IBM Assigned Eight Patents

Phase change memory with conductive rings
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12219884) developed by Cheng; Kangguo, Schenectady, NY, Radens; Carl, LaGrangeville, NY, Li; Juntao, Cohoes, NY, Xie; Ruilong, Niskayuna, NY, Adusumilli; Praneet, Somerset, NJ, van der Straten; Oscar, Guilderland Center, NY, Reznicek; Alexander, Troy, NY, Liu; Zuoguang, Schenectady, NY, and Gasasira; Arthur, Halfmoon, NY, for a “phase change memory with conductive rings.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory, system, and method for gradually changing the conductance and resistance of the phase change memory while preventing resistance drift. The phase change memory may include a phase change material. The phase change memory may also include a bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include a heater core proximately connected to the bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include a set of conductive rings surrounding the heater core, where the set of conductive rings comprises one or more conductive rings, and where the set of conductive rings are proximately connected to the phase change material. The phase change memory may also include a set of spacers, where a spacer, from the set of spacers, separates a portion of a conductive ring, from the set of conductive rings, from the heater core.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-30 (17/449515).

Reducing contact resistance of phase change memory bridge cell
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12219885) developed by Cheng; Kangguo, Schenectady, NY, Li; Juntao, Cohoes, NY, Liu; Zuoguang, Schenectady, NY, and Gasasira; Arthur, Halfmoon, NY, for “reducing contact resistance of phase change memory bridge cell.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory includes a substrate, a plurality of first phase change elements on the substrate, a plurality of electrodes on the plurality of first phase change elements, and a second phase change element connecting the plurality of electrodes and disposed between the plurality of first phase change elements.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-11-19 (17/531149).

Phase change memory cell with superlattice based thermal barrier
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12207573) developed by Adusumilli; Praneet, Somerset, NJ, Brew; Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, Ando; Takashi, Eastchester, NY, and Vega; Reinaldo, Mahopac, NY, for a “phase change memory cell with superlattice based thermal barrier.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A memory, system, and method to improve integration density while maintaining thermal efficiency through a phase change memory cell with a superlattice based thermal barrier. The phase change memory may include a bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include an active phase change material. The phase change memory may also include a superlattice thermal barrier proximately connected to the active phase change material. The phase change memory may also include a top electrode proximately connected to the superlattice thermal barrier. The system may include the phase change memory cell. The method for forming a phase change memory may include depositing an active phase change material on a bottom electrode. The method may also include depositing a superlattice thermal barrier proximately connected to the active phase change material. The method may also include depositing a top electrode proximately connected to the superlattice thermal barrier.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-15 (17/475970).

Phase change memory with multi-level programming
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12207570) developed by Chen; Ching-Tzu, Ossining, NY, Li; Juntao, Cohoes, NY, Cheng; Kangguo, Schenectady, NY, and Radens; Carl, Lagrangeville, NY, for a “phase change memory with multi-level programming.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory (PCM) semiconductor device is provided. The PCM semiconductor device includes: a phase change material stack on a substrate, the phase change material stack including at least two phase change material layers each separated by an insulating layer; a first electrode on a first side of the phase change material stack; and a second electrode on a second side of the phase change material stack, wherein a first one of the phase change material layers has a length that is different from a length of a second one of the phase change material layers.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-03-16 (17/655081).

Phase change memory having gradual reset
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12185646) developed by Li; Ning, White Plains, NY, Kim; Wanki, Chappaqua, NY, and Sadana; Devendra K., Pleasantville, NY, for a “phase change memory having gradual reset.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory (PCM) structure configured for performing a gradual reset operation includes first and second electrodes and a phase change material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes. The PCM structure further includes a thermal insulation layer disposed on at least sidewalls of the first and second electrodes and phase change material layer. The thermal insulation layer is configured to provide non-uniform heating of the phase change material layer. Optionally, the thermal insulation layer may be formed as an air gap. The PCM structure may be configured having the first and second electrodes aligned in a vertical or a lateral arrangement.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-12-15 (18/082189).

Heater for phase change material memory cell
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12150393) developed by Chan; Victor W. C., Guilderland, NY, Han; Jin Ping, Yorktown Heights, NY, Choi; Samuel Sung Shik, Ballston Lake, NY, and Ok; Injo, Loudonville, NY, for “heater for phase change material memory cell.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An integrated circuit includes a field effect transistor (FET) and a phase change memory (PCM) cell. The PCM cell includes a heater, wherein a bottom surface of the heater is at or below a top surface of the FET.”

The patent application was filed on 2022-09-30 (17/936982).

Three terminal phase change memory with self-aligned contacts
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12108692) developed by Wu; Heng, Guilderland, NY, Shen; Tian, Clifton Park, NY, Brew; Kevin W., Niskayuna, NY, and Zhang; Jingyun, Albany, NY, for “three terminal phase change memory with self-aligned contacts.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A phase change memory, a system, and a method to prevent high resistance drift within a phase change memory through a phase change memory cell with three terminals and self-aligned metal contacts. The phase change memory may include a bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include a heater proximately connected to the bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include a phase change material proximately connected to the heater. The phase change memory may also include metal proximately connected to at least two sides of the phase change material. The phase change memory may also include three terminals, where 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.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-09-13 (17/473359).

AI accelerator with MRAM, PCM, and recessed PCM bottom electrode
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (12075627) developed by Xie; Ruilong, Niskayuna, NY, Reznicek; Alexander, Troy, NY, Wang; Wei, Yorktown Heights, NY, Li; Tao, Slingerlands, NY, and Kang; Tsung-Sheng, Ballston Lake, NY, for an “AI accelerator with MRAM, PCM, and recessed PCM bottom electrode.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An integrated circuit, a system, and a method to integrate phase change memory and magnetoresistive random access memory within a same integrated circuit in a system. The integrated circuit may include an MRAM and a PCM. The MRAM may include an MRAM bottom electrode, an MRAM stack, and an MRAM top electrode. The PCM may include a PCM bottom electrode, where the PCM bottom electrode has a lower height than the MRAM bottom electrode, a phase change material, and a PCM top electrode.”

The patent application was filed on 2021-08-26 (17/412776).