Apparatuses and methods including memory access in cross point memory
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a memory cell, first and second conductive lines configured to access the memory cell, and a switch configured to apply a signal to one of the first and second conductive lines. In at least one of such embodiments, the switch can include a phase change material. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described.
1. An apparatus comprising:
conductive lines located in a first device level of a device and extending in a first direction;
conductive lines located in a second device level of the device and extending in a second direction;
a first plurality of device structures located in a third device level of the device and configured to store information, the third device level being between the first and second device levels, each device structure in the first plurality of device structures being located between one of the conductive lines extending in the first direction and one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction; and
a second plurality of device structures located in the third device level, each device structure in the second plurality of device structures being located between one of the conductive lines extending in the first direction and one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction, wherein the second plurality of device structures is not configured to store information.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first material, a second material, and a third material, the first material overlying a first conductive line among the conductive lines extending in the first direction, the second material overlying a second conductive line among the conductive lines extending in the first direction, wherein a first portion of the first material is included in a first device structure in the second plurality of device structures, and a second portion of the first material is included in a second device structure in the second plurality of device structures, the third material is located between the first and second conductive lines and directly contacts the first and second material, wherein the first, second, and third materials are formed from a same material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive segment, wherein the conductive lines extending in the first direction include a first conductive line and a second conductive line, and the conductive segment is coupled to the first and second conductive line.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive lines extending in the first direction include a first conductive line having a first width and a second conductive line having a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each device structure in the second plurality of device structures is located between the first conductive line and one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each device structure in the second plurality of device structures includes first conductive material, a second conductive material, and a phase change material between the first and second conductive materials, the first conductive material coupled to one of the conductive lines extending in the first direction, and the second conductive material coupled to one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each structure in the second plurality of device structures includes:
a first electrode directly contacting a first conductive line of the conductive lines extending in the first direction;
a phase change material directly contacting the first electrode; and
a second electrode directly contacting the phase change material and directly contacting one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each device structure in the second plurality of device structures includes a phase change material.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each device structure in the second plurality of device structures includes an additional phase change material and a conductive material located between the phase change material and the additional phase change material.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each device structure in the second plurality of device structures includes a first conductive material and a second conductive material, the first conductive material between the phase change material and one of the conductive lines extending in the first direction, and the second conductive material between the additional phase change material and one of the conductive lines extending in the second direction.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each device structure in the first plurality of device structures includes a first phase change material, a second phase change material, and a third conductive material between the first and second phase change materials.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a semiconductor substrate, wherein the conductive lines extending in the first direction and the conductive line extending in the second direction overlies the substrate.
14. An apparatus comprising:
a first plurality of conductive lines located in a first device level of a device and extending in the first direction;
an additional conductive line located in the first device level of the device and extending in the first direction;
a second plurality of conductive lines located in a second device level of the device and extending in a second direction, the second plurality of second conductive lines passing over the first plurality of conductive lines at a plurality of cross points and passing over the additional conductive line at a plurality of additional cross points;
a plurality of device structures configured to operate as memory cells, each device structure of the plurality of device structures being located at a respective cross point of the plurality of cross points; and
a plurality of additional device structures configured to operate as switches, each additional device structure of the plurality of additional device structures being located at a respective additional cross point of the plurality of additional cross points.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each device structure of the plurality of device structures includes variable resistance material.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each additional device structure of the plurality of additional device structures includes variable resistance material.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the variable material in each device structure of the plurality of device structures and each additional device structure of the plurality of additional device structures includes phase change material.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each device structure of the plurality of device structures and each additional device structure of the plurality of additional device structures includes variable resistance material between a first conductive material and a second conductive material.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the additional conductive line is a first additional conductive line, and the apparatus further comprising:
a second additional conductive line located in the first device level of the device and extending in the first direction, the second plurality of second conductive lines passing over the second additional conductive line at plurality of second additional cross points; and
a conductive segment coupled the first additional conductive line to the second additional conductive line.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the additional conductive line has a width greater than a width of each conductive line of the first plurality of conductive lines.