Patent ID: 8445881

Claim:
A nonvolatile variable resistive element comprising: a variable resistor composed of a metal oxide film to cause a resistance change according to an oxygen concentration in the metal oxide film; an insulation film formed on the variable resistor; a first electrode and a second electrode having contact with the variable resistor and being apart from each other in a direction parallel to an interface between the insulation film and the variable resistor; and a third electrode being opposite to the variable resistor in a direction perpendicular to the interface across the insulation film, over a path of a current flowing between the first and second electrodes through the variable resistor, wherein oxygen is reversibly moved between the variable resistor and the insulation film through the interface by an electric field having an element in the direction perpendicular to the interface when a voltage is applied to the third electrode, and a resistance characteristic of the variable resistor transits between two or more different resistance states and one resistance state after the transition is held in a nonvolatile manner, a current flows between the first and second electrodes based on the resistance characteristic according to the resistance state of the variable resistor when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, and the resistance characteristic according to the resistance state of the variable resistor held in the nonvolatile manner is temporarily lowered in resistance when the voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes under a condition that the voltage is applied to the third electrode.