Philips claims nano-technology memory breakthrough

In 1989 at the Nagoya, Technology for The Future. I have told the attendees that within 10 years, technology break through would make the present high power demand, 1st it would move from the 3V to 1V supply.

I also sees that by end of year 2000, the processor switching speed would reach Nano sec. & the chip would be in the sub-Micron level.

When I looking into the Bio-Chip level. I can foresee that the Switching Theory of Protein can be control using Bio-Signal.. then that is possible to make solid state Memory obsolute. But for the moment.. it is certain that Nano Tech Memory is going to be the key future.

The frontier is Bio-Memory. As no technologyt today can replace the Natural Memory cell of our boby. Perhaps the Stem Cell technology is the only means to be able to do the duplications process.

Philips Claims Nano-technology memory breakthrough
Smaller, faster, better - claim

By: Paul Hales Monday 21 March 2005, 07:53
BOFFINS AT PHILIPS RESEARCH say they are set to publish details of an "innovative" phase-change memory for future low voltage, low power deep sub-micron silicon chips.

The researchers from Eindhoven say that unlike current Flash memories, the performance of its proposed memory format "improves in virtually every respect, the smaller you make it".

The secret of Philips' memory cell, they say, lies in the structure and materials used. Previous memory cells based on phase-change materials have to apply a relatively high voltage to the phase-change material in its high-resistance amorphous state, in order to drive enough current through. For silicon chips produced in advanced CMOS process technologies these voltages are not practical, says Philips.

To overcome this problem, the company developed a doped Antimony/Tellurium phase-change material in which threshold switching between the amorphous and crystalline phases occurs at a low electric field strength of around 14V/μm.

Philips' new solid-state memory cell employs similar phase-change materials as current rewriteable DVDs, it says. The materials are deposited as an ultra-thin film on the surface of a silicon chip, and use an electric current to switch between phases and to detect the resultant change in its electrical resistance.

The company claims its new 'line-cell' phase-change memory has the potential to meet both the performance and scaling requirements of future nano-electronic silicon chips.

In a statement, Dr. Karen Attenborough, project leader of the Scalable Unified Memory project at Philips Research said: "The holy grail of the embedded memory industry is a so-called unified memory that replaces all other types, which combines the speed of SRAM with the memory density of DRAM and the non-volatility of Flash. Philips' new phase-change line-cell technology is a significant step towards this goal."

Philips will publish its research in the April edition of Nature Materials. µ

Philips claims nano-technology memory breakthrough