US Patent 7642540 - Phase change RAM with heat efficiency nanolayer

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7642540.html

Phase-change RAM is a potential contender to compete with flash in the non-volatile memory market and offers improvements in switching time. This patent from Samsung teaches using nanomaterials to improve heat conduction and reduce the current necessary for switching and thus reduce power requirements. Claim 1 reads:

1. A phase change random access memory (PRAM) comprising:

a storage node connected to a switching element, the storage node including a first electrode;

a phase change layer;

a heat efficiency improving element formed between the first electrode and the phase change layer; and

a second electrode, wherein the heat efficiency improving element is one of a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer, a nanoparticle layer, and a nanodot layer.