Patent ID: 8476612

Claim:
A method, comprising: forming a lateral phase change memory cell, the forming including: forming a first opening and a second opening in a first dielectric layer, the first opening being separated from the second opening; forming a first electrode and a second electrode in the first and second openings, respectively; forming a phase change layer on the first dielectric layer and on the first and second electrodes, the phase change layer extending longitudinally in a first direction between the first electrode and the second electrode, the phase change layer having a first region electrically coupled to the first electrode, a second region electrically coupled to the second electrode, and an intermediate region between the first region and the second region; forming a second dielectric layer on the phase change layer; and forming a conductive layer on the second dielectric layer, the conductive layer extending longitudinally in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, the conductive layer being positioned directly above the intermediate region of the phase change layer, the conductive layer being separated from the phase change layer by the second dielectric layer and from the first and second electrodes by the phase change layer and the second dielectric layer, the conductive layer being electrically isolated from the first and the second electrodes, and the conductive layer being configured to produce a carrier depletion region in the intermediate region of the phase change layer.