Patent ID: 7321130

Claim:
A memory device, comprising: a first electrode having a top side; a second electrode having a top side; an insulating member between the first electrode and the second electrode, the insulating member having a thickness between the first and second electrodes near the top side of the first electrode and the top side of the second electrode; and a bridge across the insulating member, the bridge having a first side and a second side and contacting the top sides of first and second electrodes on the first side, and defining an inter-electrode path between the first and second electrodes across the insulating member, the inter-electrode path having a path length defined by the width of the insulating member, wherein the bridge comprises memory material having at least two solid phases, wherein the first and second electrodes and insulating member comprise elements in a single layer of materials, and the bridge includes a top side and a bottom side and said first side is the bottom side.