Sample records for access memory semiconductors

  1. Integrated semiconductor-magnetic random access memory system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Blaes, Brent R. (Inventor)

    2001-01-01

    The present disclosure describes a non-volatile magnetic random access memory (RAM) system having a semiconductor control circuit and a magnetic array element. The integrated magnetic RAM system uses CMOS control circuit to read and write data magnetoresistively. The system provides a fast access, non-volatile, radiation hard, high density RAM for high speed computing.

  2. 75 FR 16507 - In the Matter of Certain Semiconductor Chips Having Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-01

    ... Semiconductor Chips Having Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory Controllers and Products Containing Same... synchronous dynamic random access memory controllers and products containing same by reason of infringement of... semiconductor chips having synchronous dynamic random access memory controllers and products containing same...

  3. 75 FR 14467 - In the Matter of: Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors and Products Containing...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-25

    ... Access Memory Semiconductors and Products Containing Same, Including Memory Modules; Notice of... the sale within the United States after importation of certain dynamic random access memory semiconductors and products containing same, including memory modules, by reason of infringement of certain...

  4. 75 FR 44283 - In the Matter of Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors and Products Containing Same...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-28

    ... Random Access Memory Semiconductors and Products Containing Same, Including Memory Modules; Notice of a... importation of certain dynamic random access memory semiconductors and products containing same, including memory modules, by reason of infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,480,051; 5,422,309; 5...

  5. 75 FR 20564 - Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-851] Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty... access memory semiconductors from the Republic of Korea, covering the period January 1, 2008 through...

  6. 76 FR 2336 - Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors From the Republic of Korea: Final Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-851] Dynamic Random Access Memory... administrative review of the countervailing duty order on dynamic random access memory semiconductors from the... following events have occurred since the publication of the preliminary results of this review. See Dynamic...

  7. Accessing memory

    DOEpatents

    Yoon, Doe Hyun; Muralimanohar, Naveen; Chang, Jichuan; Ranganthan, Parthasarathy

    2017-09-26

    A disclosed example method involves performing simultaneous data accesses on at least first and second independently selectable logical sub-ranks to access first data via a wide internal data bus in a memory device. The memory device includes a translation buffer chip, memory chips in independently selectable logical sub-ranks, a narrow external data bus to connect the translation buffer chip to a memory controller, and the wide internal data bus between the translation buffer chip and the memory chips. A data access is performed on only the first independently selectable logical sub-rank to access second data via the wide internal data bus. The example method also involves locating a first portion of the first data, a second portion of the first data, and the second data on the narrow external data bus during separate data transfers.

  8. Radiation immune RAM semiconductor technology for the 80's. [Random Access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanna, W. A.; Panagos, P.

    1983-01-01

    This paper presents current and short term future characteristics of RAM semiconductor technologies which were obtained by literature survey and discussions with cognizant Government and industry personnel. In particular, total ionizing dose tolerance and high energy particle susceptibility of the technologies are addressed. Technologies judged compatible with spacecraft applications are ranked to determine the best current and future technology for fast access (less than 60 ns), radiation tolerant RAM.

  9. Atomic memory access hardware implementations

    DOEpatents

    Ahn, Jung Ho; Erez, Mattan; Dally, William J

    2015-02-17

    Atomic memory access requests are handled using a variety of systems and methods. According to one example method, a data-processing circuit having an address-request generator that issues requests to a common memory implements a method of processing the requests using a memory-access intervention circuit coupled between the generator and the common memory. The method identifies a current atomic-memory access request from a plurality of memory access requests. A data set is stored that corresponds to the current atomic-memory access request in a data storage circuit within the intervention circuit. It is determined whether the current atomic-memory access request corresponds to at least one previously-stored atomic-memory access request. In response to determining correspondence, the current request is implemented by retrieving data from the common memory. The data is modified in response to the current request and at least one other access request in the memory-access intervention circuit.

  10. Amorphous Semiconductors: From Photocatalyst to Computer Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundararajan, Mayur

    encouraging but inconclusive. Then the method was successfully demonstrated on mesoporous TiO2SiO 2 by showing a shift in its optical bandgap. One of the special class of amorphous semiconductors is chalcogenide glasses, which exhibit high ionic conductivity even at room temperature. When metal doped chalcogenide glasses are under an electric field, they become electronically conductive. These properties are exploited in the computer memory storage application of Conductive Bridging Random Access Memory (CBRAM). CBRAM is a non-volatile memory that is a strong contender to replace conventional volatile RAMs such as DRAM, SRAM, etc. This technology has already been commercialized, but the working mechanism is still not clearly understood especially the nature of the conductive bridge filament. In this project, the CBRAM memory cells are fabricated by thermal evaporation method with Agx(GeSe 2)1-x as the solid electrolyte layer, Ag as the active electrode and Au as the inert electrode. By careful use of cyclic voltammetry, the conductive filaments were grown on the surface and the bulk of the solid electrolyte. The comparison between the two filaments revealed major differences leading to contradiction with the existing working mechanism. After compiling all the results, a modified working mechanism is proposed. SAXS is a powerful tool to characterize nanostructure of glasses. The analysis of the SAXS data to get useful information are usually performed by different programs. In this project, Irena and GIFT programs were compared by performing the analysis of the SAXS data of glass and glass ceramics samples. Irena was shown to be not suitable for the analysis of SAXS data that has a significant contribution from interparticle interactions. GIFT was demonstrated to be better suited for such analysis. Additionally, the results obtained by programs for samples with low interparticle interactions were shown to be consistent.

  11. A Memory-Based Programmable Logic Device Using Look-Up Table Cascade with Synchronous Static Random Access Memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamura, Kazuyuki; Sasao, Tsutomu; Matsuura, Munehiro; Tanaka, Katsumasa; Yoshizumi, Kenichi; Nakahara, Hiroki; Iguchi, Yukihiro

    2006-04-01

    A large-scale memory-technology-based programmable logic device (PLD) using a look-up table (LUT) cascade is developed in the 0.35-μm standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic process. Eight 64 K-bit synchronous SRAMs are connected to form an LUT cascade with a few additional circuits. The features of the LUT cascade include: 1) a flexible cascade connection structure, 2) multi phase pseudo asynchronous operations with synchronous static random access memory (SRAM) cores, and 3) LUT-bypass redundancy. This chip operates at 33 MHz in 8-LUT cascades at 122 mW. Benchmark results show that it achieves a comparable performance to field programmable gate array (FPGAs).

  12. Quantum random access memory.

    PubMed

    Giovannetti, Vittorio; Lloyd, Seth; Maccone, Lorenzo

    2008-04-25

    A random access memory (RAM) uses n bits to randomly address N=2(n) distinct memory cells. A quantum random access memory (QRAM) uses n qubits to address any quantum superposition of N memory cells. We present an architecture that exponentially reduces the requirements for a memory call: O(logN) switches need be thrown instead of the N used in conventional (classical or quantum) RAM designs. This yields a more robust QRAM algorithm, as it in general requires entanglement among exponentially less gates, and leads to an exponential decrease in the power needed for addressing. A quantum optical implementation is presented.

  13. All-optical clocked flip-flops and random access memory cells using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yongjun; Liu, Xinyu; Tian, Qinghua; Wang, Lina; Xin, Xiangjun

    2018-03-01

    Basic configurations of various all-optical clocked flip-flops (FFs) and optical random access memory (RAM) based on the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) are proposed. As the constituent elements, all-optical logic gates and all-optical SR latches are constructed by taking advantage of the SOA's NPR switch. Different all-optical FFs (AOFFs), including SR-, D-, T-, and JK-types as well as an optical RAM cell were obtained by the combination of the proposed all-optical SR latches and logic gates. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes were verified by simulation results and demonstrated by a D-FF and 1-bit RAM cell experimental system. The proposed all-optical clocked FFs and RAM cell are significant to all-optical signal processing.

  14. Implementation of Ferroelectric Memories for Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Philpy, Stephen C.; Derbenwick, Gary F.; Kamp, David A.; Isaacson, Alan F.

    2000-01-01

    Ferroelectric random access semiconductor memories (FeRAMs) are an ideal nonvolatile solution for space applications. These memories have low power performance, high endurance and fast write times. By combining commercial ferroelectric memory technology with radiation hardened CMOS technology, nonvolatile semiconductor memories for space applications can be attained. Of the few radiation hardened semiconductor manufacturers, none have embraced the development of radiation hardened FeRAMs, due a limited commercial space market and funding limitations. Government funding may be necessary to assure the development of radiation hardened ferroelectric memories for space applications.

  15. Conductance Quantization in Resistive Random Access Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yang; Long, Shibing; Liu, Yang; Hu, Chen; Teng, Jiao; Liu, Qi; Lv, Hangbing; Suñé, Jordi; Liu, Ming

    2015-10-01

    The intrinsic scaling-down ability, simple metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich structure, excellent performances, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology-compatible fabrication processes make resistive random access memory (RRAM) one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation memory. The RRAM device also exhibits rich electrical, thermal, magnetic, and optical effects, in close correlation with the abundant resistive switching (RS) materials, metal-oxide interface, and multiple RS mechanisms including the formation/rupture of nanoscale to atomic-sized conductive filament (CF) incorporated in RS layer. Conductance quantization effect has been observed in the atomic-sized CF in RRAM, which provides a good opportunity to deeply investigate the RS mechanism in mesoscopic dimension. In this review paper, the operating principles of RRAM are introduced first, followed by the summarization of the basic conductance quantization phenomenon in RRAM and the related RS mechanisms, device structures, and material system. Then, we discuss the theory and modeling of quantum transport in RRAM. Finally, we present the opportunities and challenges in quantized RRAM devices and our views on the future prospects.

