Dual-plane memory array

• US 8,933,431 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Perner, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): MUNOZ, ANDRES F
• Application Number:
  US14/006,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20140014891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/5
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/84 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, e.g. 3D cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/24 based on migration or redistribution of ionic species, e.g. anions, vacancies
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/801 Constructional details of multistable switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/826 adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8833 Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx

Abstract

A memory array has a plurality of conductor structures. Each conductor structure has a top wire segment extending in a first direction, a middle wire segment extending in a second direction at an angle from the first direction, a bottom wire segment extending in a direction opposite to the first direction, and a via connecting the top, middle, and bottom wire segments. A plurality of memory cells in an upper plane of the memory array are formed at intersections of the middle wire segment of each conductor structure with the top wire segments of neighboring conductor structures, and a plurality of memory cells in a lower plane are formed at intersections of the middle wire segment of each conductor structure with the bottom wire segments of neighboring conductor structures.

Claims

1. A memory array comprising:

a plurality of conductor structures, each conductor structure having a top wire segment extending in a first direction, a middle wire segment extending in a second direction at an angle from the first direction, a bottom wire segment extending in a direction opposite to the first direction, and a via connecting the top, middle, and bottom wire segments;

a plurality of memory cells in an upper plane formed at intersections of the middle wire segment of each conductor structure with the top wire segments of neighboring conductor structures; and

a plurality of memory cells in a lower plane formed at intersections of the middle wire segment of each conductor structure with the bottom wire segments of neighboring conductor structures.

2. A memory array as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor structures are arranged in the memory array such that the vias of adjacent conductor structures are disposed in a diagonal line.

3. A memory array as in claim 2, wherein the top, middle, and bottom wire segments of the plurality of conductor structures are dimensioned such that each top or bottom wire segment is to intersect a selected number of middle wire segments, and each middle wire segment is to intersect the selected number of top wire segments and the selected number of bottom wire segments.

4. A memory array as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory cells are memristive devices.

5. A memory array as in claim 4, wherein each memory cell has an active region containing a switching material formed of a metal oxide.

6. A memory array comprising:

a plurality of top wire segments extending in a first direction in a top layer;

a plurality of middle wire segments in a middle layer extending in a second direction at an angle to the first direction;

a plurality of bottom wire segments in a bottom layer extending in a direction opposite to the first direction;

a plurality of memory cells in an upper plane formed at intersections of plurality of the top wire segments with the plurality of middle wire segments;

a plurality of memory cells in a lower plane formed at intersections of the plurality of middle wire segments with the plurality of bottom wire segments; and

a plurality of vias, each via connecting a top wire segment, a middle wire segment, and a bottom wire segment.

7. A memory array as in claim 6, wherein the plurality of vias are arranged in diagonal lines.

8. A memory array as in claim 7, wherein the top, middle, and bottom wire segments are dimensioned such that each top or bottom wire segment is to intersect a selected number of middle wire segments, and each middle wire segment is to intersect the selected number of top wire segments and the selected number of bottom wire segments.

9. A memory array as in claim 6, wherein the plurality of memory cells are memristive devices.

10. A memory array as in claim 9, wherein each memory cell has an active region having a switching material formed of a metal oxide.

11. A memory array comprising:

a plurality of conductor structures, each conductor structure having a top wire segment, a middle wire segment, and bottom wire segment connected together by a via, with top and bottom wire segments extending in opposite directions and the middle wire segment extending in a direction perpendicular to the top and bottom wire segments;

a plurality of memory cells disposed in an upper plane and a lower plane, each memory cell in the upper plane being formed at an intersection of a top wire segment of a conductor structure with a middle wire segment of another conductor structure, and each memory cell in the lower plane being formed at an intersection of a bottom wire segment of a conductor structure with a middle wire segment of another plurality of conductor structure; and

decoders disposed in a plane under the conductor structures for decoding addresses of the vias of two conductor structures for accessing a memory cell formed at an intersection of the two conductor structures.

12. A memory array as in claim 11, wherein the top, middle, and bottom wire segments of the plurality of conductor structures are dimensioned such that each top or bottom wire segment is to intersect a selected number of middle wire segments, and each middle wire segment is to intersect the selected number of top wire segments and the selected number of bottom wire segments.

13. A memory array as in claim 12, wherein the vias of the plurality of conductor structures are formed along diagonal lines.

14. A memory array as in claim 13, wherein the plurality of memory cells are memristive devices.

15. A memory array as in claim 14, wherein each memory cells has an active region containing a switching material formed of a metal oxide.