Patent ID: 8547720

Claim:
A memory including memory elements arranged in a three-dimensional pattern defined by rectangular coordinates having x, y and z-directions and with a plurality of parallel planes stacked in the z-direction, the memory further comprising: a plurality of first conductive lines elongated in the z-direction through the plurality of planes and arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array of rows in the x-direction and columns in the y-direction, wherein said plurality of first conductive lines is partitioned into first and second sets of first conductive lines; a plurality of second conductive lines elongated in the x-direction across individual planes and spaced apart in the y-direction between and separated from the plurality of first conductive lines in the individual planes, wherein the first and second conductive lines cross adjacent each other at a plurality of locations across the individual planes; a plurality of non-volatile re-programmable memory elements individually connected between the first set of first conductive lines and second conductive lines adjacent the crossings thereof at a first set of the plurality of locations; a plurality of connectors individually connected between the second set of first conductive lines and second conductive lines adjacent the crossings thereof at a second set of the plurality of locations; a plurality of third conductive lines partitioned into first and second groups of third conductive lines; and a first group of select devices arranged to switch a selected row of first conductive lines in the x-direction to the first set of third conductive lines; and a second group of select devices arranged to switch a selected set of the plurality of second conductive lines to respective second set of third conductive lines; and wherein the select devices each has a source terminal and a drain terminal that are aligned with the two-dimensional array of first conductive lines in the x-y plane; and wherein the source and drain terminal of each select device are aligned diagonally in the x-y plane.