Study Shows Nanostructures Hold Promise as RRAM Switches
Reseachers at Missouri S&T have constructed a novel superlattice that may lead to next generation memory device
Story content courtesy of Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T)
Dr. Jay A. Switzer and his colleagues at Missouri S&T have constructed a type of superlattice that shows "unique low-to-high and high-to-low resistance switching that may be applicable to the fabrication of an emerging memory device known as resistive random access memory," or RRAM.
The research team produced two types of superlattices from the materials magnetite and zinc ferrite. They then "grew" the materials on the single-crystal gold placed in a beaker filled with a solution. The superlattices grown via the defect-chemistry method appear to hold promise for RRAM devices, Switzer says, because the resistance of the superlattice is a function of the applied bias. The fact that multiple resistance states can be accessed by simply varying the applied voltage opens up new possibilities for multi-bit data storage and retrieval.
Switzer's research is supported through a four-year, $700,000 grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.
