Patent ID: 8471235

Claim:
A nonvolatile memory element comprising: a substrate; a lower electrode layer formed on the substrate; a resistive layer formed on the lower electrode layer and comprising an oxygen-deficient metal oxide which is an oxide of metal including an element of one kind or elements of a plurality of kinds which is or are selected from transition metals; a resistance variable layer formed on the resistive layer and comprising an oxygen-deficient metal oxide which has a higher oxygen content than the resistive layer; a wire layer formed above the lower electrode layer; an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the wire layer and covering at least the lower electrode layer and the resistive layer, the interlayer insulating layer being provided with a contact hole extending from the wire layer to the resistance variable layer; and an upper electrode layer formed inside the contact hole such that the upper electrode layer is connected to the resistance variable layer and to the wire layer; the resistance variable layer having a surface exposed at a bottom of the contact hole; the upper electrode layer being filled into the contact hole such that a lower surface of the upper electrode layer is connected to the resistance variable layer; resistance values of the resistance variable layer changing reversibly in response to electric pulses applied between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.