1. An integrated circuit memory, comprising:
an array of memory cells including access circuitry, memory cells in the array respectively comprising:
a memory material switchable between a lower resistivity phase and a higher resistivity phase by application of current, the memory material being coupled to first and second electrodes in respective first and second contact areas which define an electric field region within the memory material between the first and second electrodes, the memory material having first and second boundaries between the first and second contact areas, and wherein the first and second electrodes are coupled to the access circuitry; and
first and second thermal isolation materials in heat-conducting relation to the first and second boundaries of the memory material, the first and second thermal isolation materials having different thermal conductivity properties such that heat flow out of the electric field region through the first and second boundaries in the memory material is asymmetrical.
2. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1, further comprising:
a controller coupled to the array, including resources for applying current to a selected memory cell, the current configured to induce formation of a combination of the lower resistivity phase and the higher resistivity phase in the memory material within the electric field region, the combination establishing a gradient from lower resistivity near the first boundary to higher resistivity near the second boundary to set a resistance for the memory cell between the first and second electrodes.
3. The integrated circuit memory of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to apply a pulse configuration inducing current in the memory cell to program the memory cell to a determined value corresponding to a reset state, causing formation of the higher resistivity phase in substantially all of an active volume the memory material.
4. The integrated circuit memory of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine a data value including at least two bits, for a selected memory cell; and to apply a pulse configuration according to the determined data value that establishes a gradient setting the resistance of the memory cell within a range of resistance corresponding to the determined data value.
5. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1, wherein:
the first and second electrodes each have a top side;
a first insulating member between the first and second electrodes comprises the first thermal isolation material;
a thin film bridge comprising the memory material crosses the insulating member and defines an inter-electrode path between the first and second electrodes near the top sides of the first and second electrodes; and
a second insulating member overlying the thin film bridge comprises the second thermal isolation material.
6. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1 wherein:
the first electrode has a top side and the second electrode has a bottom side, and
the memory material is situated between the top side of the first electrode and the bottom side of the second electrode, defining an inter-electrode path between the first and second electrodes; and
the first thermal isolation material is in heat-conducting relation to the first boundary of the memory material and the second thermal isolation material is in heat-conducting relation to the second boundary of the memory material.
7. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1, wherein the first and second thermal insulating materials comprise respective co-planar thin films which abut along a seam, and the memory elements comprise phase change material within pores along the seam and contact bottom electrodes beneath the co-planar thin films.
8. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1, wherein the first contact area is substantially smaller than the second contact area.
9. The integrated circuit memory of claim 1, wherein the first and second thermal insulating materials comprise respective co-planar thin films which abut along a seam, and the first electrodes comprise conductive members within pores along the seam, and contact the first contact areas on the memory material over the co-planar thin films, wherein the first contact area is substantially smaller than the second contact area; and
the memory material comprising strips of programmable resistance material that cross the seam over the first electrodes.
10. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit memory, comprising:
forming an array of electrode pairs on a substrate, each electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode;
forming memory elements between the first and second electrodes of the electrode pairs in the array of electrode pairs to provide memory cells, wherein the memory elements comprise a memory material switchable between a lower resistivity phase and a higher resistivity phase by application of current, the memory material being coupled to the first and second electrodes in respective first and second contact areas which define an electric field region within the memory material between the first and second electrodes, the memory material having first and second boundaries between the first and second contact areas; and
forming insulators on the first and second boundaries of the memory material, the insulators including first and second thermal isolation materials in heat-conducting relation to the first and second boundaries of the memory material, the first and second thermal isolation materials having different thermal conductivity properties such that heat flow out of the electric field region through the first and second boundaries in the memory material is asymmetrical.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
providing circuitry on the integrated circuit configured for applying current to a selected memory cell, the current configured to induce formation of a combination of the lower resistivity phase and the higher resistivity phase in the memory material within the electric field region, the combination establishing a gradient from lower resistivity near the first boundary to higher resistivity near the second boundary to set a resistance for the memory cell between the first and second electrodes.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein said forming an array of electrode pairs includes forming a bottom electrode acting as said first electrode, forming a memory element in the array of memory elements on the bottom electrode, and forming a top electrode acting as said second electrode on the memory element.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein said forming an array of electrode pairs and said forming memory elements includes:
providing a substrate including an array of first electrodes;
forming a first layer of the first thermal isolation material according to a pattern, where the layer includes an edge overlying one or more of the first electrodes in the array of first electrodes;
forming a layer of the second thermal isolation material, where the second insulating material abuts the layer of the first thermal insulation material in a seam along said edge;
forming pores along said seam exposing the bottom electrodes in the array of bottom electrodes;
filling the pores with phase change material to provide memory elements; and
