Patent ID: 7728321

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a first insulating layer having an upper surface, a heater electrode selectively formed in the first insulating layer, the heater electrode having a top surface that is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed to cover the upper surface of the first insulating layer and the top surface of the heater electrode, the second insulating layer including a hole that exposes a part of the top surface of the heater electrode, a remaining part of the top surface of the heater electrode being kept covered by the second insulating layer; a landing electrode selectively formed on the second insulating layer, the landing electrode thereby including a first surface on a side of the second insulating layer and a second surface opposed to the first surface; and a phase change layer formed in contact with the part of the heater electrode through the hole, the phase change layer including an elongated portion that is elongated over and in contact with a part of the second surface of the landing electrode with an separation from the remaining part of the top surface of the heater electrode by the second insulating layer.