Electro-magnetic storage device and method

• US 7,655,324 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sridhar Kasichainula
• Original Assignee: Sridhar Kasichainula
• Inventors: Kasichainula, Sridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarazano; D. Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris; Gary D
• Application Number:
  US11/231,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/693.1
• 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 electrically 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;

wherein when the first voltage is applied between the movable arm and the first magnetic layer, the movable arm moves upward toward the first magnetic layer and attaches to the dielectric layer because of electrostatic force, remains attached even after the removal of the voltage due to magnetic force; 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;

wherein the second voltage may create a force stronger than the magnetic force holding the movable arm to the first dielectric layer, and thereby cause the movable arm to detach from the first dielectric layer and to attach to the metal layer, 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.

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 and releases to open circuit when the first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure.

6. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the movable arm attaches to a dielectric layer 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 layer 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 layer 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 that is created between either top magnetic layer and movable arm or bottom magnetic layer and movable arm when a voltage is applied.

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 may be 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. 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, wherein the memory device comprises a first magnetic material and a second magnetic material of thickness approximately between 50 to 100 Å

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

14. The system of claim 13 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 top and bottom magnetic electrodes.

15. 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 gap and which is formed above the first dielectric layer;

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

a second magnetic layer formed above the second dielectric layer, 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.

16. The structure assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the at least one movable component that is encompassed by the vacuum gap is separated by a dielectric barrier.