Quad density solid stack memory

Claim 2

A two-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having a plurality of apertures therethrough; a separate word line passing vertically through each of said apertures in said substrate member; first and second separate memory elements associated with each of said apertures in said substrate member and both inductively coupled to the one associated word line; a plurality of keepers of high permeability material, each keeper having an opening therein that is oriented about an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member and whose opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of the first and second memory elements that are associated with each of said apertures; each of said first memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwicing a first conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; each of said second memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a second conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite megnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; means intercoupling all of said first conductive strips for forming a first sense-digit line; means intercoupling all of said second conductive strips for forming a second sense-digit line separate from said first sense-digit line; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to only one of said word lines for inductively coupling a planar word drive field to both said first and second associated memory elements which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both said first and second associated memory elements for inducing in said first and second sense-digit lines, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 3

A two-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having a plurality of apertures therethrough; a separate word line passing vertically through an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member; first and second separate memory elements associated with each of said apertures in said substrate member and both inductively coupled to the one associated word line; a plurality of keepers of high permeability material, each keeper having an opening therein that is oriented about an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member and whose opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of the first and second memory elements that are associated with each of said apertures; each of said first memory elements including a magnetizable material about a first conductive member for forming a substantiallY closed circumferential flux path thereabout; each of said second memory elements including a magnetizable material about a second conductive member for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; means intercoupling all of said first conductive strips for forming a first sense-digit line; means intercoupling all of said second conductive strips for forming a second sense-digit line separate from said first sense-digit line; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to only one of said word lines for inductively coupling a word drive field to both said first and second associated memory elements which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both said first and second associated memory elements for inducing in said first and second sense-digit lines, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 4

A two-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having a plurality of apertures therethrough; a separate word line passing vertically through an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member; first and second separate memory elements associated with each of said apertures in said substrate member and both inductively coupled to the one associated word line; a plurality of keepers of high permeability material, each keeper having an opening therein that is oriented about an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member and whose opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of the first and second memory elements that are associated with each of said apertures; each of said first memory elements including a magnetizable material about a first conductive member for forming a substantiallY closed circumferential flux path thereabout; each of said second memory elements including a magnetizable material about a second conductive member for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; means intercoupling all of said first conductive strips for forming a first sense-digit line; means intercoupling all of said second conductive strips for forming a second sense-digit line separate from said first sense-digit line; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to only one of said word lines for inductively coupling a word drive field to both said first and second associated memory elements which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both said first and second associated memory elements for inducing in said first and second sense-digit lines, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 5

A three-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a plurality of stacked, superposed two-dimensional planar arrays, each including: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having an aperture therethrough; first and second separate memory elements associated with said aperture in said substrate member; a keeper of high permeability material having an opening therein that is oriented about said aperture in said substrate member and whose opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of both of said memory elements; said first memory element including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a first conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; said second memory element including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a second conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; a word line passing vertically through the superposed apertures in said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays and inductively coupled to the first and second separate memory elements that are associated with the associated aperture; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to said word line for inductively coupling a planar word drive field to both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays for inducing in the associated first and second conductive members, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 6

A three-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a plurality of stacked, superposed two-dimensional planar arrays, each including: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having an aperture therethrough; first and second separate memory elements associated with said aperture in said substrate member; a keeper of high permeability material having an opening therein that is oriented about said aperture in said substrate member and whose opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of both of said memory elements; said first memory element including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a first conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; said second memory element including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a second conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; a word line passing vertically through the superposed apertures in said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays and inductively coupled to the first and second separate memory elements that are associated with the associated aperture; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to said word line for inductively coupling a planar word drive field to both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays for inducing in the associated first and second conductive members, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 7

A three-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a plurality of stacked, superposed two-dimensional planar arrays, each including: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having a plurality of separate apertures therethrough; first and second separate memory elements associated with each of said apertures in said substrate member; a plurality of keepers of high permeability material, each keeper having an opening therein that is oriented about an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member and whosE opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of the first and second memory elements that are associated with each of said apertures; each of said first memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a first conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; each of said second memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a second conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; means intercoupling all of said first conductive strips for forming a first sense-digit line; means intercoupling all of said second conductive strips for forming a second sense-digit line separate from said first sense-digit line; a plurality of separate word lines, each passing vertically through the separate, superposed apertures in said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays and inductively coupled to only the first and second separate memory elements that are associated with the associated aperture; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to only one of said word lines for inductively coupling a planar word drive field to both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays for inducing in the associated first and second sense-digit lines, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.

Claim 8

A three-dimensional array of magnetizable memory elements, comprising: a plurality of stacked, superposed two-dimensional planar arrays, each including: a nonmagnetizable planar substrate member having a plurality of separate apertures therethrough; first and second separate memory elements associated with each of said apertures in said substrate member; a plurality of keepers of high permeability material, each keeper having an opening therein that is oriented about an associated one of said apertures in said substrate member and whosE opposing sides are inductively coupled to opposing ends of the first and second memory elements that are associated with each of said apertures; each of said first memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a first conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; each of said second memory elements including first and second planar layers of magnetizable material sandwiching a second conductive member therebetween for forming a substantially closed circumferential flux path thereabout; information stored in said memory elements as first or second and opposite magnetization polarizations oriented along said circumferential flux paths; means intercoupling all of said first conductive strips for forming a first sense-digit line; means intercoupling all of said second conductive strips for forming a second sense-digit line separate from said first sense-digit line; a plurality of separate word lines, each passing vertically through the separate, superposed apertures in said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays and inductively coupled to only the first and second separate memory elements that are associated with the associated aperture; word line selection means coupling a word line selection signal to only one of said word lines for inductively coupling a planar word drive field to both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays which word drive field is oriented substantially orthogonal to said circumferential flux paths; said word drive field concurrently affecting the magnetization polarizations of both the first and second associated memory elements of said superposed two-dimensional planar arrays for inducing in the associated first and second sense-digit lines, respectively, associated first and second signals that are indicative of the informational state of the so-affected first and second associated memory elements, respectively.