Patent ID: 8987702
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: G11C,H01L

Abstract:
1. A selectively conducting device comprising: a horizontal first electrode comprising a first metal-comprising material having a first work function; a horizontal second electrode comprising a second metal comprising material comprising a second work function, the first and second work functions being non-equivalent; a plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, magnesium oxide, yittrium oxide, and niobium oxide, between the first and second electrodes being configured to conduct current from the first electrode to the second electrode when a first voltage is applied across the first electrode and the second electrode and being configured to inhibit current from flowing from the second electrode to the first electrode when a second voltage having a polarity opposite that of a polarity of the first voltage is applied across the first electrode and the second electrode, each of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials having a barrier height that is higher than the first and the second work functions, the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials having a barrier height greater than both a work function of the first metal and a work function of the second metal, the harder height being related to an energy difference between a conduction band of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials and a valence band of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials, the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials being physically arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode in order of increasing barrier height, a first dielectric material of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials nearest the second electrode having the lowest barrier height of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials and a second material of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials nearest the first electrode having the highest barrier height of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials; and a plurality of quantum wells being formed at junctions between the layers of the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials when the device is forward biased, lowering the potential barrier in the plurality of at least three stacked un-doped dielectric materials.