  16. Conductance Quantization in Resistive Random Access Memory.

    PubMed

    Li, Yang; Long, Shibing; Liu, Yang; Hu, Chen; Teng, Jiao; Liu, Qi; Lv, Hangbing; Suñé, Jordi; Liu, Ming

    2015-12-01

    The intrinsic scaling-down ability, simple metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich structure, excellent performances, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology-compatible fabrication processes make resistive random access memory (RRAM) one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation memory. The RRAM device also exhibits rich electrical, thermal, magnetic, and optical effects, in close correlation with the abundant resistive switching (RS) materials, metal-oxide interface, and multiple RS mechanisms including the formation/rupture of nanoscale to atomic-sized conductive filament (CF) incorporated in RS layer. Conductance quantization effect has been observed in the atomic-sized CF in RRAM, which provides a good opportunity to deeply investigate the RS mechanism in mesoscopic dimension. In this review paper, the operating principles of RRAM are introduced first, followed by the summarization of the basic conductance quantization phenomenon in RRAM and the related RS mechanisms, device structures, and material system. Then, we discuss the theory and modeling of quantum transport in RRAM. Finally, we present the opportunities and challenges in quantized RRAM devices and our views on the future prospects.

  17. Memory availability and referential access

    PubMed Central

    Johns, Clinton L.; Gordon, Peter C.; Long, Debra L.; Swaab, Tamara Y.

    2013-01-01

    Most theories of coreference specify linguistic factors that modulate antecedent accessibility in memory; however, whether non-linguistic factors also affect coreferential access is unknown. Here we examined the impact of a non-linguistic generation task (letter transposition) on the repeated-name penalty, a processing difficulty observed when coreferential repeated names refer to syntactically prominent (and thus more accessible) antecedents. In Experiment 1, generation improved online (event-related potentials) and offline (recognition memory) accessibility of names in word lists. In Experiment 2, we manipulated generation and syntactic prominence of antecedent names in sentences; both improved online and offline accessibility, but only syntactic prominence elicited a repeated-name penalty. Our results have three important implications: first, the form of a referential expression interacts with an antecedent’s status in the discourse model during coreference; second, availability in memory and referential accessibility are separable; and finally, theories of coreference must better integrate known properties of the human memory system. PMID:24443621

  18. Access to long-term optical memories using photon echoes retrieved from semiconductor spins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langer, L.; Poltavtsev, S. V.; Yugova, I. A.; Salewski, M.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Karczewski, G.; Wojtowicz, T.; Akimov, I. A.; Bayer, M.

    2014-11-01

    The ability to store optical information is important for both classical and quantum communication. Achieving this in a comprehensive manner (converting the optical field into material excitation, storing this excitation, and releasing it after a controllable time delay) is greatly complicated by the many, often conflicting, properties of the material. More specifically, optical resonances in semiconductor quantum structures with high oscillator strength are inevitably characterized by short excitation lifetimes (and, therefore, short optical memory). Here, we present a new experimental approach to stimulated photon echoes by transferring the information contained in the optical field into a spin system, where it is decoupled from the optical vacuum field and may persist much longer. We demonstrate this for an n-doped CdTe/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum well, the storage time of which could be increased by more than three orders of magnitude, from the picosecond range up to tens of nanoseconds.

  19. Memory effects in a Al/Ti:HfO2/CuPc metal-oxide-semiconductor device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathi, Udbhav; Kaur, Ramneek

    2016-05-01

    Metal oxide semiconductor structured organic memory device has been successfully fabricated. Ti doped hafnium oxide (Ti:HfO2) nanoparticles has been fabricated by precipitation method and further calcinated at 800 °C. Copper phthalocyanine, a hole transporting material has been utilized as an organic semiconductor. The electrical properties of the fabricated device have been studied by measuring the current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics. The amount of charge stored in the nanoparticles has been calculated by using flat band condition. This simple approach for fabricating MOS memory device has opens up opportunities for the development of next generation memory devices.

  20. Garnet Random-Access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R.

    1995-01-01

    Random-access memory (RAM) devices of proposed type exploit magneto-optical properties of magnetic garnets exhibiting perpendicular anisotropy. Magnetic writing and optical readout used. Provides nonvolatile storage and resists damage by ionizing radiation. Because of basic architecture and pinout requirements, most likely useful as small-capacity memory devices.

  1. Single Event Upset in Static Random Access Memories in Atmospheric Neutron Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arita, Yutaka; Takai, Mikio; Ogawa, Izumi; Kishimoto, Tadafumi

    2003-07-01

    Single-event upsets (SEUs) in a 0.4 μm 4 Mbit complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) static random access memory (SRAM) were investigated in various atmospheric neutron environments at sea level, at an altitude of 2612 m mountain, at an altitude of commercial airplane, and at an underground depth of 476 m. Neutron-induced SEUs increase with the increase in altitude. For a device with a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) film, SEU rates induced by thermal neutrons increase with the decrease in the cell charge of a memory cell. A thermal neutron-induced SEU is significant in SRAMs with a small cell charge. With the conditions of small cell charge, thermal neutron-induced SEUs account for 60% or more of the total neutron-induced SEUs. The SEU rate induced by atmospheric thermal neutrons can be estimated by an acceleration test using 252Cf.

  2. A FPGA-based Measurement System for Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bu, Jiankang; White, Marvin

    2002-03-01

    Low voltage, long retention, high density SONOS nonvolatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) devices are ideally suited for PCMCIA, FLASH and 'smart' cards. The SONOS memory transistor requires characterization with an accurate, rapid measurement system with minimum disturbance to the device. The FPGA-based measurement system includes three parts: 1) a pattern generator implemented with XILINX FPGAs and corresponding software, 2) a high-speed, constant-current, threshold voltage detection circuit, 3) and a data evaluation program, implemented with a LABVIEW program. Fig. 1 shows the general block diagram of the FPGA-based measurement system. The function generator is designed and simulated with XILINX Foundation Software. Under the control of the specific erase/write/read pulses, the analog detect circuit applies operational modes to the SONOS device under test (DUT) and determines the change of the memory-state of the SONOS nonvolatile memory transistor. The TEK460 digitizes the analog threshold voltage output and sends to the PC computer. The data is filtered and averaged with a LABVIEWTM program running on the PC computer and displayed on the monitor in real time. We have implemented the pattern generator with XILINX FPGAs. Fig. 2 shows the block diagram of the pattern generator. We realized the logic control by a method of state machine design. Fig. 3 shows a small part of the state machine. The flexibility of the FPGAs enhances the capabilities of this system and allows measurement variations without hardware changes. The characterization of the nonvolatile memory transistor device under test (DUT), as function of programming voltage and time, is achieved by a high-speed, constant-current threshold voltage detection circuit. The analog detection circuit incorporating fast analog switches controlled digitally with the FPGAs. The schematic circuit diagram is shown in Fig. 4. The various operational modes for the DUT are realized with control signals applied to the

  3. Flexible non-volatile memory devices based on organic semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cosseddu, Piero; Casula, Giulia; Lai, Stefano; Bonfiglio, Annalisa

    2015-09-01

    The possibility of developing fully organic electronic circuits is critically dependent on the ability to realize a full set of electronic functionalities based on organic devices. In order to complete the scene, a fundamental element is still missing, i.e. reliable data storage. Over the past few years, a considerable effort has been spent on the development and optimization of organic polymer based memory elements. Among several possible solutions, transistor-based memories and resistive switching-based memories are attracting a great interest in the scientific community. In this paper, a route for the fabrication of organic semiconductor-based memory devices with performances beyond the state of the art is reported. Both the families of organic memories will be considered. A flexible resistive memory based on a novel combination of materials is presented. In particular, high retention time in ambient conditions are reported. Complementary, a low voltage transistor-based memory is presented. Low voltage operation is allowed by an hybrid, nano-sized dielectric, which is also responsible for the memory effect in the device. Thanks to the possibility of reproducibly fabricating such device on ultra-thin substrates, high mechanical stability is reported.

  4. Generation-based memory synchronization in a multiprocessor system with weakly consistent memory accesses

    DOEpatents

    Ohmacht, Martin

    2017-08-15

    In a multiprocessor system, a central memory synchronization module coordinates memory synchronization requests responsive to memory access requests in flight, a generation counter, and a reclaim pointer. The central module communicates via point-to-point communication. The module includes a global OR reduce tree for each memory access requesting device, for detecting memory access requests in flight. An interface unit is implemented associated with each processor requesting synchronization. The interface unit includes multiple generation completion detectors. The generation count and reclaim pointer do not pass one another.

  5. Generation-based memory synchronization in a multiprocessor system with weakly consistent memory accesses

    DOEpatents

    Ohmacht, Martin

    2014-09-09

    In a multiprocessor system, a central memory synchronization module coordinates memory synchronization requests responsive to memory access requests in flight, a generation counter, and a reclaim pointer. The central module communicates via point-to-point communication. The module includes a global OR reduce tree for each memory access requesting device, for detecting memory access requests in flight. An interface unit is implemented associated with each processor requesting synchronization. The interface unit includes multiple generation completion detectors. The generation count and reclaim pointer do not pass one another.

  6. Experimental realization of a multiplexed quantum memory with 225 individually accessible memory cells

    PubMed Central

    Pu, Y-F; Jiang, N.; Chang, W.; Yang, H-X; Li, C.; Duan, L-M

    2017-01-01

    To realize long-distance quantum communication and quantum network, it is required to have multiplexed quantum memory with many memory cells. Each memory cell needs to be individually addressable and independently accessible. Here we report an experiment that realizes a multiplexed DLCZ-type quantum memory with 225 individually accessible memory cells in a macroscopic atomic ensemble. As a key element for quantum repeaters, we demonstrate that entanglement with flying optical qubits can be stored into any neighboring memory cells and read out after a programmable time with high fidelity. Experimental realization of a multiplexed quantum memory with many individually accessible memory cells and programmable control of its addressing and readout makes an important step for its application in quantum information technology. PMID:28480891

  7. Experimental realization of a multiplexed quantum memory with 225 individually accessible memory cells.

    PubMed

    Pu, Y-F; Jiang, N; Chang, W; Yang, H-X; Li, C; Duan, L-M

    2017-05-08

    To realize long-distance quantum communication and quantum network, it is required to have multiplexed quantum memory with many memory cells. Each memory cell needs to be individually addressable and independently accessible. Here we report an experiment that realizes a multiplexed DLCZ-type quantum memory with 225 individually accessible memory cells in a macroscopic atomic ensemble. As a key element for quantum repeaters, we demonstrate that entanglement with flying optical qubits can be stored into any neighboring memory cells and read out after a programmable time with high fidelity. Experimental realization of a multiplexed quantum memory with many individually accessible memory cells and programmable control of its addressing and readout makes an important step for its application in quantum information technology.

