US Patent 7450411 Phase change memory device and manufacturing method

A phase change memory device comprises a photolithographically formed phase change memory cell having first and second electrodes and a phase change bridge positioned between and electrically coupling the opposed sides of the electrodes to one another. The phase change bridge has a length, a width and a thickness. The width, the thickness and the length are less than a minimum photolithographic feature size of the process used to form the phase change memory cell. The size of the photoresist masks used in forming the memory cell may be reduced so that the width and the length of the phase change bridge are each less than the minimum photolithographic feature size.