Sub-10 fJ/bit radiation-hard nanoelectromechanical non-volatile memory

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Semiconductor memory devices require radiation-hardness due to industry growth.
• Existing radiation-hardening technologies increase energy consumption.
• There is a need for energy-efficient, intrinsically radiation-hard memory solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel nanoelectromechanical non-volatile memory (NEM-NVM).
• To demonstrate ultra-low energy consumption and inherent radiation-hardness in NEM-NVM.
• To address the demand for efficient and robust memory devices.

Main Methods:

• Introduced an out-of-plane electrode configuration.
• Implemented an electrothermal erase operation.
• Tested NEM-NVM performance after 1 Mrad irradiation.

Main Results:

• Achieved ultra-low programming energy of 2.83 fJ.
• Demonstrated operation with less than 10 fJ energy consumption.
• Maintained memory characteristics without radiation-induced degradation post-irradiation.

Conclusions:

• The developed NEM-NVM offers a promising solution for energy-efficient and radiation-hard memory applications.
• The device's mechanical operation and robust materials contribute to its radiation resilience.
• This technology can mitigate the energy overhead associated with traditional radiation-hardening methods.