Single-chip computers with microelectromechanical systems-based magnetic memory (invited)

Abstract

This article describes an approach for implementing a complete computer system ͑CPU, RAM, I/O, and nonvolatile mass memory͒ on a single integrated-circuit substrate ͑a chip͒-hence, the name ''single-chip computer.'' The approach presented combines advances in the field of microelectromechanical systems ͑MEMS͒ and micromagnetics with traditional low-cost very-large-scale integrated circuit style parallel lithographic manufacturing. The primary barrier to the creation of a computer on a chip is the incorporation of a high-capacity ͓many gigabytes ͑GB͔͒ re-writable nonvolatile memory ͑in today's terminology, a disk drive͒ into an integrated circuit ͑IC͒ manufacturing process. This article presents the following design example: a MEMS-based magnetic memory that can store over 2 GB of data in 2 cm 2 of die area and whose fabrication is compatible with a standard IC manufacturing process.

Harmonic and sub-harmonic resonance of MEMS subjected to a weakly non-linear parametric and external excitations

“…Nonlinearities in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) can arise from various sources such as spring and damping mechanisms [1,2] and resistive, inductive, and capacitive circuit elements [3]. Surface and fluids forces [4,5] can also be other sources of nonlinearity.…”

MEMS-based storage devices

“…Several recording techniques have been proposed for probebased storage. Such recording techniques are magnetic-orientation switching [14,19], topographic transformation [20], ferroelectric polarization [21], charge storage [22], and phase change [23].…”

“…These techniques selectively etch away parts of a silicon (or other material) wafer and add layers to form the mechanical or electromechanical system. The research field of MEMS aspires to realize a complete computer system on a single chip [14]; researchers aspire to integrate the processor, the memory system, and a MEMS-based storage device into one chip in the future.…”

Power conservation strategies for MEMS-based storage devices

“…MEMS devices provide non-volatile storage using either physical [20] or magnetic [1] recording techniques to achieve extremely high density storage. To achieve these high densities, MEMS-based storage designs use a nonrotating storage device with storage media on one surface and a large array of read/write heads on another surface directly above the storage media (see Figure 1).…”

“…Storage devices account for a major portion of total energy consumption in many of these devices, consuming as much as 20-54% of the power in mobile computers [2,12]. However, a new class of secondary † This research is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number CCR-073509 and the Institute for Scientific Computation Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under grant number SC-20010378. storage devices based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) [1,15,20], currently being developed, promises to reduce power use by an order of magnitude compared to disk.…”