  8. Is random access memory random?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Denning, P. J.

    1986-01-01

    Most software is contructed on the assumption that the programs and data are stored in random access memory (RAM). Physical limitations on the relative speeds of processor and memory elements lead to a variety of memory organizations that match processor addressing rate with memory service rate. These include interleaved and cached memory. A very high fraction of a processor's address requests can be satified from the cache without reference to the main memory. The cache requests information from main memory in blocks that can be transferred at the full memory speed. Programmers who organize algorithms for locality can realize the highest performance from these computers.

  9. Random access memory immune to single event upset using a T-resistor

    DOEpatents

    Ochoa, Jr., Agustin

    1989-01-01

    In a random access memory cell, a resistance "T" decoupling network in each leg of the cell reduces random errors caused by the interaction of energetic ions with the semiconductor material forming the cell. The cell comprises two parallel legs each containing a series pair of complementary MOS transistors having a common gate connected to the node between the transistors of the opposite leg. The decoupling network in each leg is formed by a series pair of resistors between the transistors together with a third resistor interconnecting the junction between the pair of resistors and the gate of the transistor pair forming the opposite leg of the cell.

  10. Nonvolatile semiconductor memory having three dimension charge confinement

    DOEpatents

    Dawson, L. Ralph; Osbourn, Gordon C.; Peercy, Paul S.; Weaver, Harry T.; Zipperian, Thomas E.

    1991-01-01

    A layered semiconductor device with a nonvolatile three dimensional memory comprises a storage channel which stores charge carriers. Charge carriers flow laterally through the storage channel from a source to a drain. Isolation material, either a Schottky barrier or a heterojunction, located in a trench of an upper layer controllably retains the charge within the a storage portion determined by the confining means. The charge is retained for a time determined by the isolation materials' nonvolatile characteristics or until a change of voltage on the isolation material and the source and drain permit a read operation. Flow of charge through an underlying sense channel is affected by the presence of charge within the storage channel, thus the presences of charge in the memory can be easily detected.

  11. Low latency memory access and synchronization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blumrich, Matthias A.; Chen, Dong; Coteus, Paul W.

    A low latency memory system access is provided in association with a weakly-ordered multiprocessor system. Each processor in the multiprocessor shares resources, and each shared resource has an associated lock within a locking device that provides support for synchronization between the multiple processors in the multiprocessor and the orderly sharing of the resources. A processor only has permission to access a resource when it owns the lock associated with that resource, and an attempt by a processor to own a lock requires only a single load operation, rather than a traditional atomic load followed by store, such that the processormore » only performs a read operation and the hardware locking device performs a subsequent write operation rather than the processor. A simple prefetching for non-contiguous data structures is also disclosed. A memory line is redefined so that in addition to the normal physical memory data, every line includes a pointer that is large enough to point to any other line in the memory, wherein the pointers to determine which memory line to prefetch rather than some other predictive algorithm. This enables hardware to effectively prefetch memory access patterns that are non-contiguous, but repetitive.« less

  12. Low latency memory access and synchronization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blumrich, Matthias A.; Chen, Dong; Coteus, Paul W.

    A low latency memory system access is provided in association with a weakly-ordered multiprocessor system. Bach processor in the multiprocessor shares resources, and each shared resource has an associated lock within a locking device that provides support for synchronization between the multiple processors in the multiprocessor and the orderly sharing of the resources. A processor only has permission to access a resource when it owns the lock associated with that resource, and an attempt by a processor to own a lock requires only a single load operation, rather than a traditional atomic load followed by store, such that the processormore » only performs a read operation and the hardware locking device performs a subsequent write operation rather than the processor. A simple prefetching for non-contiguous data structures is also disclosed. A memory line is redefined so that in addition to the normal physical memory data, every line includes a pointer that is large enough to point to any other line in the memory, wherein the pointers to determine which memory line to prefetch rather than some other predictive algorithm. This enables hardware to effectively prefetch memory access patterns that are non-contiguous, but repetitive.« less

  13. Method and apparatus for managing access to a memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DeBenedictis, Erik

    A method and apparatus for managing access to a memory of a computing system. A controller transforms a plurality of operations that represent a computing job into an operational memory layout that reduces a size of a selected portion of the memory that needs to be accessed to perform the computing job. The controller stores the operational memory layout in a plurality of memory cells within the selected portion of the memory. The controller controls a sequence by which a processor in the computing system accesses the memory to perform the computing job using the operational memory layout. The operationalmore » memory layout reduces an amount of energy consumed by the processor to perform the computing job.« less

  14. High density submicron magnetoresistive random access memory (invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tehrani, S.; Chen, E.; Durlam, M.; DeHerrera, M.; Slaughter, J. M.; Shi, J.; Kerszykowski, G.

    1999-04-01

    Various giant magnetoresistance material structures were patterned and studied for their potential as memory elements. The preferred memory element, based on pseudo-spin valve structures, was designed with two magnetic stacks (NiFeCo/CoFe) of different thickness with Cu as an interlayer. The difference in thickness results in dissimilar switching fields due to the shape anisotropy at deep submicron dimensions. It was found that a lower switching current can be achieved when the bits have a word line that wraps around the bit 1.5 times. Submicron memory elements integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors maintained their characteristics and no degradation to the CMOS devices was observed. Selectivity between memory elements in high-density arrays was demonstrated.

  15. A random access memory immune to single event upset using a T-Resistor

    DOEpatents

    Ochoa, A. Jr.

    1987-10-28

    In a random access memory cell, a resistance ''T'' decoupling network in each leg of the cell reduces random errors caused by the interaction of energetic ions with the semiconductor material forming the cell. The cell comprises two parallel legs each containing a series pair of complementary MOS transistors having a common gate connected to the node between the transistors of the opposite leg. The decoupling network in each leg is formed by a series pair of resistors between the transistors together with a third resistor interconnecting the junction between the pair of resistors and the gate of the transistor pair forming the opposite leg of the cell. 4 figs.

  16. Programmable Direct-Memory-Access Controller

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hendry, David F.

    1990-01-01

    Proposed programmable direct-memory-access controller (DMAC) operates with computer systems of 32000 series, which have 32-bit data buses and use addresses of 24 (or potentially 32) bits. Controller functions with or without help of central processing unit (CPU) and starts itself. Includes such advanced features as ability to compare two blocks of memory for equality and to search block of memory for specific value. Made as single very-large-scale integrated-circuit chip.

  17. Test Procedures for Semiconductor Random Access Memories

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-11-01

    of each cell exactly complement to each other, the read operations on the base cell in (g) of step 2 following operations ko S odd and in (p) of step...contents of Sko (these cells this address. Furthermore, when more than one contained I at test time and even if the con- cell is accessed then the output

  18. Plated wire random access memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gouldin, L. D.

    1975-01-01

    A program was conducted to construct 4096-work by 18-bit random access, NDRO-plated wire memory units. The memory units were subjected to comprehensive functional and environmental tests at the end-item level to verify comformance with the specified requirements. A technical description of the unit is given, along with acceptance test data sheets.

  19. Solution-Processed Wide-Bandgap Organic Semiconductor Nanostructures Arrays for Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory.

    PubMed

    Li, Wen; Guo, Fengning; Ling, Haifeng; Liu, Hui; Yi, Mingdong; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Wenjun; Xie, Linghai; Huang, Wei

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, the development of organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory device based on isolated and ordered nanostructures (NSs) arrays of wide-bandgap (WBG) small-molecule organic semiconductor material [2-(9-(4-(octyloxy)phenyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)thiophene]3 (WG 3 ) is reported. The WG 3 NSs are prepared from phase separation by spin-coating blend solutions of WG 3 /trimethylolpropane (TMP), and then introduced as charge storage elements for nonvolatile OFET memory devices. Compared to the OFET memory device with smooth WG 3 film, the device based on WG 3 NSs arrays exhibits significant improvements in memory performance including larger memory window (≈45 V), faster switching speed (≈1 s), stable retention capability (>10 4 s), and reliable switching properties. A quantitative study of the WG 3 NSs morphology reveals that enhanced memory performance is attributed to the improved charge trapping/charge-exciton annihilation efficiency induced by increased contact area between the WG 3 NSs and pentacene layer. This versatile solution-processing approach to preparing WG 3 NSs arrays as charge trapping sites allows for fabrication of high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices, which could be applicable to a wide range of WBG organic semiconductor materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Unexpected surface implanted layer in static random access memory devices observed by microwave impedance microscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kundhikanjana, W.; Yang, Y.; Tanga, Q.; Zhang, K.; Lai, K.; Ma, Y.; Kelly, M. A.; Li, X. X.; Shen, Z.-X.

    2013-02-01

    Real-space mapping of doping concentration in semiconductor devices is of great importance for the microelectronics industry. In this work, a scanning microwave impedance microscope (MIM) is employed to resolve the local conductivity distribution of a static random access memory sample. The MIM electronics can also be adjusted to the scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) mode, allowing both measurements on the same region. Interestingly, while the conventional SCM images match the nominal device structure, the MIM results display certain unexpected features, which originate from a thin layer of the dopant ions penetrating through the protective layers during the heavy implantation steps.

  1. A Novel Metal-Ferroelectric-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor Memory Cell Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, Thomas A.; Bailey, Mark; Ho, Fat Duen

    2004-01-01

    The use of a Metal-Ferroelectric-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MFSFET) in a resistive-load SRAM memory cell has been investigated A typical two-transistor resistive-load SRAM memory cell architecture is modified by replacing one of the NMOS transistors with an n-channel MFSFET. The gate of the MFSFET is connected to a polling voltage pulse instead of the other NMOS transistor drain. The polling voltage pulses are of sufficient magnitude to saturate the ferroelectric gate material and force the MFSFET into a particular logic state. The memory cell circuit is further modified by the addition of a PMOS transistor and a load resistor in order to improve the retention characteristics of the memory cell. The retention characteristics of both the "1" and "0" logic states are simulated. The simulations show that the MFSFET memory cell design can maintain both the "1" and "0" logic states for a long period of time.

