Patent ID: 8178380

Claim:
A method for selectively establishing an electrical connection between first and second active terminals of a phase change device (PCD), the method comprising: receiving a control signal from a control terminal of the PCD and allowing the control signal to travel from the control terminal of the PCD to a heating element and from the heating element to a portion of phase change material (PCM) before reaching a first active terminal of the PCD or a second active terminal of the PCD; allowing the control signal to pass through higher resistance of the heating element to generate Joule heating; modifying an electrical conductivity state of the PCM by applying the control signal to the PCM by way of an electrical path between the control terminal of the PCD and one of the first and second active terminals of the PCD; and facilitating a current representing a logic signal traveling from the first active terminal of the PCD to the second active terminal of the PCD through the PCM bridging between the first active terminal of the PCD and second active terminal of the PCD when the electrical conductivity state of the PCM is electrically conductive.