Methods, apparatuses, and circuits for programming a memory device

1. A circuit comprising:

a conductive path to a memory device via a conductor and a separation material;

wherein the conductor has a width in a first direction and a length longer than the width in a second direction,

wherein the conductor and a part of the conductive path are laterally offset in the second direction from all locations in the first direction directly above a device heater under the memory device.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the conductive path is offset by a lateral distance ranging from 50 nm to 150 nm.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the separation material comprises a refractory metal.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the separation material comprises at least one of titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, chromium, or tantalum.

5. The circuit of claim 1 ,

wherein the device heater is configured to couple heat energy to the memory device to bring about a phase change of a memory material of the memory device.

6. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the conductive path further comprises a conductive path to a conductive plug located beneath the device heater.

7. The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the conductive plug is coupled to a switch.

8. The circuit of claim 7 , wherein the switch is a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor.

9. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the memory material comprises a chalcogenide material.

10. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the phase change of the memory material involves transitioning from a resistive phase to a conductive phase.

11. The circuit of claim 10 , wherein the phase change of the memory material involves changing from an amorphous phase to a crystalline phase.

12. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the phase change of the memory material involves changing from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase.

13. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the separation material exhibits a resistance of between about 5 and about 50 percent of the resistance of the device heater.

14. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the device heater is configured to change the memory material of the memory device to a rupture phase.

15. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein the device heater is at least partially surrounded by a dielectric material.

16. The circuit of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric material is one of an oxide or nitride.

17. The circuit of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric material has a resistivity from a range of approximately 10 12 ohm-cm to 10 16 ohm-cm.

18. The circuit of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric material has a thermal conductivity from a range of approximately 20 W/m° K to 40 W/m° K.

19. A circuit comprising:

a conductive path to a memory device via a conductor and a separation material,

wherein an edge of the conductor is laterally offset from an edge of the separation material in a second direction,

wherein the conductor has a width in a first direction and a length longer than the width in the second direction,

wherein the conductor and a part of the conductive path are laterally offset in the second direction from all locations in the first direction directly above a device heater under the memory device.

20. The circuit of claim 19 ,

wherein a second edge of the conductor and a second edge of an active material comprising the memory device are aligned in the second direction.

21. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein a length of the separation material in the second direction is different than the length of the conductor in the second direction.

22. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is laterally offset from the device heater under the memory device in the second direction by a distance of approximately 2F, wherein F comprises a dimension approximately equal to one-half of a pitch of an applicable lithographic process related to the circuit.

23. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is laterally offset from the device heater under the memory device in the second direction by a distance greater than F, wherein F comprises a dimension approximately equal to one-half of a pitch of an applicable lithographic process related to the circuit.