  2. Two semiconductor ring lasers coupled by a single-waveguide for optical memory operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van der Sande, Guy; Coomans, Werner; Gelens, Lendert

    2014-05-01

    Semiconductor ring lasers are semiconductor lasers where the laser cavity consists of a ring-shaped waveguide. SRLs are highly integrable and scalable, making them ideal candidates for key components in photonic integrated circuits. SRLs can generate light in two counterpropagating directions between which bistability has been demonstrated. Hence, information can be coded into the emission direction. This bistable operation allows SRLs to be used in systems for all-optical switching and as all-optical memories. For the demonstration of fast optical flip-flop operation, Hill et al. [Nature 432, 206 (2004)] fabricated two SRLs coupled by a single waveguide, rather than a solitary SRL. Nevertheless, the literature shows that a single SRL can also function perfectly as an all-optical memory. In our recent paper [W. Coomans et al., Phys. Rev. A 88, 033813, (2013)], we have raised the question whether coupling two SRLs to realize a single optical memory has any advantage over using a solitary SRL, taking into account the obvious disadvantage of a doubled footprint and power consumption. To provide the answer, we have presented in that paper a numerical study of the dynamical behavior of semiconductor ring lasers coupled by a single bus waveguide, both when weakly coupled and when strongly coupled. We have provided a detailed analysis of the multistable landscape in the coupled system, analyzed the stability of all solutions and related the internal dynamics in the individual lasers to the field effectively measured at the output of the waveguide. We have shown which coupling phases generally promote instabilities and therefore need to be avoided in the design. Regarding all-optical memory operation, we have demonstrated that there is no real advantage for bistable memory operation compared to using a solitary SRL. An increased power suppression ratio has been found to be mainly due to the destructive interference of the SRL fields at the low power port. Also

  3. Characterization of metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor structures based on ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer films for nondestructive random access memory applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reece, Timothy James

    Ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs) have attracted much attention recently because of their ability to combine high speed, low power consumption, and fast nondestructive readout with the potential for high density nonvolatile memory. The polarization of the ferroelectric is used to switch the channel at the silicon surface between states of high and low conductance. Among the ferroelectric thin films used in FET devices; the ferroelectric copolymer of Polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF (C2H2F 2), with trifluoroethylene, TrFE (C2HF3), has distinct advantages, including low dielectric constant, low processing temperature, low cost and compatibility with organic semiconductors. By employing the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, films as thin as 1.8 nm can be deposited, reducing the operating voltage. An MFIS structure consisting of aluminum, 170 nm P(VDF-TrFE), 100 nm silicon oxide and n-type silicon exhibited low leakage current (˜1x10 -8 A/cm2), a large memory window (4.2 V) and operated at 35 Volts. The operating voltage was lowered through use of high k insulators like cerium oxide. A sample consisting of 25 nm P(VDF-TrFE), 30 nm cerium oxide and p-type silicon exhibited a 1.9 V window with 7 Volt gate amplitude. The leakage current in this case was considerably higher (1x10 -6 A/cm2). The characterization, modeling, and fabrication of metal-ferroelectricinsulator semiconductor (MFIS) structures based on these films are discussed.

  4. Electrochromic conductive polymer fuses for hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Möller, Sven; Forrest, Stephen R.; Perlov, Craig; Jackson, Warren; Taussig, Carl

    2003-12-01

    We demonstrate a nonvolatile, write-once-read-many-times (WORM) memory device employing a hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor architecture consisting of thin film p-i-n silicon diode on a stainless steel substrate integrated in series with a conductive polymer fuse. The nonlinearity of the silicon diodes enables a passive matrix memory architecture, while the conductive polyethylenedioxythiophene:polystyrene sulfonic acid polymer serves as a reliable switch with fuse-like behavior for data storage. The polymer can be switched at ˜2 μs, resulting in a permanent decrease of conductivity of the memory pixel by up to a factor of 103. The switching mechanism is primarily due to a current and thermally dependent redox reaction in the polymer, limited by the double injection of both holes and electrons. The switched device performance does not degrade after many thousand read cycles in ambient at room temperature. Our results suggest that low cost, organic/inorganic WORM memories are feasible for light weight, high density, robust, and fast archival storage applications.

  5. Fast Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

    1991-01-01

    Magnetoresistive binary digital memories of proposed new type expected to feature high speed, nonvolatility, ability to withstand ionizing radiation, high density, and low power. In memory cell, magnetoresistive effect exploited more efficiently by use of ferromagnetic material to store datum and adjacent magnetoresistive material to sense datum for readout. Because relative change in sensed resistance between "zero" and "one" states greater, shorter sampling and readout access times achievable.

  6. Optically Addressable, Ferroelectric Memory With NDRO

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakoor, Sarita

    1994-01-01

    For readout, memory cells addressed via on-chip semiconductor lasers. Proposed thin-film ferroelectric memory device features nonvolatile storage, optically addressable, nondestructive readout (NDRO) with fast access, and low vulnerability to damage by ionizing radiation. Polarization switched during recording and erasure, but not during readout. As result, readout would not destroy contents of memory, and operating life in specific "read-intensive" applications increased up to estimated 10 to the 16th power cycles.

  7. Rotator side chains trigger cooperative transition for shape and function memory effect in organic semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Chung, Hyunjoong; Dudenko, Dmytro; Zhang, Fengjiao; D'Avino, Gabriele; Ruzié, Christian; Richard, Audrey; Schweicher, Guillaume; Cornil, Jérôme; Beljonne, David; Geerts, Yves; Diao, Ying

    2018-01-18

    Martensitic transition is a solid-state phase transition involving cooperative movement of atoms, mostly studied in metallurgy. The main characteristics are low transition barrier, ultrafast kinetics, and structural reversibility. They are rarely observed in molecular crystals, and hence the origin and mechanism are largely unexplored. Here we report the discovery of martensitic transition in single crystals of two different organic semiconductors. In situ microscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and molecular simulations combined indicate that the rotating bulky side chains trigger cooperative transition. Cooperativity enables shape memory effect in single crystals and function memory effect in thin film transistors. We establish a molecular design rule to trigger martensitic transition in organic semiconductors, showing promise for designing next-generation smart multifunctional materials.

  8. Working memory capacity and retrieval limitations from long-term memory: an examination of differences in accessibility.

    PubMed

    Unsworth, Nash; Spillers, Gregory J; Brewer, Gene A

    2012-01-01

    In two experiments, the locus of individual differences in working memory capacity and long-term memory recall was examined. Participants performed categorical cued and free recall tasks, and individual differences in the dynamics of recall were interpreted in terms of a hierarchical-search framework. The results from this study are in accordance with recent theorizing suggesting a strong relation between working memory capacity and retrieval from long-term memory. Furthermore, the results also indicate that individual differences in categorical recall are partially due to differences in accessibility. In terms of accessibility of target information, two important factors drive the difference between high- and low-working-memory-capacity participants. Low-working-memory-capacity participants fail to utilize appropriate retrieval strategies to access cues, and they also have difficulty resolving cue overload. Thus, when low-working-memory-capacity participants were given specific cues that activated a smaller set of potential targets, their recall performance was the same as that of high-working-memory-capacity participants.

  9. Non-volatile magnetic random access memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Stadler, Henry L. (Inventor); Wu, Jiin-Chuan (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    Improvements are made in a non-volatile magnetic random access memory. Such a memory is comprised of an array of unit cells, each having a Hall-effect sensor and a thin-film magnetic element made of material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and in-plane, bipolar remanent magnetization states. The Hall-effect sensor is made more sensitive by using a 1 m thick molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs layer on a silicon substrate by employing a GaAs/AlGaAs/InAlAs superlattice buffering layer. One improvement avoids current shunting problems of matrix architecture. Another improvement reduces the required magnetizing current for the micromagnets. Another improvement relates to the use of GaAs technology wherein high electron-mobility GaAs MESFETs provide faster switching times. Still another improvement relates to a method for configuring the invention as a three-dimensional random access memory.

  10. Simple Atomic Quantum Memory Suitable for Semiconductor Quantum Dot Single Photons.

    PubMed

    Wolters, Janik; Buser, Gianni; Horsley, Andrew; Béguin, Lucas; Jöckel, Andreas; Jahn, Jan-Philipp; Warburton, Richard J; Treutlein, Philipp

    2017-08-11

    Quantum memories matched to single photon sources will form an important cornerstone of future quantum network technology. We demonstrate such a memory in warm Rb vapor with on-demand storage and retrieval, based on electromagnetically induced transparency. With an acceptance bandwidth of δf=0.66  GHz, the memory is suitable for single photons emitted by semiconductor quantum dots. In this regime, vapor cell memories offer an excellent compromise between storage efficiency, storage time, noise level, and experimental complexity, and atomic collisions have negligible influence on the optical coherences. Operation of the memory is demonstrated using attenuated laser pulses on the single photon level. For a 50 ns storage time, we measure η_{e2e}^{50  ns}=3.4(3)% end-to-end efficiency of the fiber-coupled memory, with a total intrinsic efficiency η_{int}=17(3)%. Straightforward technological improvements can boost the end-to-end-efficiency to η_{e2e}≈35%; beyond that, increasing the optical depth and exploiting the Zeeman substructure of the atoms will allow such a memory to approach near unity efficiency. In the present memory, the unconditional read-out noise level of 9×10^{-3} photons is dominated by atomic fluorescence, and for input pulses containing on average μ_{1}=0.27(4) photons, the signal to noise level would be unity.

  11. Simple Atomic Quantum Memory Suitable for Semiconductor Quantum Dot Single Photons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolters, Janik; Buser, Gianni; Horsley, Andrew; Béguin, Lucas; Jöckel, Andreas; Jahn, Jan-Philipp; Warburton, Richard J.; Treutlein, Philipp

    2017-08-01

    Quantum memories matched to single photon sources will form an important cornerstone of future quantum network technology. We demonstrate such a memory in warm Rb vapor with on-demand storage and retrieval, based on electromagnetically induced transparency. With an acceptance bandwidth of δ f =0.66 GHz , the memory is suitable for single photons emitted by semiconductor quantum dots. In this regime, vapor cell memories offer an excellent compromise between storage efficiency, storage time, noise level, and experimental complexity, and atomic collisions have negligible influence on the optical coherences. Operation of the memory is demonstrated using attenuated laser pulses on the single photon level. For a 50 ns storage time, we measure ηe2 e 50 ns=3.4 (3 )% end-to-end efficiency of the fiber-coupled memory, with a total intrinsic efficiency ηint=17 (3 )%. Straightforward technological improvements can boost the end-to-end-efficiency to ηe 2 e≈35 %; beyond that, increasing the optical depth and exploiting the Zeeman substructure of the atoms will allow such a memory to approach near unity efficiency. In the present memory, the unconditional read-out noise level of 9 ×10-3 photons is dominated by atomic fluorescence, and for input pulses containing on average μ1=0.27 (4 ) photons, the signal to noise level would be unity.

