Nanowires boost memory performance
A research team combining staff from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), George Mason University and Kwangwoon University in Korea has fabricated a memory device that combines silicon nanowires with a more traditional type of data storage. The hybrid structure is said to be more reliable than other nanowire based memory devices and more easily integrated into commercial applications.
The approach integrates nanowires with semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) technology, which is similar to flash.
Applying a positive voltage across the nanowires causes electrons in the wires to tunnel down into the substrate, charging it. A negative voltage causes the electrons to tunnel back up into the wires. This process is the key to the device’s memory function: when fully charged, says the research team, each nanowire device stores a single bit of information – either a 0 or a 1.
Advantages claimed for the design include better stability at higher temperatures and easier integration into existing chip fabrication technology.
