A fast and low-power microelectromechanical system-based non-volatile memory device

Abstract

Several new generation memory devices have been developed to overcome the low performance of conventional silicon-based flash memory. In this study, we demonstrate a novel non-volatile memory design based on the electromechanical motion of a cantilever to provide fast charging and discharging of a floating-gate electrode. The operation is demonstrated by using an electromechanical metal cantilever to charge a floating gate that controls the charge transport through a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor. The set and reset currents are unchanged after more than 11 h constant operation. Over 500 repeated programming and erasing cycles were demonstrated under atmospheric conditions at room temperature without degradation. Multinary bit programming can be achieved by varying the voltage on the cantilever. The operation speed of the device is faster than a conventional flash memory and the power consumption is lower than other memory devices.

An upconverted photonic nonvolatile memory

“…Over 500 repeated programming and erasing cycles have been demonstrated at room temperature without degradation. A number of program/erase cycles over several hundreds were believed to be promising for applications in low-cost and low-power flexible electronics 56,57 . The data retention properties were measured as a function of time at room temperature.…”

Applications of Nanotechnology in Next-Generation Nonvolatile Memories

“…However, if the beam is actuated Fig. 17 Schematic diagram and the operation of a cantilever-type floating gate NEMS NVM (reprinted with permission from Lee et al [115]). © Nature Publishing Group 2011 downwards, the negative gate bias on the MOSFET channel increases and a low current OFF state is achieved.…”

“…Lee et al [115] fabricated a Cr/Au/Cr triple-layer cantilever which controlled the charge on an Au floating gate of a semiconducting CNT FET with Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric. Their results showed a readout ON/OFF ratio greater than 10 5 , with 11 h repeated switching operations without any significant change in the ON state and the OFF state currents.…”

Graphene as a Massless Electrode for Ultrahigh-Frequency Piezoelectric Nanoelectromechanical Systems

“…6−8 Ultrahigh frequency (UHF) NEMS and MEMS devices are also attractive for quantum computations, 9 memory devices, 10 bolometry/ infrared-imaging, 11 magnetometers, 12 and chemical sensors. 13 Many of these applications are driven by on-chip piezoelectric actuation and sensing of high frequency vibration (0.1−10 GHz) in miniaturized free-standing micro-and nanomechanical structures.…”