Patent ID: 8536559

Claim:
A phase change memory (PCM), comprising: a substrate having a plurality of protrusions; a plurality of top electrodes disposed on the substrate in parallel along a direction; a plurality of bottom electrodes respectively disposed in each of the protrusions of the substrate and under the plurality of top electrodes; a plurality of phase change (PC) elements, disposed between the plurality of top electrodes and the plurality of bottom electrodes in parallel along the direction, and each of the plurality of PC elements conducted with a subset of the plurality of bottom electrodes arranged along the direction and one of the plurality of top electrodes; and a plurality of thermal disturbance-preventing parts, disposed between the plurality of bottom electrodes and under the plurality of top electrodes, wherein the plurality of thermal disturbance-preventing parts are in direct contact with the plurality of top electrodes and wherein each of the plurality of PC elements has a first thickness on the protrusion and a second thickness under the thermal disturbance-preventing part, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.