forming an array of second electrodes over the memory elements.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein said forming an array of electrode pairs includes
forming the first and second electrodes in a plane, each having a top side;
forming a first insulating member between the first and second electrodes comprising the first thermal isolation material;
forming a thin film bridge comprising the memory material crossing the insulating member and defining an inter-electrode path between the first and second electrodes near the top sides of the first and second electrodes; and
forming a second insulating member overlying the thin film bridge comprising the second thermal isolation material.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first contact area is substantially smaller than the second contact area.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein said forming an array of electrode pairs and said forming memory elements includes:
providing a substrate;
forming a first layer of the first thermal isolation material according to a pattern, where the layer includes an edge;
forming a layer of the second thermal isolation material, where the second insulating material abuts the layer of the first thermal insulation material in a seam along said edge;
forming pores along said seam;
filling the pores with electrode material to provide first electrodes in said electrode pairs;
forming strips of memory material which act as said memory elements over corresponding first electrodes; and
forming second electrodes in said electrode pairs over the memory elements.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing comprising:
receiving loan application data at a server node;
automatically generating a loan origination compliance task workflow comprising an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks at the server node in response to the loan application data, the compliance tasks comprising actions required by one or more of a third-party loan originator, a lending institution, and a borrower to originate a loan so that lending institutions compensate third-party loan originators in compliance with federal or state law requirements in effect when the third-party loan originators are compensated, wherein the compliance tasks are dependent on at least one of a federal regulation, a state regulation, a state law, a federal law, a state requirement, and a federal requirement applicable to at least one of a location at which the loan is originated, a location at which the borrower resides, and a location at which a secured property is located; and
electronically distributing the plurality of compliance tasks to a loan originator for performing one or more of the compliance tasks.
2. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 further comprising monitoring completion of the plurality of compliance tasks whereby a report of completion of all required tasks can be generated.
3. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 further comprising authenticating a person submitting the request to process a loan.
4. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 further comprising electronically transferring the plurality of compliance tasks required to process the loan to an electronic loan processing workflow engine for controlling and managing execution of the tasks.
5. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 4 wherein the loan processing workflow engine for controlling and managing execution of the tasks notifies selected vendors to perform a task and monitors task completion.
6. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 5 wherein loan completion data is electronically passed to a secondary banking engine for management of loan inventory.
7. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 wherein the loan is a mortgage loan.
8. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 wherein the plurality of compliance tasks required to process the loan includes tasks which are based upon loan related laws and regulations comprising Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements and implementing instructions relating to loan processing.
9. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 8 wherein the loan related laws and regulations comprise Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements and implementing instructions relating to mortgage loan processing.
10. The computer implemented method for automated loan origination processing of claim 1 comprising additional step of creating a complete transaction and payment report.
11. An apparatus for automated loan origination processing comprising:
a computer system having communications devices for receiving loan application data;
the computer system having logic mechanisms programmed to automatically generate a loan origination compliance task workflow comprising an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks in response to the loan application data, the compliance tasks comprising actions required by one or more of a third-party loan originator, a lending institution, and a borrower to originate a loan so that lending institutions compensate third-party loan originators in compliance with federal or state law requirements in effect when the third-party loan originators are compensated; and the computer system having additional logic mechanisms programmed to electronically distribute the plurality of compliance tasks to a loan originator for performing one or more of the compliance tasks, wherein the compliance tasks are dependent on at least one of a federal regulation, a state regulation, a state law, a federal law, a state requirement, and a federal requirement applicable to at least one of a location at which the loan is originated, a location at which the borrower resides, and a location at which a secured property is located.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising electronic logic devices programmed to monitor completion of the plurality of compliance tasks and to generate a report of completion of all required tasks.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising logic mechanisms programmed to authenticate a person submitting the request to process a loan.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising logic devices programmed to electronically transfer the plurality of compliance tasks required to process the loan to an electronic loan processing workflow engine for controlling and managing execution of the compliance tasks.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the loan workflow engine for controlling and managing execution of compliance tasks notifies selected vendors to perform a task and monitors task completion.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein loan completion data are electronically passed to a secondary banking engine for management of loan inventory.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the loan is a mortgage loan.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of compliance tasks required to process the loan are based upon loan related laws and regulations comprising Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the loan related laws and regulations comprise Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising logic devices programmed to create a complete transaction and payment report.