  12. Efficient accesses of data structures using processing near memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jayasena, Nuwan S.; Zhang, Dong Ping; Diez, Paula Aguilera

    Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing efficient queues and other data structures. A queue may be shared among multiple processors and/or threads without using explicit software atomic instructions to coordinate access to the queue. System software may allocate an atomic queue and corresponding queue metadata in system memory and return, to the requesting thread, a handle referencing the queue metadata. Any number of threads may utilize the handle for accessing the atomic queue. The logic for ensuring the atomicity of accesses to the atomic queue may reside in a management unit in the memory controller coupled to the memory wheremore » the atomic queue is allocated.« less

  13. Optically programmable electron spin memory using semiconductor quantum dots.

    PubMed

    Kroutvar, Miro; Ducommun, Yann; Heiss, Dominik; Bichler, Max; Schuh, Dieter; Abstreiter, Gerhard; Finley, Jonathan J

    2004-11-04

    The spin of a single electron subject to a static magnetic field provides a natural two-level system that is suitable for use as a quantum bit, the fundamental logical unit in a quantum computer. Semiconductor quantum dots fabricated by strain driven self-assembly are particularly attractive for the realization of spin quantum bits, as they can be controllably positioned, electronically coupled and embedded into active devices. It has been predicted that the atomic-like electronic structure of such quantum dots suppresses coupling of the spin to the solid-state quantum dot environment, thus protecting the 'spin' quantum information against decoherence. Here we demonstrate a single electron spin memory device in which the electron spin can be programmed by frequency selective optical excitation. We use the device to prepare single electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots with a well defined orientation, and directly measure the intrinsic spin flip time and its dependence on magnetic field. A very long spin lifetime is obtained, with a lower limit of about 20 milliseconds at a magnetic field of 4 tesla and at 1 kelvin.

  14. The measurement of alpha particle emissions from semiconductor memory materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouldin, D. P.

    1981-07-01

    With the increasing concern for the affects of alpha particles on the reliability of semiconductor memories, an interest has arisen in characterizing semiconductor manufacturing materials for extremely low-level alpha-emitting contaminants. It is shown that four elements are of primary concern: uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium. Measurement of contamination levels are given relevance by first correlating them with alpha flux emission levels and then corre1ating these flux values with device soft error rates. Measurement techniques involve either measurements of elemental concentrations-applicable to only uranium and thorium - or direct measurements of alpha emission fluxes. Alpha fluxes are most usefully measured by means of ZnS scintillation counting, practical details of which are discussed. Materials measurements are reported for ceramics, solder, silicon, quartz, and various metals and organic materials. Ceramics and most metals have contamination levels of concern, but the high temperature processing normally used in semiconductor manufacturing and low total amounts reduce problems, at least for metals. Silicon, silicon compounds, and organic materials have been found to have no detectable alpha emitters. Finally, a brief discussion of the calibration of alpha sources for accelerated device testing is given, including practical details on the affects of source/chip separation and alignment variations.

  15. Accessibility Limits Recall from Visual Working Memory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rajsic, Jason; Swan, Garrett; Wilson, Daryl E.; Pratt, Jay

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we demonstrate limitations of accessibility of information in visual working memory (VWM). Recently, cued-recall has been used to estimate the fidelity of information in VWM, where the feature of a cued object is reproduced from memory (Bays, Catalao, & Husain, 2009; Wilken & Ma, 2004; Zhang & Luck, 2008). Response…

  16. 76 FR 55417 - In the Matter of Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory and Nand Flash Memory Devices and Products...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-07

    ... Access Memory and Nand Flash Memory Devices and Products Containing Same; Notice of Institution of... importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain dynamic random access memory and NAND flash memory devices and products containing same by reason of infringement of certain claims...

  17. A Cerebellar-model Associative Memory as a Generalized Random-access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kanerva, Pentti

    1989-01-01

    A versatile neural-net model is explained in terms familiar to computer scientists and engineers. It is called the sparse distributed memory, and it is a random-access memory for very long words (for patterns with thousands of bits). Its potential utility is the result of several factors: (1) a large pattern representing an object or a scene or a moment can encode a large amount of information about what it represents; (2) this information can serve as an address to the memory, and it can also serve as data; (3) the memory is noise tolerant--the information need not be exact; (4) the memory can be made arbitrarily large and hence an arbitrary amount of information can be stored in it; and (5) the architecture is inherently parallel, allowing large memories to be fast. Such memories can become important components of future computers.

  18. A polymer/semiconductor write-once read-many-times memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Möller, Sven; Perlov, Craig; Jackson, Warren; Taussig, Carl; Forrest, Stephen R.

    2003-11-01

    Organic devices promise to revolutionize the extent of, and access to, electronics by providing extremely inexpensive, lightweight and capable ubiquitous components that are printed onto plastic, glass or metal foils. One key component of an electronic circuit that has thus far received surprisingly little attention is an organic electronic memory. Here we report an architecture for a write-once read-many-times (WORM) memory, based on the hybrid integration of an electrochromic polymer with a thin-film silicon diode deposited onto a flexible metal foil substrate. WORM memories are desirable for ultralow-cost permanent storage of digital images, eliminating the need for slow, bulky and expensive mechanical drives used in conventional magnetic and optical memories. Our results indicate that the hybrid organic/inorganic memory device is a reliable means for achieving rapid, large-scale archival data storage. The WORM memory pixel exploits a mechanism of current-controlled, thermally activated un-doping of a two-component electrochromic conducting polymer.

  19. Radiation Effects of Commercial Resistive Random Access Memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Dakai; LaBel, Kenneth A.; Berg, Melanie; Wilcox, Edward; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony; Figueiredo, Marco; Buchner, Stephen; Khachatrian, Ani; Roche, Nicolas

    2014-01-01

    We present results for the single-event effect response of commercial production-level resistive random access memories. We found that the resistive memory arrays are immune to heavy ion-induced upsets. However, the devices were susceptible to single-event functional interrupts, due to upsets from the control circuits. The intrinsic radiation tolerant nature of resistive memory makes the technology an attractive consideration for future space applications.

  20. Access to long-term optical memories using photon echoes retrieved from electron spins in semiconductor quantum wells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poltavtsev, S. V.; Langer, L.; Yugova, I. A.; Salewski, M.; Kapitonov, Y. V.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Karczewski, G.; Wojtowicz, T.; Akimov, I. A.; Bayer, M.

    2016-10-01

    We use spontaneous (two-pulse) and stimulated (three-pulse) photon echoes for studying the coherent evolution of optically excited ensemble of trions which are localized in semiconductor CdTe/CdMgTe quantum well. Application of transverse magnetic field leads to the Larmor precession of the resident electron spins, which shuffles optically induced polarization between optically accessible and inaccessible states. This results in several spectacular phenomena. First, magnetic field induces oscillations of spontaneous photon echo amplitude. Second, in three-pulse excitation scheme, the photon echo decay is extended by several orders of magnitude. In this study, short-lived optical excitation which is created by the first pulse is coherently transferred into a long-lived electron spin state using the second optical pulse. This coherent spin state of electron ensemble persists much longer than any optical excitation in the system, preserving information on initial optical field, which can be retrieved as a photon echo by means of third optical pulse.

  1. Electronics Industry Study Report: Semiconductors and Defense Electronics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    Access Memory (DRAM) chips and microprocessors. Samsung , Micron, Hynix, and Infineon control almost three-fourths of the DRAM market,8 while Intel alone...Country 2001 Sales ($B) 2002 Sales ($B) % Change % 2002 Mkt 1 1 Intel U.S. 23.7 24.0 1% 16.9% 2 3 Samsung Semiconductor S. Korea 6.3...located in four major regions: the United States, Europe, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific region (includes South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia , Taiwan

  2. Method and device for maximizing memory system bandwidth by accessing data in a dynamically determined order

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwab, Andrew J. (Inventor); Aylor, James (Inventor); Hitchcock, Charles Young (Inventor); Wulf, William A. (Inventor); McKee, Sally A. (Inventor); Moyer, Stephen A. (Inventor); Klenke, Robert (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A data processing system is disclosed which comprises a data processor and memory control device for controlling the access of information from the memory. The memory control device includes temporary storage and decision ability for determining what order to execute the memory accesses. The compiler detects the requirements of the data processor and selects the data to stream to the memory control device which determines a memory access order. The order in which to access said information is selected based on the location of information stored in the memory. The information is repeatedly accessed from memory and stored in the temporary storage until all streamed information is accessed. The information is stored until required by the data processor. The selection of the order in which to access information maximizes bandwidth and decreases the retrieval time.

  3. Electric-Field-Driven Dual Vacancies Evolution in Ultrathin Nanosheets Realizing Reversible Semiconductor to Half-Metal Transition.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Mengjie; Liu, Youwen; Zhi, Yuduo; Xiao, Chong; Gu, Bingchuan; Hua, Xuemin; Fan, Shaojuan; Lin, Yue; Bai, Wei; Tong, Wei; Zou, Youming; Pan, Bicai; Ye, Bangjiao; Xie, Yi

    2015-12-02

    Fabricating a flexible room-temperature ferromagnetic resistive-switching random access memory (RRAM) device is of fundamental importance to integrate nonvolatile memory and spintronics both in theory and practice for modern information technology and has the potential to bring about revolutionary new foldable information-storage devices. Here, we show that a relatively low operating voltage (+1.4 V/-1.5 V, the corresponding electric field is around 20,000 V/cm) drives the dual vacancies evolution in ultrathin SnO2 nanosheets at room temperature, which causes the reversible transition between semiconductor and half-metal, accompanyied by an abrupt conductivity change up to 10(3) times, exhibiting room-temperature ferromagnetism in two resistance states. Positron annihilation spectroscopy and electron spin resonance results show that the Sn/O dual vacancies in the ultrathin SnO2 nanosheets evolve to isolated Sn vacancy under electric field, accounting for the switching behavior of SnO2 ultrathin nanosheets; on the other hand, the different defect types correspond to different conduction natures, realizing the transition between semiconductor and half-metal. Our result represents a crucial step to create new a information-storage device realizing the reversible transition between semiconductor and half-metal with flexibility and room-temperature ferromagnetism at low energy consumption. The as-obtained half-metal in the low-resistance state broadens the application of the device in spintronics and the semiconductor to half-metal transition on the basis of defects evolution and also opens up a new avenue for exploring random access memory mechanisms and finding new half-metals for spintronics.

