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Digital Nanoelectromechanical Non-Volatile Memory Cell
Univ Bristol, Sch Elect Elect & Mech Engn, Bristol BS8 1TH, England..
Univ Bristol, Sch Elect Elect & Mech Engn, Bristol BS8 1TH, England..
Univ Bristol, Sch Elect Elect & Mech Engn, Bristol BS8 1TH, England..
Univ Bristol, Sch Elect Elect & Mech Engn, Bristol BS8 1TH, England..
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2024 (English)In: IEEE Electron Device Letters, ISSN 0741-3106, E-ISSN 1558-0563, Vol. 45, no 4, p. 728-731Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Nanoelectromechanical relays are inherently radiation hard and can operate at high temperatures. Thus, they have potential to serve as the building blocks in non-volatile memory that can be used in harsh environments with zero standby power. However, a reprogrammable memory cell built entirely from relays that can be operated with a digital protocol has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we demonstrate a fully mechanical digital non-volatile memory cell built from in-plane silicon nanoelectromechanical relays; a 7-terminal bistable relay utilizes surface adhesion forces to store binary data without consuming any energy, while 3-terminal relays are used for read and write access without the need for CMOS. We have optimized the designs to prevent collapse to the substrate under actuation and recorded voltages of 13, 13.2 and 27V for programming, read and reprogramming operations. This non-volatile memory cell can potentially be used to build embedded memories for edge applications that have stringent temperature, radiation and energy constraints.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , 2024. Vol. 45, no 4, p. 728-731
Keywords [en]
Non-volatile memory, nanoelectromechanical relay, low-power, high temperature, radiation hard
National Category
Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-350485DOI: 10.1109/LED.2024.3362956ISI: 001194155100003Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85184823058OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-350485DiVA, id: diva2:1884257
Note

QC 20240715

Available from: 2024-07-15 Created: 2024-07-15 Last updated: 2026-05-28Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Advances in Nanoelectromechanical Switch Integration: From Device-Level Fabrication to Circuit-Level Implementation
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Advances in Nanoelectromechanical Switch Integration: From Device-Level Fabrication to Circuit-Level Implementation
2026 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The rapid growth of data-intensive applications such as edge computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things is pushing the limits of conventional CMOS electronics. In these systems, static leakage currents increasingly dominate power consumption. Nanoelectro-mechanical (NEM) switches are promising candidates for beyond-CMOS electronics due to their near-zero off-state leakage, abrupt switching characteristics, and robustness under extreme operating conditions, offering a route to dramatically reduce static power dissipation in future integrated circuits. However, practical NEM-based systems require scalable device architectures, reliable switch contacts, and CMOS-compatible integration strategies. This thesis addresses these challenges through the realization and integration of a CMOS-compatible NEM switch device library within commercial CMOS foundry platforms. The work investigates three complementary NEM switch architectures for logic and memory applications: a volatile three-terminal (3-T) switch, a volatile four-terminal (4-T) switch with decoupled actuation and signal paths, and a non-volatile seventerminal (7-T) switch. Building upon concepts established in earlier research within our group, the 3-T and 7-T devices are miniaturized and optimized through systematic studies of beam geometry and contact materials for low-voltage operation and improved switching behavior. A major contribution of this thesis is the optimization and experimental realization of the 4-T architecture, enabling body-bias-assisted reduction of the pull-in voltage and advanced circuit configurations. Two CMOS-compatible integration approaches are developed and experimentally validated: (1) Monolithic integration within the IMEC iSiPP50G silicon photonics SOI foundry platform, and (2) heterogeneous 3-D integration within the X-FAB XI10 SOI CMOS process. The first method enabled co-fabrication of all three NEM switch architectures on a single commercial foundry chip for the first time. Electrical characterization confirms volatile switching in the 3-T and 4-T devices, pull-in voltage reduction in the 4-T switch through body biasing, and both volatile and nonvolatile operation in the 7-T switch through contact engineering. However, in this approach, circuit scalability is limited by routing density inherent to planar integration, while Au contact stiction constrains switch reliability. The second approach addresses these limitations by vertically integrating the NEM device layer above the completed back-end-of-line (BEOL) through heterogeneously 3-D integration. This architecture alleviates routing constraints and improves device reliability using Ruthenium (Ru) switch contacts. Ru-coated devices demonstrate substantially improved cycling endurance, and a complementary inverter implemented with Ru-coated 3-T switches validates the feasibility of functional BEOL-integrated NEM circuits.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2026. p. 161
Series
TRITA-EECS-AVL ; 2026:51
Keywords
Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches, CMOS foundry integration, nonvolatile memory, contact reliability, wafer bonding, beyond-CMOS logic circuits
National Category
Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering
Research subject
Electrical Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382596 (URN)978-91-8106-616-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2026-08-19, F3, Lindstedtvägen 26, Stockholm, 15:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 871740EU, Horizon 2020, 101092018
Note

QC 20260602

Available from: 2026-06-02 Created: 2026-05-28 Last updated: 2026-06-16Bibliographically approved

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Li, YingyingBleiker, Simon J.Niklaus, Frank

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