Sahoo H.K., Uppala A., Anjur R.
University of Pennsylvania, US
A cantilever beam based memory element is proposed which can trap static charge on a metal plate on the beam. The charge is tunneled to the metal plate from an electrode separated from it by a layer of insulation. The ‘on’ condition is represented by the deformed state of the beam when charge is placed on it and the ‘off’ condition is represented by the un-deformed state when charge is removed. Hence, the write and erase operation are performed using electrostatic actuation and the read operation is performed using piezoresistive sensing. In addition to the design and operation, the fabrication of the device is also discussed. Some of the advantages of this device include better speed of operation as compared to conventional memory devices, better area density and lower power consumption.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 2, Nanotechnology 2012: Electronics, Devices, Fabrication, MEMS, Fluidics and Computational (Volume 2)
Published: June 18, 2012
Pages: 192 - 195
Industry sector: Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: MEMS & NEMS Devices, Modeling & Applications
ISBN: 978-1-4665-6275-2