  4. Magnet/Hall-Effect Random-Access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

    1991-01-01

    In proposed magnet/Hall-effect random-access memory (MHRAM), bits of data stored magnetically in Perm-alloy (or equivalent)-film memory elements and read out by using Hall-effect sensors to detect magnetization. Value of each bit represented by polarity of magnetization. Retains data for indefinite time or until data rewritten. Speed of Hall-effect sensors in MHRAM results in readout times of about 100 nanoseconds. Other characteristics include high immunity to ionizing radiation and storage densities of order 10(Sup6)bits/cm(Sup 2) or more.

  5. An Investigation of Unified Memory Access Performance in CUDA

    PubMed Central

    Landaverde, Raphael; Zhang, Tiansheng; Coskun, Ayse K.; Herbordt, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Managing memory between the CPU and GPU is a major challenge in GPU computing. A programming model, Unified Memory Access (UMA), has been recently introduced by Nvidia to simplify the complexities of memory management while claiming good overall performance. In this paper, we investigate this programming model and evaluate its performance and programming model simplifications based on our experimental results. We find that beyond on-demand data transfers to the CPU, the GPU is also able to request subsets of data it requires on demand. This feature allows UMA to outperform full data transfer methods for certain parallel applications and small data sizes. We also find, however, that for the majority of applications and memory access patterns, the performance overheads associated with UMA are significant, while the simplifications to the programming model restrict flexibility for adding future optimizations. PMID:26594668

  6. Ferroelectricity in Covalently functionalized Two-dimensional Materials: Integration of High-mobility Semiconductors and Nonvolatile Memory.

    PubMed

    Wu, Menghao; Dong, Shuai; Yao, Kailun; Liu, Junming; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

    2016-11-09

    Realization of ferroelectric semiconductors by conjoining ferroelectricity with semiconductors remains a challenging task because most present-day ferroelectric materials are unsuitable for such a combination due to their wide bandgaps. Herein, we show first-principles evidence toward the realization of a new class of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductors through covalent functionalization of many prevailing 2D materials. Members in this new class of 2D ferroelectric semiconductors include covalently functionalized germanene, and stanene (Nat. Commun. 2014, 5, 3389), as well as MoS 2 monolayer (Nat. Chem. 2015, 7, 45), covalent functionalization of the surface of bulk semiconductors such as silicon (111) (J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110 , 23898), and the substrates of oxides such as silica with self-assembly monolayers (Nano Lett. 2014, 14, 1354). The newly predicted 2D ferroelectric semiconductors possess high mobility, modest bandgaps, and distinct ferroelectricity that can be exploited for developing various heterostructural devices with desired functionalities. For example, we propose applications of the 2D materials as 2D ferroelectric field-effect transistors with ultrahigh on/off ratio, topological transistors with Dirac Fermions switchable between holes and electrons, ferroelectric junctions with ultrahigh electro-resistance, and multiferroic junctions for controlling spin by electric fields. All these heterostructural devices take advantage of the combination of high-mobility semiconductors with fast writing and nondestructive reading capability of nonvolatile memory, thereby holding great potential for the development of future multifunctional devices.

  7. Individual differences in memory span: the contribution of rehearsal, access to lexical memory, and output speed.

    PubMed

    Tehan, G; Lalor, D M

    2000-11-01

    Rehearsal speed has traditionally been seen to be the prime determinant of individual differences in memory span. Recent studies, in the main using young children as the subject population, have suggested other contributors to span performance, notably contributions from long-term memory and forgetting and retrieval processes occurring during recall. In the current research we explore individual differences in span with respect to measures of rehearsal, output time, and access to lexical memory. We replicate standard short-term phenomena; we show that the variables that influence children's span performance influence adult performance in the same way; and we show that lexical memory access appears to be a more potent source of individual differences in span than either rehearsal speed or output factors.

  8. A High-Performance Optical Memory Array Based on Inhomogeneity of Organic Semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Pei, Ke; Ren, Xiaochen; Zhou, Zhiwen; Zhang, Zhichao; Ji, Xudong; Chan, Paddy Kwok Leung

    2018-03-01

    Organic optical memory devices keep attracting intensive interests for diverse optoelectronic applications including optical sensors and memories. Here, flexible nonvolatile optical memory devices are developed based on the bis[1]benzothieno[2,3-d;2',3'-d']naphtho[2,3-b;6,7-b']dithiophene (BBTNDT) organic field-effect transistors with charge trapping centers induced by the inhomogeneity (nanosprouts) of the organic thin film. The devices exhibit average mobility as high as 7.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , photoresponsivity of 433 A W -1 , and long retention time for more than 6 h with a current ratio larger than 10 6 . Compared with the standard floating gate memory transistors, the BBTNDT devices can reduce the fabrication complexity, cost, and time. Based on the reasonable performance of the single device on a rigid substrate, the optical memory transistor is further scaled up to a 16 × 16 active matrix array on a flexible substrate with operating voltage less than 3 V, and it is used to map out 2D optical images. The findings reveal the potentials of utilizing [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) derivatives as organic semiconductors for high-performance optical memory transistors with a facile structure. A detailed study on the charge trapping mechanism in the derivatives of BTBT materials is also provided, which is closely related to the nanosprouts formed inside the organic active layer. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. 76 FR 80964 - Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and Products Containing Same; Institution of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-27

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-821] Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory... importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain dynamic random access memory... certain dynamic random access memory devices, and products containing same that infringe one or more of...

  10. Circuit-Switched Memory Access in Photonic Interconnection Networks for High-Performance Embedded Computing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-07-22

    dependent , providing a natural bandwidth match between compute cores and the memory subsystem. • High Bandwidth Dcnsity. Waveguides crossing the chip...simulate this memory access architecture on a 2S6-core chip with a concentrated 64-node network lIsing detailed traces of high-performance embedded...memory modulcs, wc placc memory access poi nts (MAPs) around the pcriphery of the chip connected to thc nctwork. These MAPs, shown in Figure 4, contain

  11. Accessing sparse arrays in parallel memories

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Banerjee, U.; Gajski, D.; Kuck, D.

    The concept of dense and sparse execution of arrays is introduced. Arrays themselves can be stored in a dense or sparse manner in a parallel memory with m memory modules. The paper proposes hardware for speeding up the execution of array operations of the form c(c/sub 0/+ci)=a(a/sub 0/+ai) op b(b/sub 0/+bi), where a/sub 0/, a, b/sub 0/, b, c/sub 0/, c are integer constants and i is an index variable. The hardware handles 'sparse execution', in which the operation op is not executed for every value of i. The hardware also makes provision for 'sparse storage', in which memory spacemore » is not provided for every array element. It is shown how to access array elements of the above form without conflict in an efficient way. The efficiency is obtained by using some specialised units which are basically smart memories with priority detection, one's counting or associative searching. Generalisation to multidimensional arrays is shown possible under restrictions defined in the paper. 12 references.« less

  12. Accessibility versus Accuracy in Retrieving Spatial Memory: Evidence for Suboptimal Assumed Headings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yerramsetti, Ashok; Marchette, Steven A.; Shelton, Amy L.

    2013-01-01

    Orientation dependence in spatial memory has often been interpreted in terms of accessibility: Object locations are encoded relative to a reference orientation that affords the most accurate access to spatial memory. An open question, however, is whether people naturally use this "preferred" orientation whenever recalling the space. We…

  13. The Dynamics of Access to Groups in Working Memory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farrell, Simon; Lelievre, Anna

    2012-01-01

    The finding that participants leave a pause between groups when attempting serial recall of temporally grouped lists has been taken to indicate access to a hierarchical representation of the list in working memory. An alternative explanation is that the dynamics of serial recall solely reflect output (rather than memorial) processes, with the…

  14. Kokkos: Enabling manycore performance portability through polymorphic memory access patterns

    DOE PAGES

    Carter Edwards, H.; Trott, Christian R.; Sunderland, Daniel

    2014-07-22

    The manycore revolution can be characterized by increasing thread counts, decreasing memory per thread, and diversity of continually evolving manycore architectures. High performance computing (HPC) applications and libraries must exploit increasingly finer levels of parallelism within their codes to sustain scalability on these devices. We found that a major obstacle to performance portability is the diverse and conflicting set of constraints on memory access patterns across devices. Contemporary portable programming models address manycore parallelism (e.g., OpenMP, OpenACC, OpenCL) but fail to address memory access patterns. The Kokkos C++ library enables applications and domain libraries to achieve performance portability on diversemore » manycore architectures by unifying abstractions for both fine-grain data parallelism and memory access patterns. In this paper we describe Kokkos’ abstractions, summarize its application programmer interface (API), present performance results for unit-test kernels and mini-applications, and outline an incremental strategy for migrating legacy C++ codes to Kokkos. Furthermore, the Kokkos library is under active research and development to incorporate capabilities from new generations of manycore architectures, and to address a growing list of applications and domain libraries.« less

  15. Paging memory from random access memory to backing storage in a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Inglett, Todd A; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

    2013-05-21

    Paging memory from random access memory (`RAM`) to backing storage in a parallel computer that includes a plurality of compute nodes, including: executing a data processing application on a virtual machine operating system in a virtual machine on a first compute node; providing, by a second compute node, backing storage for the contents of RAM on the first compute node; and swapping, by the virtual machine operating system in the virtual machine on the first compute node, a page of memory from RAM on the first compute node to the backing storage on the second compute node.

  16. 76 FR 73676 - Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and Products Containing Same; Receipt of Complaint...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-29

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2859] Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled In Re Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory... certain dynamic random access memory devices, and products containing same. The complaint names Elpida...

