US Patent 6858883 Partially processed tunnel junction control element

A memory system, including a first electrode, a memory storage element, and a control element. The control element having a breakdown voltage. The breakdown voltage is increased by partially-processing the control element. In one aspect, the partial-processing results by processing the control element for a briefer duration than the memory storage element. In another aspect, the partial-processing results by forming the control element from a plurality of layers, some of the plurality of layers are unprocessed while other ones of the plurality of layers are fully processed.