Low-power, high-efficiency electronic memory comes closer to reality
April 17th, 2009 - 1:28 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Apr 17 (ANI): Paving the way for low-power, high-efficiency electronic memory, scientists have deposited a well-known oxide on silicon to create a ferroelectric state, which could be the key to next-generation memory devices.
For the study, Cornell materials scientist Darrell Schlom took strontium titanate, and deposited it on silicon in such a way that the silicon squeezes it into a special state called ferroelectric.
One can see ferroelectric materials in “smart cards” that are used in many subways and ski resorts, and are made with materials like lead zirconium titanate or strontium bismuth tantalate, which can instantly switch between different memory states using very little electric power.
When waved before a reader, a tiny microwave antenna inside the card reveals and updates stored information.
The study is the first to use ferroelectric materials in transistors, which could lead to “instant-on” computing - no more rebooting the operating system or accessing memory slowly from the hard drive.
“Adding new functionality to transistors can lead to improved computing and devices that are lower power, higher speed and more convenient to use. Several hybrid transistors have been proposed specifically with ferroelectrics in mind. By creating a ferroelectric directly on silicon, we are bringing this possibility closer to realization,” said Schlom.
While strontium titanate in its relaxed state is not ferroelectric at any temperature, the researchers have shown that extremely thin films of the oxide - just a few atoms thick - become ferroelectric when squeezed atom by atom to match the spacing between the atoms of underlying silicon.
“Changing the spacing between atoms by about 1.7 percent drastically alters the properties of strontium titanate and turns it into a material with useful memory properties,” said Long-Qing Chen, professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
It was Chen’s calculations that had predicted the observed behaviour five years ago.
The researchers successfully described how to grow the strontium titanate on top of silicon using molecular-beam epitaxy-a technique akin to atomic spray painting.
The study has been published in the journal Science. (ANI)
- Smart card material to help computers switch on instantly - Apr 18, 2009
- Scientists make first perovskite-based superlens for the infrared - Mar 30, 2011
- Soon, new semiconductors to provide speed in TVs, computer monitors - May 01, 2011
- New finding could lead to better memory chips - Mar 16, 2011
- Next-gen graphene set to revolutionize nanocircuitry - Jun 11, 2010
- Scientists stumble upon electrical property of arteries - Jan 31, 2012
- Finlike design can create smaller transistors and powerful computer chips - Nov 11, 2009
- Scientists develop nanoscale 'Etch-a-Sketch' light sensor - Nov 15, 2010
- Zirconium complex goes on stream in Tuticorin - Nov 27, 2009
- Growing nanolasers on silicon paves way for on-chip photonics - Feb 07, 2011
- Now, 100K times more efficient transistors possible using molybdenite - Jan 31, 2011
- Scientists develop 'nanospears' that could lead to more efficient solar cells - Aug 15, 2009
- Common freshwater algae holds promise for nuclear clean-up - Mar 31, 2011
- Engineers find nanolasers for faster microprocessors - Feb 07, 2011
- Nanowires may help in developing ultrasmall transistors - Nov 27, 2009
Tags: atoms, electronic memory, ferroelectric materials, ferroelectrics, high efficiency, materials science and engineering, materials scientist, memory devices, memory properties, memory states, microwave antenna, paving the way, pennsylvania state, ski resorts, smart cards, state universit, subways, thin films, titanate, transistors