  17. CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: Switching Characteristics of Phase Change Memory Cell Integrated with Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Cheng; Liu, Bo; Chen, Yi-Feng; Liang, Shuang; Song, Zhi-Tang; Feng, Song-Lin; Wan, Xu-Dong; Yang, Zuo-Ya; Xie, Joseph; Chen, Bomy

    2008-05-01

    A Ge2Sb2Te5 based phase change memory device cell integrated with metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is fabricated using standard 0. 18 μm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process technology. It shows steady switching characteristics in the dc current-voltage measurement. The phase changing phenomenon from crystalline state to amorphous state with a voltage pulse altitude of 2.0 V and pulse width of 50 ns is also obtained. These results show the feasibility of integrating phase change memory cell with MOSFET.

  18. Floating-gate memory based on an organic metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    William, S.; Mabrook, M. F.; Taylor, D. M.

    2009-08-01

    A floating gate memory element is described which incorporates an evaporated gold film embedded in the gate dielectric of a metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitor based on poly(3-hexylthiophene). On exceeding a critical amplitude in the voltage sweep, hysteresis is observed in the capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the device. The anticlockwise hysteresis in C-V is consistent with strong electron trapping during the positive cycle but little hole trapping during the negative cycle. We argue that the clockwise hysteresis observed in the negative cycle of the I-V plot, arises from leakage of trapped holes through the underlying insulator to the control gate.

  19. Enhancing Memory Access for Less Skilled Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Emily R.; O'Brien, Edward J.

    2016-01-01

    Less skilled readers' comprehension often suffers because they have an impoverished representation of text in long-term memory; this, in turn, increases the difficulty of gaining access to backgrounded information necessary for maintaining coherence. The results of four experiments demonstrated that providing less skilled readers with additional…

  20. Performance Evaluation of Remote Memory Access (RMA) Programming on Shared Memory Parallel Computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jin, Hao-Qiang; Jost, Gabriele; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of remote memory access (RMA) programming on shared memory parallel computers. We discuss different RMA based implementations of selected CFD application benchmark kernels and compare them to corresponding message passing based codes. For the message-passing implementation we use MPI point-to-point and global communication routines. For the RMA based approach we consider two different libraries supporting this programming model. One is a shared memory parallelization library (SMPlib) developed at NASA Ames, the other is the MPI-2 extensions to the MPI Standard. We give timing comparisons for the different implementation strategies and discuss the performance.

  1. More than a feeling: Emotional cues impact the access and experience of autobiographical memories.

    PubMed

    Sheldon, Signy; Donahue, Julia

    2017-07-01

    Remembering is impacted by several factors of retrieval, including the emotional content of a memory cue. Here we tested how musical retrieval cues that differed on two dimensions of emotion-valence (positive and negative) and arousal (high and low)-impacted the following aspects of autobiographical memory recall: the response time to access a past personal event, the experience of remembering (ratings of memory vividness), the emotional content of a cued memory (ratings of event arousal and valence), and the type of event recalled (ratings of event energy, socialness, and uniqueness). We further explored how cue presentation affected autobiographical memory retrieval by administering cues of similar arousal and valence levels in a blocked fashion to one half of the tested participants, and randomly to the other half. We report three main findings. First, memories were accessed most quickly in response to musical cues that were highly arousing and positive in emotion. Second, we observed a relation between a cue and the elicited memory's emotional valence but not arousal; however, both the cue valence and arousal related to the nature of the recalled event. Specifically, high cue arousal led to lower memory vividness and uniqueness ratings, but cues with both high arousal and positive valence were associated with memories rated as more social and energetic. Finally, cue presentation impacted both how quickly and specifically memories were accessed and how cue valence affected the memory vividness ratings. The implications of these findings for views of how emotion directs the access to memories and the experience of remembering are discussed.

  2. Nonvolatile GaAs Random-Access Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R.; Stadler, Henry L.; Wu, Jiin-Chuan

    1994-01-01

    Proposed random-access integrated-circuit electronic memory offers nonvolatile magnetic storage. Bits stored magnetically and read out with Hall-effect sensors. Advantages include short reading and writing times and high degree of immunity to both single-event upsets and permanent damage by ionizing radiation. Use of same basic material for both transistors and sensors simplifies fabrication process, with consequent benefits in increased yield and reduced cost.

  3. High-Performance Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory Based on Organic Semiconductor Heterostructures of Pentacene/P13/Pentacene as Both Charge Transport and Trapping Layers.

    PubMed

    Li, Wen; Guo, Fengning; Ling, Haifeng; Zhang, Peng; Yi, Mingdong; Wang, Laiyuan; Wu, Dequn; Xie, Linghai; Huang, Wei

    2017-08-01

    Nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory devices based on pentacene/ N , N '-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (P13)/pentacene trilayer organic heterostructures have been proposed. The discontinuous n-type P13 embedded in p-type pentacene layers can not only provide electrons in the semiconductor layer that facilitates electron trapping process; it also works as charge trapping sites, which is attributed to the quantum well-like pentacene/P13/pentacene organic heterostructures. The synergistic effects of charge trapping in the discontinuous P13 and the charge-trapping property of the poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) layer remarkably improve the memory performance. In addition, the trilayer organic heterostructures have also been successfully applied to multilevel and flexible nonvolatile memory devices. The results provide a novel design strategy to achieve high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices and allow potential applications for different combinations of various organic semiconductor materials in OFET memory.

  4. High‐Performance Nonvolatile Organic Field‐Effect Transistor Memory Based on Organic Semiconductor Heterostructures of Pentacene/P13/Pentacene as Both Charge Transport and Trapping Layers

    PubMed Central

    Li, Wen; Guo, Fengning; Ling, Haifeng; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Laiyuan; Wu, Dequn

    2017-01-01

    Nonvolatile organic field‐effect transistor (OFET) memory devices based on pentacene/N,N′‐ditridecylperylene‐3,4,9,10‐tetracarboxylic diimide (P13)/pentacene trilayer organic heterostructures have been proposed. The discontinuous n‐type P13 embedded in p‐type pentacene layers can not only provide electrons in the semiconductor layer that facilitates electron trapping process; it also works as charge trapping sites, which is attributed to the quantum well‐like pentacene/P13/pentacene organic heterostructures. The synergistic effects of charge trapping in the discontinuous P13 and the charge‐trapping property of the poly(4‐vinylphenol) (PVP) layer remarkably improve the memory performance. In addition, the trilayer organic heterostructures have also been successfully applied to multilevel and flexible nonvolatile memory devices. The results provide a novel design strategy to achieve high‐performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices and allow potential applications for different combinations of various organic semiconductor materials in OFET memory. PMID:28852619

  5. Organic Ferroelectric-Based 1T1T Random Access Memory Cell Employing a Common Dielectric Layer Overcoming the Half-Selection Problem.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Qiang; Wang, Hanlin; Ni, Zhenjie; Liu, Jie; Zhen, Yonggang; Zhang, Xiaotao; Jiang, Lang; Li, Rongjin; Dong, Huanli; Hu, Wenping

    2017-09-01

    Organic electronics based on poly(vinylidenefluoride/trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) dielectric is facing great challenges in flexible circuits. As one indispensable part of integrated circuits, there is an urgent demand for low-cost and easy-fabrication nonvolatile memory devices. A breakthrough is made on a novel ferroelectric random access memory cell (1T1T FeRAM cell) consisting of one selection transistor and one ferroelectric memory transistor in order to overcome the half-selection problem. Unlike complicated manufacturing using multiple dielectrics, this system simplifies 1T1T FeRAM cell fabrication using one common dielectric. To achieve this goal, a strategy for semiconductor/insulator (S/I) interface modulation is put forward and applied to nonhysteretic selection transistors with high performances for driving or addressing purposes. As a result, high hole mobility of 3.81 cm 2 V -1 s -1 (average) for 2,6-diphenylanthracene (DPA) and electron mobility of 0.124 cm 2 V -1 s -1 (average) for N,N'-1H,1H-perfluorobutyl dicyanoperylenecarboxydiimide (PDI-FCN 2 ) are obtained in selection transistors. In this work, we demonstrate this technology's potential for organic ferroelectric-based pixelated memory module fabrication. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Accessibility limits recall from visual working memory.

    PubMed

    Rajsic, Jason; Swan, Garrett; Wilson, Daryl E; Pratt, Jay

    2017-09-01

    In this article, we demonstrate limitations of accessibility of information in visual working memory (VWM). Recently, cued-recall has been used to estimate the fidelity of information in VWM, where the feature of a cued object is reproduced from memory (Bays, Catalao, & Husain, 2009; Wilken & Ma, 2004; Zhang & Luck, 2008). Response error in these tasks has been largely studied with respect to failures of encoding and maintenance; however, the retrieval operations used in these tasks remain poorly understood. By varying the number and type of object features provided as a cue in a visual delayed-estimation paradigm, we directly assess the nature of retrieval errors in delayed estimation from VWM. Our results demonstrate that providing additional object features in a single cue reliably improves recall, largely by reducing swap, or misbinding, responses. In addition, performance simulations using the binding pool model (Swan & Wyble, 2014) were able to mimic this pattern of performance across a large span of parameter combinations, demonstrating that the binding pool provides a possible mechanism underlying this pattern of results that is not merely a symptom of one particular parametrization. We conclude that accessing visual working memory is a noisy process, and can lead to errors over and above those of encoding and maintenance limitations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. Pentacene-based metal-insulator-semiconductor memory structures utilizing single walled carbon nanotubes as a nanofloating gate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sleiman, A.; Rosamond, M. C.; Alba Martin, M.; Ayesh, A.; Al Ghaferi, A.; Gallant, A. J.; Mabrook, M. F.; Zeze, D. A.

    2012-01-01

    A pentacene-based organic metal-insulator-semiconductor memory device, utilizing single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for charge storage is reported. SWCNTs were embedded, between SU8 and polymethylmethacrylate to achieve an efficient encapsulation. The devices exhibit capacitance-voltage clockwise hysteresis with a 6 V memory window at ± 30 V sweep voltage, attributed to charging and discharging of SWCNTs. As the applied gate voltage exceeds the SU8 breakdown voltage, charge leakage is induced in SU8 to allow more charges to be stored in the SWCNT nodes. The devices exhibited high storage density (˜9.15 × 1011 cm-2) and demonstrated 94% charge retention due to the superior encapsulation.

