Multi-function resistance change memory cells and apparatuses including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734906-B2
Application number	US-201615237248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2012
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments comprise apparatuses having a number of memory cells including drive circuitry to provide signal pulses of a selected time duration and/or amplitude, and an array of resistance change memory cells electrically coupled to the drive circuitry. The resistance change memory cells may be programmed for a range of retention time periods and operating speeds based on the received signal pulse. Additional apparatuses and methods are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising applying a programming pulse, having a selectable attribute configured to emulate a determined memory function type, to one or more selected ones of a plurality of resistance change memory (RCM) cells, the plurality of RCM cells being based on electrochemical deposition of metal ions within an electrolyte, the selectable attribute comprising an integration of at least one pulse amplitude having a pulse time duration associated with the determined memory function type.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the determined memory function type to be at least one type of memory selectable from memory types including volatile memory, storage class memory, and one-time programmable memory.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reallocating sections of the memory to or from storage of digital information from or to storage of analog information, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a voltage-ramp to provide a voltage amplitude of the programming pulse.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting an energy level for each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells to be provided in the programming pulse to emulate the determined memory function type.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the selected energy level corresponds to a state of a localized conduction region within each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting the energy level for each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells comprises selecting the pulse time duration of the programming pulse.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting the energy level for each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells comprises selecting the pulse amplitude of the programming pulse.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting the energy level comprises selecting a current delivered to each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells over the pulse time duration of the programming pulse.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising varying an amount of power consumed to program each of the one or more selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells depending upon a determined retention period of the memory cell, the amount of power to control both a height parameter and a radial growth parameter of a localized conduction region of the RCM cell.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of resistance change memory (RCM) cells based on chemical deposition of metal ions within an electrolyte; and
drive circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of RCM cells to provide a signal pulse, the signal pulse having a selectable attribute configured to emulate a determined memory function type, to one or more selected ones of the plurality of the RCM cells.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the signal pulse is configurable in both amplitude and time duration to vary a data retention time of the plurality of RCM cells.

13. The apparatus o: claim 11 , wherein the selectable attribute further comprises an integration of at least one pulse amplitude having a pulse time duration associated with the determined memory function type.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of RCM cells includes a material that can be programmed to a resistance state, at least a portion of the material being programmable to a desired data state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the desired data state is achieved by programming at least the portion of the material to a corresponding resistance state.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the material is configured to be changed in response to a signal to have a different resistance state.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising an access component coupled to each of the plurality of RCM cells to allow access to a respective one of the plurality of RCM cells to read information from or to write information to the respective memory cell.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the access component comprises a transistor coupled to and activated by signals on access lines, the access lines being coupled to the plurality of RCM cells.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the access component comprises a diode coupled to access lines, the access lines being coupled to the plurality of RCM cells.

20. A system, comprising:
a first region including a first plurality of resistance change memory (RCM) cells;
a second region having a second plurality of RCM cells, the first plurality of RCM cells and the second plurality of RCM cells being based on electrochemical deposition of metal ions within an electrolyte; and
drive circuitry electrically coupled to each of the first plurality of RCM cells and the second plurality of RCM cells to selectively provide one of a plurality of signal pulse types to selected ones of the plurality of RCM cells, each of the plurality of signal pulse types having a different selectable attribute and corresponding to a different memory function type.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Sills Scott E

Classifications

• G11C2013/0078

  Write using current through the cell · CPC title

• G11C13/0023

  Address circuits or decoders · CPC title

• G11C2013/0083

  Write to perform initialising, forming process, electro forming or conditioning · CPC title

• G11C13/004

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/005

  comprising combined but independently operative RAM-ROM, RAM-PROM, RAM-EPROM cells · CPC title