Nano-electro-mechanical memory cells and devices
US7839710B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2008 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 7, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2213/79
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A scalable nano-electro-mechanical memory cell design that requires only conventional semiconductor fabrication materials and surface micromachining technology, and is suited for use in cross-point memory arrays for very high density non-volatile storage. This design also leverages well established surface-micromachining technology and electro-mechanical device phenomena to achieve an elegantly simple and scalable memory cell structure that can potentially operate with low voltage. An elongate beam is held between a non-deflected state and a deflected state, or between two deflected states, therein defining two binary memory states. Stiction, buried charge layers, or a combination of stiction and buried charge layers can be incorporated to modify the stability of one or both deflected states for the cell. Current through the moveable portion of the elongate beam within the memory cell can be registered utilizing one or more access transistors for reading the data state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.