21. An apparatus for automated loan origination processing comprising:
means for receiving loan application data;
means, coupled to the means for receiving the loan application data, for automatically generating a loan origination compliance task workflow comprising an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks in response to the loan application data, the compliance tasks comprising actions required by one or more of a third-party loan originator, a lending institution, and a borrower to originate a loan so that lending institutions compensate third-party loan originators in compliance with federal or state law requirements in effect when the third-party loan originators are compensated, wherein the compliance tasks are dependent on at least one of a federal regulation, a state regulation, a state law, a federal law, a state requirement, and a federal requirement applicable to at least one of a location at which the loan is originated, a location at which the borrower resides, and a location at which a secured property is located; and
means, coupled to the means for automatically generating a plurality of compliance tasks required to originate a loan, for electronically distributing the plurality of compliance tasks to a loan originator for performing one or more of the compliance tasks.
22. In a network having a user node including a browser program or other general-purpose or purpose-built client program, coupled to said network, said user node providing requests for information and providing loan application data on said network, a network node comprising:
a loan origination processing server node responsive to loan application data from said user node to originate a loan, whereby said loan origination processing server node provides a first mechanism for automatically generating a loan origination compliance task workflow comprising an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks required to originate the loan in response to the loan application data, the compliance tasks comprising actions required by one or more of a third-party loan originator, a lending institution, and a borrower to originate a loan so that lending institutions compensate third-party originators in compliance with applicable federal or state law requirements in effect when the third-party loan originators are compensated; and provides a second mechanism coupled to the first mechanism, for electronically distributing the plurality of compliance tasks to a loan originator for performing one or more of the compliance tasks, wherein the compliance tasks are dependent on at least one of a federal regulation, a state regulation, a state law, a federal law, a state requirement, and a federal requirement applicable to at least one of a location at which the loan is originated, a location at which the borrower resides, and a location at which a secured property is located.
23. The loan origination processing server node of claim 22 wherein the loan origination processing server node provides a third mechanism to electronically monitor completion of the plurality of compliance tasks whereby a certificate of completion of all required tasks can be generated.
24. The loan origination processing server node of claim 22 wherein the loan is a mortgage loan.
25. The loan origination processing server node of claim 22 wherein the actions required to process the loan are based upon loan related laws and regulations comprising Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements.
26. The loan origination processing server node of claim 25 wherein the loan related laws and regulations comprise Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements relating to mortgage loans.
27. The loan origination processing server node of claim 22 wherein the server node also provides a mechanism for electronically communicating the plurality of tasks to a custom workflow management process, wherein each task is assigned to an actionee and wherein the completion of each task is tracked in order to create a complete transaction and payment report.
28. A computer program product stored on a computed useable medium, comprising:
a first computer readable program mechanism for receiving loan application data;
a second computer readable program mechanism for automatically generating a loan origination compliance task workflow comprising an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks in response to the loan application data, the plurality of compliance tasks comprising actions required by one or more of a third-party loan originator, a lending institution, and a borrower to originate a loan so that lending institutions compensate third-party originators in compliance with federal or state law requirements in effect when the third-party loan originators are compensated, wherein the compliance tasks are dependent on at least one of a federal regulation, a state regulation, a state law, a federal law, a state requirement, and a federal requirement applicable to at least one of a location at which the loan is originated, a location at which the borrower resides, and a location at which a secured property is located; and
a third computer readable code mechanism for electronically distributing the plurality of compliance tasks to a loan originator for performing one or more of the compliance tasks.
29. The computer program product of claim 28 comprising a fourth computer readable code mechanism for monitoring completion of the plurality of compliance tasks whereby a report of completion of all required tasks can be generated.
30. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the loan is a mortgage loan.
31. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the plurality of compliance tasks required to process the loan are based upon loan related laws and regulations comprising Federal, State, local and professional regulations and requirements.
32. The computer program product of claim 29 comprising an additional code mechanism for creating a completed transaction and payment report.