Electro-magnetic storage device and method

• US 20070064349A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sridhar Kasichainula
• Original Assignee: Sridhar Kasichainula
• Inventors: Kasichainula, Sridhar
• Granted Patent: US 7,655,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/324.100
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/15 using multiple magnetic layers G11C11/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 23/00 Digital stores characterised by movement of mechanical parts to effect storage, e.g. using balls; Storage elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/82 controllable by variation of the magnetic field applied to the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/32 Composite [nonstructural laminate] of inorganic material having metal-compound-containing layer and having defined magnetic layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/325 Magnetic layer next to second metal compound-containing layer

Abstract

An electro-magnetic storage device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory device includes a first magnetic material to attract a movable structure (e.g., a ferromagnetic material) when a first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure, and a second magnetic material to release the movable structure when a second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. The movable arm may create a closed circuit when the second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. There may be a vacuum-gap between the movable structure and at least one of the first magnetic material and/or the second magnetic material. The memory device may be stackable on other memory devices having similar properties, and/or eletrically coupled with other memory devices having similar properties in a memory array.

Claims

1. A memory device, comprising:

a first magnetic material to attract a movable structure when a first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure; and

a second magnetic material to release the movable structure when a second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure.

2. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the movable structure is a ferromagnetic material.

3. The memory device of claim 2 wherein the ferromagnetic material is at least one or more of iron, cobalt, nickel, and gadolinium and wherein the ferromagnetic material is between 5-20 nanometers in thickness having a tensile strength of at least 100 mega-pascals (MPa).

4. The memory device of claim 1 wherein there is a vacuum-gap between the movable structure and at least one of the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material.

5. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the movable arm creates a closed circuit when the second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure.

6. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the movable arm attaches to a dielectric film between the movable arm and the first magnetic material when the first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure.

7. The memory device of claim 6 wherein the movable arm only detaches from the dielectric film when the second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure.

8. The memory device of claim 7 wherein the dielectric film is between 10 to 20 Å

(Angstroms) in thickness.

9. The memory device of claim 8 wherein the movable arm attaches or detaches through an electrostatic force.

10. The memory device of claim 9 wherein the electrostatic force is greater than a magnetic strength of the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material.

11. The memory device of claim 10 wherein the magnetic strength of the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material are the same.

12. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the memory device is less than 0.1 micron by 0.1 micron in size, and wherein a mean-time between failure of the memory device is at least 10 years.

13. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material are between approximately 50 to 100 Å

(Angstroms) in thickness, and wherein the memory device is faster than 5 nanoseconds in speed.

14. A method, comprising:

magnetically adjusting a position of a ferromagnetic structure to alter a binary state of a memory device; and

processing a command based on the binary state of the memory device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the memory device is stackable on other memory devices having similar properties, and wherein the memory device is electrically coupled with other memory devices having similar properties in a memory array.

16. The method of claim 14 in a form of a machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 14.

17. A system, comprising:

means for processing a command associated with a memory device having at least one movable structure; and

means for toggling a binary state of the memory device responsive to the movable structure of the memory device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the movable structure is made of a ferromagnetic material and wherein the movable structure repositions through an electrostatic force when a voltage is applied between the movable structure and associated magnetic electrodes.

19. A structure assembly, comprising:

a first magnetic layer formed above a substrate;

a first dielectric layer formed above the first magnetic layer;

a set of one or more metal layers having at least one movable component that is encompassed by a vacuum and which is formed above the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer formed above the vacuum and above the set of one or more metal layers; and

a second magnetic layer formed above the second dielectric layer.

20. The structure assembly of claim 19 wherein each of the at least one movable component that is encompassed by the vacuum is separated by a glass barrier;

and wherein the vacuum is between approximately 3000-6000 Å

(Angstroms) in height.