17936982. HEATER FOR PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL MEMORY CELL simplified abstract (International Business Machines Corporation)

HEATER FOR PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL MEMORY CELL

Organization Name

International Business Machines Corporation

Inventor(s)

Victor W.C. Chan of Guilderland NY (US)

JIN PING Han of Yorktown Heights NY (US)

Samuel Sung Shik Choi of Ballston Lake NY (US)

Injo Ok of Loudonville NY (US)

HEATER FOR PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL MEMORY CELL - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17936982 titled 'HEATER FOR PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL MEMORY CELL

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes an integrated circuit that includes a field effect transistor (FET) and a phase change memory (PCM) cell with a heater, where the bottom surface of the heater is at or below the top surface of the FET.

• The integrated circuit combines a FET and a PCM cell with a heater.
• The heater in the PCM cell is positioned such that its bottom surface is at or below the top surface of the FET.

Potential Applications

The technology could be applied in:

• Memory storage devices
• Computing systems
• IoT devices

Problems Solved

This technology addresses:

• Integration challenges of FET and PCM cells
• Heat dissipation issues in integrated circuits

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

• Improved performance and efficiency
• Enhanced reliability and durability
• Compact design for space-saving applications

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology could be commercially applied in:

• Consumer electronics
• Automotive systems
• Industrial automation

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the integration of FETs and PCM cells in separate layers, which may not optimize heat dissipation and performance as effectively as the described technology.

Unanswered Questions

How does the positioning of the heater in relation to the FET improve the overall performance of the integrated circuit?

The abstract does not provide specific details on how the specific positioning of the heater contributes to the performance enhancements of the integrated circuit.

Are there any specific design considerations or limitations to be aware of when implementing this technology in practical applications?

The abstract does not mention any potential design challenges or limitations that may arise when implementing this technology in real-world scenarios.

Original Abstract Submitted

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.