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    The improvements in random access memory that have driven many advances of the digital age owe much to the innovative application of physics and chemistry at the atomic scale. Accordingly, a team led by UNL researchers has employed a Nobel Prizewinning material and common household chemical to enhance the properties of a component primed for the next generation of highspeed, highcapacity RAM. The team, which published its findings in the Nov. 24 edition of the journal Nature Communications, engineered and tested improvements in the performance of a memory structure known as a ferro electric tunnel junction.

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    The improvements in random access memory that have driven many advances of the digital age owe much to the innovative application of physics and chemistry at the atomic scale. Accordingly, a team led by UNL researchers has employed a Nobel Prizewinning material and common household chemical to enhance the properties of a component primed for the next generation of highspeed, highcapacity RAM. The team, which published its findings in the Nov. 24 edition of the journal Nature Communications, engineered and tested improvements in the performance of a memory structure known as a ferro electric tunnel junction.

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    18 views2 pages

    Physicists and Chemists Work To Improve Digital Memory Technology - ScienceDaily

    Uploaded by

    thymez
    The improvements in random access memory that have driven many advances of the digital age owe much to the innovative application of physics and chemistry at the atomic scale. Accordingly, a team led by UNL researchers has employed a Nobel Prizewinning material and common household chemical to enhance the properties of a component primed for the next generation of highspeed, highcapacity RAM. The team, which published its findings in the Nov. 24 edition of the journal Nature Communications, engineered and tested improvements in the performance of a memory structure known as a ferro electric tunnel junction.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 2

    11/28/2014

    PhysicistsandchemistsworktoimprovedigitalmemorytechnologyScienceDaily

    Physicistsandchemistsworktoimprovedigitalmemorytechnology
    Date:

    November24,2014

    Source: UniversityofNebraskaLincoln
    Theimprovementsinrandomaccessmemorythathavedrivenmanyadvancesofthedigitalageowemuchtothe
    innovativeapplicationofphysicsandchemistryattheatomicscale.
    Accordingly,ateamledbyUNLresearchershasemployedaNobelPrizewinningmaterialandcommonhousehold
    chemicaltoenhancethepropertiesofacomponentprimedforthenextgenerationofhighspeed,highcapacityRAM.
    Theteam,whichpublisheditsfindingsintheNov.24editionofthejournalNatureCommunications,engineeredand
    testedimprovementsintheperformanceofamemorystructureknownasaferroelectrictunneljunction.
    Thejunctionfeaturesaferroelectriclayer100,000timesthinnerthanasheetofpaper,sothinthatelectronscan
    "tunnel"throughit.Thislayerresidesbetweentwoelectrodesthatcanreversethedirectionofitspolarizationthe
    alignmentofpositiveandnegativechargesusedtorepresent"0"and"1"inbinarycomputingbyapplyingelectric
    voltagetoit.
    Theresearchersbecamethefirsttodesignaferroelectricjunctionwithelectrodesmadeofgraphene,acarbonmaterial
    onlyoneatomthick.Whileitsextremeconductivitymakesgrapheneespeciallysuitedforsmallscaleelectronics,the
    authors'primaryinterestlayinhowitaccommodatednearlyanytypeofmoleculespecifically,ammoniathey
    placedbetweenitandtheferroelectriclayer.
    Ajunction'spolaritydeterminesitsresistancetotunnelingcurrent,withonedirectionallowingcurrenttoflowandthe
    otherstronglyreducingit.Theresearchersfoundthattheirgrapheneammoniacombinationincreasedthedisparity
    betweenthese"on"and"off"conditions,aprizedoutcomethatimprovesthereliabilityofRAMdevicesandallowsthem
    toreaddatawithouthavingtorewriteit.
    "Thisisoneofthemostimportantdifferencesbetweenprevioustechnologythathasalreadybeencommercializedand
    thisemergentferroelectrictechnology,"saidAlexeiGruverman,aCharlesBesseyProfessorofphysicswhoco
    authoredthestudy.
    Ferroelectricmaterialsnaturallyboastthequalityof"nonvolatility,"meaningtheymaintaintheirpolarizationandcan
    henceretainstoredinformationevenintheabsenceofanexternalpowersource.However,theinfinitesimalspace
    betweenthepositiveandnegativechargesinatunneljunctionmakesmaintainingthispolarizationespeciallydifficult,
    Gruvermansaid.
    "Inallmemorydevices,thereisagradualrelaxation,ordecrease,ofthispolarization,"hesaid."Thethinnerthe
    ferroelectriclayeris,themoredifficultitistokeepthesepolarizationchargesseparate,asthereisastrongerdriving
    forceinthematerialthattriestogetridofit."
    Gruvermansaidtheteam'sgrapheneammoniacombinationalsoshowspromiseforaddressingthisprevalentissue,
    significantlyimprovingthestabilityofthejunction'spolarizationduringthestudy.
    Gruverman'sUNLcoauthorsincludedHaidongLuandDongJikKim,postdoctoralresearchersinphysicsand
    astronomyAlexeyLipatov,apostdoctoralresearcherinchemistryEvgenyTsymbal,GeorgeHolmesUniversity
    ProfessorofphysicsandastronomyandAlexanderSinitskii,assistantprofessorofchemistry.Thestudywasalso
    authoredbyresearchersfromtheUniversityofWisconsinMadisonandtheMoscowbasedKurnakovInstitutefor
    GeneralandInorganicChemistry.
    Theteam'sresearchwasconductedwiththeassistanceofUNL'sMaterialsResearchScienceandEngineeringCenter
    partofanationwidenetworkofMRSECssponsoredbytheNationalScienceFoundationandalsoreceivedsupport
    fromtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy.
    StorySource:
    TheabovestoryisbasedonmaterialsprovidedbyUniversityofNebraskaLincoln.Theoriginalarticlewaswrittenby
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141124143606.htm

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    11/28/2014

    PhysicistsandchemistsworktoimprovedigitalmemorytechnologyScienceDaily

    ScottSchrage.Note:Materialsmaybeeditedforcontentandlength.
    JournalReference:
    1. H.Lu,A.Lipatov,S.Ryu,D.J.Kim,H.Lee,M.Y.Zhuravlev,C.B.Eom,E.Y.Tsymbal,A.Sinitskii,A.
    Gruverman.Ferroelectrictunneljunctionswithgrapheneelectrodes.NatureCommunications,20145:5518
    DOI:10.1038/ncomms6518
    CiteThisPage:
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    Chicago

    UniversityofNebraskaLincoln."Physicistsandchemistsworktoimprovedigitalmemorytechnology."
    ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,24November2014.<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141124143606.htm>.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141124143606.htm

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