memory device includes a phase change memory material within an electrically insulating wall, a first heater terminal in the electrically insulating wall, and two read terminals in the electrically insulating wall.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-03-24 (16/828242).

Drift mitigation for resistive memory devices
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11805713) developed by Cohen, Guy M., Ossining, NY, Ando, Takashi, Eastchester, NY, Gong, Nanbo, White Plains, NY, and Brew, Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, for a “drift mitigation for resistive memory devices.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Resistive memory devices are provided which are configured to mitigate resistance drift. A device comprises a phase-change element, a resistive liner, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The resistive liner is disposed in contact with a first surface of the phase-change element. The first electrode is coupled to a first end portion of the resistive liner. The second electrode is coupled to a second end portion of the resistive liner. The third electrode is coupled to the first surface of the phase-change element.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-12-02 (17/540820).

Phase change memory with conductive bridge filament
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11805714) developed by Gong, Nanbo, White Plains, NY, Ando, Takashi, Eastchester, NY, and Cohen, Guy M., Ossining, NY, for a “phase change memory with conductive bridge filament.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Methods and structures for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes a reduced programming current phase change memory (PCM) are provided. The method includes forming a bottom electrode. The method further includes forming a PCM and forming a conductive bridge filament in a dielectric to serve as a heater for the PCM. The method also includes forming a top electrode.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-08-04 (17/393554).

Phase-change memory including liner reducing resistance drift
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11805711) developed by Li, Ning, White Plains, NY, de Souza, Joel P., Putam Valley, NY, Brew, Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, and Sadana, Devendra K., Pleasantville, NY, for a “phase-change memory (PCM) including liner reducing resistance drift.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A Phase-Change Memory (PCM) device includes a dielectric layer, a bottom electrode disposed in the dielectric layer, a liner material disposed on the bottom electrode, a phase-change material disposed on the liner material, and a top electrode disposed on the phase-change material and in the dielectric layer.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-09-28 (17/034057).

Phase change memory cell galvanic corrosion prevention
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11800817) developed by Ok, Injo, Loudonville, NY, Saulnier, Nicole, Slingerlands, NY, Brew, Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, McDermott, Steven Michael, Wynantskill, NY, Clevenger, Lawrence A., Saratoga Springs, NY, Amanapu, Hari Prasad, Guilderland, NY, Carr, Adra, and Bhosale, Prasad, Albany, NY, for a “phase change memory cell galvanic corrosion prevention.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method for forming a phase-change memory cell includes depositing a metal layer over a wafer such that the metal layer covers connection structures of the wafer. The method further includes removing a portion of the metal layer such that the connection structures of the wafer remain covered by a remaining portion of the metal layer. The method further includes forming a phase-change memory stack on a stack area of the remaining portion of the metal layer. The method further includes removing the remaining portion of the metal layer except in the stack area.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-06-21 (17/353098).

Integrated diode memory device
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11800819) developed by Philip, Timothy Mathew, Albany, NY, Brew, Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, and Clevenger, Lawrence A., Saratoga Springs, NY, for an “integrated diode memory device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A non-volatile memory structure may include a phase change memory comprising a phase change material. The non-volatile memory structure may include a Schottky diode in series with the phase change memory, wherein a Schottky barrier of the Schottky diode is a surface of the phase change memory. This may be accomplished through a proper selection of materials for the contact of the phase change memory. This may create an integrated diode-memory structure which may control directionality of current without a penalty on the footprint of the structure.”

The patent application was filed on 2020-12-01 (17/247123).

Symmetric phase-change memory devices
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11769046) developed by Cohen, Guy M., Ossining, NY, for “symmetric phase-change memory devices.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Variable resistance devices and neural network processing systems include a first phase change memory device that has a first material that increases resistance when a set pulse is applied. A second phase change memory device has a second material that decreases resistance when a set pulse is applied.”

The patent application was filed on 2019-03-14 (16/353504).

Reactivation of deposited metal liner
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11723293) developed by Bruce, Robert L., Cheng, Cheng-Wei, White Plains, NY, and BrightSky, Matthew Joseph, Armonk, NY, for a “reactivation of a deposited metal liner.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Aspects of the present invention provide a semiconductor structure for a phase change memory device that includes a heater element on a bottom electrode that is surrounded by a dielectric material. The phase change memory device includes a metal nitride liner over the heater element, where the metal liner is oxide-free with a desired electrical resistance. The phase change memory device includes a phase change material is over the heater element and the dielectric material and a top electrode is over the phase change material.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-03-26 (17/213283).

Linear phase change memory
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11715517) developed by Li, Ning, White Plains, NY, Kim, Wanki, Chappaqua, NY, and Sadana, Devendra K, Pleasantville, NY, for a “linear phase change memory.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change (PCM) memory device that includes a PCM and a resistance-capacitance (RC) circuit. The PCM has one or more PCM properties, each PCM property has a plurality of PCM property states. As the PCM property states of a given property are Set or Reset, the PCM property states each produce an incremental change to a property level of the respective/associated PCM property, e.g., PCM conductance. The incremental changes to property level of the PCM memory device are in response to application of one or more of a pulse number of voltage pulses. The RC circuit produces a configuring current that flows through the PCM in response to one or more of the voltage pulses. The configuring current modifies one or more of the incremental changes to one or more of the property levels so that the property level changes lineally with respect to the pulse number. The PCM memory device has use in a synapse connector, e.g., in a memory array. The memory array can be used to store and/or read memory values associated with one or more of the property levels. The memory values can be used as weighting values in a neuromorphic computing application/system, like a neural network.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-08-06 (17/396623).

Phase change memory
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11711989) developed by Ok, Injo, Loudonville, NY, Reznicek, Alexander, Troy, NY, Seo, Soon-Cheon, Glenmont, NY, Kim, Youngseok, Upper Saddle River, NJ, and Philip, Timothy Mathew, Albany, NY, for a “phase change memory.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An embodiment of the invention may include a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure may include a phase change element located above a heater. The heater may include a conductive element surrounding a dielectric element. The dielectric element may include an air gap.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-03-23 (17/209932).