Patent ID: 7919767

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a first insulating layer having an upper surface; a heater electrode embedded into the first insulating layer such that an upper surface of the heater electrode is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer including a hole that exposes the upper surface of the heater electrode and a first part of the upper surface of the first insulating layer around the upper surface of the heater electrode; a phase change layer including a first portion that is formed in contact with the upper surface of the heater electrode and with the first part of the upper surface of the first insulating layer through the hole, the phase change layer further including a second portion that is elongated from the first portion over a part of the second insulating layer; an upper electrode including a first part that is in contact with the second portion of the phase change layer, the upper electrode further including a second part that is elongated from the first part over the first portion of the phase change layer with a gap therebetween; and a heat isolation layer formed between the first portion of the phase change layer and the second part of the upper electrode to fill the gap.