Patent ID: 8198619

Claim:
A memory device comprising: a conductive contact; a memory element comprising programmable resistance memory material overlying the conductive contact; an insulator element including a plurality of pipe shaped portions extending from the conductive contact into the memory element, the pipe shaped portions having respective proximal and distal ends and an inside surface defining an interior, the proximal ends adjacent the conductive contact; a plurality of bottom electrodes contacting the conductive contact and extending upwardly within the interior of a corresponding pipe shaped portion from the proximal end to the distal end, the bottom electrodes having respective top surfaces contacting the memory element adjacent the distal end of the corresponding pipe shaped portion at respective first contact surfaces; and a top electrode separated from the distal ends of the pipe shaped portion by the memory element and contacting the memory element at a second contact surface, the second contact surface having a surface area greater than that of the first contact surfaces.