MEMORY ELEMENT AND MEMORY DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a resistance variation-type memory element or memory device which can improve the capability of retaining the resistance value of a stored state and an erased state and also perform multi-value storage. SOLUTION: A memory layer 5 comprising a high-resistance layer 2 and an ionization layer 3 is provided between a lower electrode 1 and an upper electrode 4. The ionization layer 3 contains Cu (copper) and Zr (zirconium) as metal elements together with an ion conductive material such as S (sulfur), Se (selenium), and Te (tellurium) (a chalcogenide element). Specifically, CuTeZr, CuSZr, or CuSeZr is contained. Si (silicon) may be contained in the ionization layer 3. Then Zr is contained in the ionization layer 3 to improve retaining properties in resistance value in the entire region that the element possibly has and, at the same time, achieve multi-value recording. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT