1. A review of recent phase change memory developments
Guy Wicker
Ovshinsky Innovation

2. Intel and Micron announce
3D XPoint Technology
August 2015
IBM Announces
MLC PRAM chip
May 2016
OTS
OMS

3. Nerve Impulse Paper June 15, 1955
Stanford Ovshinsky began research into 2 terminal switching devices in 1955
Nerve Impulse Paper June 15, 1955
Ovitron and RRAM development
Ovitron 1959
RRAM Patent 1963

4. 1964 Patent application on Te alloy switching Devices U. S
1964 Patent application on Te alloy switching Devices U.S. Patent
Ovshinsky, S., “Reversible Electrical Switching Phenomena in Disordered Structures,
” Phys. Rev. Lett, V. 21, no. 20, pp , Nov. 11, 1968.

5. OTS isolated OMS memory was first reported at ECD in 1970
D. Nelson, Jan Helbers and Roy Shanks
D.L. Nelson, “Ovonic Device Applications”, Journal Non-Crystalline Solids V2 pp , 1970.
Prior art to much of 3D-XPoint’s IP

6. Ovonic Memory Inc. and Intel 256bit Phase Change Memory 1970
1976 ECD Burroughs JV
1024 bits Fully Decoded
Ovonic Memory Inc. and Intel
256bit Phase Change Memory
1970
1972
Prototype

7. 128X128X2 integrated OTS isolated OMS array
1987
128X128X2 integrated OTS isolated OMS array

8. Shortcomings of Memory
Speed ) Reset Current

9. Optical Disk Development 1984-1992
Rubin and Otah
Compound materials for reversible, phase‐change optical data storage
M. Chen, K. A. Rubin, and R. W. Barton, Applied Physics Letters 49, 502 (1986)

10. 1991 Inadvertent Polymer film led to sub-2mA devices

11. 1991 Device consistency allowed demonstration of Multilevel Storage

12. 1991 First 225 electrically switched Phase Change Memory

14. The Ovonic Threshold Switch can be used to implement logic with
Higher speeds and more current drive than MOSFETs
As an Isolation Element it can work with a wide variety of two terminal memories

15. Competitive Technologies

16. STT-MRAM FeRAM Will be employed in 3-8 years
Complex and expensive structure
High speed and unlimited cycle life
FeRAM
Will be employed in 3-8 years
high performance nonvolatile

17. ReRAM
Unclear what mechanisms are involved
Oxide vacancies - Neville Mott
Difficult Forming Low Cycle Life
CB-RRAM
Conductive bridge of metal ions
Very low cycle life