US 12,108,692 B2
Three terminal phase change memory with self-aligned contacts
Heng Wu, Guilderland, NY (US); Tian Shen, Clifton Park, NY (US); Kevin W. Brew, Niskayuna, NY (US); and Jingyun Zhang, Albany, NY (US)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US)
Filed by International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/473,359.
Prior Publication US 2023/0081603 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H10N 70/20 (2023.01); H10N 70/00 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 70/253 (2023.02) [H10N 70/063 (2023.02); H10N 70/231 (2023.02); H10N 70/823 (2023.02); H10N 70/8413 (2023.02); H10N 70/8828 (2023.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A phase change memory comprising:
a bottom electrode;
a heater proximately connected to the bottom electrode;
a phase change material proximately connected to the heater;
a hard mask proximately connected to the phase change material, wherein the width of the hard mask is different than the width of the phase change material;
metal proximately connected to at least two surfaces of the phase change material; and
three terminals, wherein a bottom terminal is located at an area proximately connected to the heater and two top terminals are located at areas proximately connected to the metal.