  8. Vortex-Core Reversal Dynamics: Towards Vortex Random Access Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Sang-Koog

    2011-03-01

    An energy-efficient, ultrahigh-density, ultrafast, and nonvolatile solid-state universal memory is a long-held dream in the field of information-storage technology. The magnetic random access memory (MRAM) along with a spin-transfer-torque switching mechanism is a strong candidate-means of realizing that dream, given its nonvolatility, infinite endurance, and fast random access. Magnetic vortices in patterned soft magnetic dots promise ground-breaking applications in information-storage devices, owing to the very stable twofold ground states of either their upward or downward core magnetization orientation and plausible core switching by in-plane alternating magnetic fields or spin-polarized currents. However, two technologically most important but very challenging issues --- low-power recording and reliable selection of each memory cell with already existing cross-point architectures --- have not yet been resolved for the basic operations in information storage, that is, writing (recording) and readout. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a magnetic vortex random access memory (VRAM) in the basic cross-point architecture. This unique VRAM offers reliable cell selection and low-power-consumption control of switching of out-of-plane core magnetizations using specially designed rotating magnetic fields generated by two orthogonal and unipolar Gaussian-pulse currents along with optimized pulse width and time delay. Our achievement of a new device based on a new material, that is, a medium composed of patterned vortex-state disks, together with the new physics on ultrafast vortex-core switching dynamics, can stimulate further fruitful research on MRAMs that are based on vortex-state dot arrays.

  9. 78 FR 35645 - Certain Static Random Access Memories and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-13

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-792] Certain Static Random Access Memories and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination Affirming a Final Initial Determination..., and the sale within the United States after importation of certain static random access memories and...

  10. Short-term memory to long-term memory transition in a nanoscale memristor.

    PubMed

    Chang, Ting; Jo, Sung-Hyun; Lu, Wei

    2011-09-27

    "Memory" is an essential building block in learning and decision-making in biological systems. Unlike modern semiconductor memory devices, needless to say, human memory is by no means eternal. Yet, forgetfulness is not always a disadvantage since it releases memory storage for more important or more frequently accessed pieces of information and is thought to be necessary for individuals to adapt to new environments. Eventually, only memories that are of significance are transformed from short-term memory into long-term memory through repeated stimulation. In this study, we show experimentally that the retention loss in a nanoscale memristor device bears striking resemblance to memory loss in biological systems. By stimulating the memristor with repeated voltage pulses, we observe an effect analogous to memory transition in biological systems with much improved retention time accompanied by additional structural changes in the memristor. We verify that not only the shape or the total number of stimuli is influential, but also the time interval between stimulation pulses (i.e., the stimulation rate) plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the transition. The memory enhancement and transition of the memristor device was explained from the microscopic picture of impurity redistribution and can be qualitatively described by the same equations governing biological memories. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  11. Development of non-volatile semiconductor memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heikkila, W. W.

    1979-01-01

    A 256 word by 8-bit random access memory chip was developed utilizing p channel, metal gate metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) technology; with operational characteristics of a 2.5 microsecond read cycle, a 6.0 microsecond write cycle, 800 milliwatts of power dissipation; and retention characteristics of 10 to the 8th power read cycles before data refresh and 5000 hours of no power retention. Design changes were implemented to reduce switching currents that caused parasitic bipolar transistors inherent in the MNOS structure to turn on. Final wafer runs exhibited acceptable yields for a die 250 mils on a side. Evaluation testing was performed on the device in order to determine the maturity of the device. A fixed gate breakdown mechanism was found when operated continuously at high temperature.

  12. Making working memory work: The effects of extended practice on focus capacity and the processes of updating, forward access, and random access

    PubMed Central

    Price, John M.; Colflesh, Gregory J. H.; Cerella, John; Verhaeghen, Paul

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the effects of 10 hours of practice on variations of the N-Back task to investigate the processes underlying possible expansion of the focus of attention within working memory. Using subtractive logic, we showed that random access (i.e., Sternberg-like search) yielded a modest effect (a 50% increase in speed) whereas the processes of forward access (i.e., retrieval in order, as in a standard N-Back task) and updating (i.e., changing the contents of working memory) were executed about 5 times faster after extended practice. We additionally found that extended practice increased working memory capacity as measured by the size of the focus of attention for the forward-access task, but not for variations where probing was in random order. This suggests that working memory capacity may depend on the type of search process engaged, and that certain working-memory-related cognitive processes are more amenable to practice than others. PMID:24486803

  13. Making working memory work: the effects of extended practice on focus capacity and the processes of updating, forward access, and random access.

    PubMed

    Price, John M; Colflesh, Gregory J H; Cerella, John; Verhaeghen, Paul

    2014-05-01

    We investigated the effects of 10h of practice on variations of the N-Back task to investigate the processes underlying possible expansion of the focus of attention within working memory. Using subtractive logic, we showed that random access (i.e., Sternberg-like search) yielded a modest effect (a 50% increase in speed) whereas the processes of forward access (i.e., retrieval in order, as in a standard N-Back task) and updating (i.e., changing the contents of working memory) were executed about 5 times faster after extended practice. We additionally found that extended practice increased working memory capacity as measured by the size of the focus of attention for the forward-access task, but not for variations where probing was in random order. This suggests that working memory capacity may depend on the type of search process engaged, and that certain working-memory-related cognitive processes are more amenable to practice than others. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Aspects of GPU perfomance in algorithms with random memory access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashkovsky, Alexander V.; Shershnev, Anton A.; Vashchenkov, Pavel V.

    2017-10-01

    The numerical code for solving the Boltzmann equation on the hybrid computational cluster using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method showed that on Tesla K40 accelerators computational performance drops dramatically with increase of percentage of occupied GPU memory. Testing revealed that memory access time increases tens of times after certain critical percentage of memory is occupied. Moreover, it seems to be the common problem of all NVidia's GPUs arising from its architecture. Few modifications of the numerical algorithm were suggested to overcome this problem. One of them, based on the splitting the memory into "virtual" blocks, resulted in 2.5 times speed up.

  15. A Novel Ni/WOX/W Resistive Random Access Memory with Excellent Retention and Low Switching Current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chien, Wei-Chih; Chen, Yi-Chou; Lee, Feng-Ming; Lin, Yu-Yu; Lai, Erh-Kun; Yao, Yeong-Der; Gong, Jeng; Horng, Sheng-Fu; Yeh, Chiao-Wen; Tsai, Shih-Chang; Lee, Ching-Hsiung; Huang, Yu-Kai; Chen, Chun-Fu; Kao, Hsiao-Feng; Shih, Yen-Hao; Hsieh, Kuang-Yeu; Lu, Chih-Yuan

    2011-04-01

    The behavior of WOX resistive random access memory (ReRAM) is a strong function of the top electrode material, which controls the conduction mechanism and the forming process. When using a top electrode with low work function, the current conduction is limited by space charges. On the other hand, the mechanism becomes thermionic emission for devices with a high work function top electrode. These (thermionic) devices are also found to have higher initial resistance, reduced forming current, and larger resistance window. Based on these insights and considering the compatibility to complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, we proposed to use Ni as the top electrode for high performance WOX ReRAM devices. The new Ni/WOX/W device can be switched at a low current density less than 8×105 A/cm2, with RESET/SET resistance ratio greater than 100, and extremely good data retention of more than 300 years at 85 °C.

  16. BCH codes for large IC random-access memory systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, S.; Costello, D. J., Jr.

    1983-01-01

    In this report some shortened BCH codes for possible applications to large IC random-access memory systems are presented. These codes are given by their parity-check matrices. Encoding and decoding of these codes are discussed.

  17. 78 FR 25767 - Certain Static Random Access Memories and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination To...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-02

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-792] Certain Static Random Access Memories and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination To Review in Part a Final Initial... States after importation of certain static random access memories and products containing the same by...

  18. Development of Curie point switching for thin film, random access, memory device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewicki, G. W.; Tchernev, D. I.

    1967-01-01

    Managanese bismuthide films are used in the development of a random access memory device of high packing density and nondestructive readout capability. Memory entry is by Curie point switching using a laser beam. Readout is accomplished by microoptical or micromagnetic scanning.

  19. Complex dynamics of semantic memory access in reading

    PubMed Central

    Baggio, Giosué; Fonseca, André

    2012-01-01

    Understanding a word in context relies on a cascade of perceptual and conceptual processes, starting with modality-specific input decoding, and leading to the unification of the word's meaning into a discourse model. One critical cognitive event, turning a sensory stimulus into a meaningful linguistic sign, is the access of a semantic representation from memory. Little is known about the changes that activating a word's meaning brings about in cortical dynamics. We recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) while participants read sentences that could contain a contextually unexpected word, such as ‘cold’ in ‘In July it is very cold outside’. We reconstructed trajectories in phase space from single-trial EEG time series, and we applied three nonlinear measures of predictability and complexity to each side of the semantic access boundary, estimated as the onset time of the N400 effect evoked by critical words. Relative to controls, unexpected words were associated with larger prediction errors preceding the onset of the N400. Accessing the meaning of such words produced a phase transition to lower entropy states, in which cortical processing becomes more predictable and more regular. Our study sheds new light on the dynamics of information flow through interfaces between sensory and memory systems during language processing. PMID:21715401

  20. Complex dynamics of semantic memory access in reading.

    PubMed

    Baggio, Giosué; Fonseca, André

    2012-02-07

    Understanding a word in context relies on a cascade of perceptual and conceptual processes, starting with modality-specific input decoding, and leading to the unification of the word's meaning into a discourse model. One critical cognitive event, turning a sensory stimulus into a meaningful linguistic sign, is the access of a semantic representation from memory. Little is known about the changes that activating a word's meaning brings about in cortical dynamics. We recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) while participants read sentences that could contain a contextually unexpected word, such as 'cold' in 'In July it is very cold outside'. We reconstructed trajectories in phase space from single-trial EEG time series, and we applied three nonlinear measures of predictability and complexity to each side of the semantic access boundary, estimated as the onset time of the N400 effect evoked by critical words. Relative to controls, unexpected words were associated with larger prediction errors preceding the onset of the N400. Accessing the meaning of such words produced a phase transition to lower entropy states, in which cortical processing becomes more predictable and more regular. Our study sheds new light on the dynamics of information flow through interfaces between sensory and memory systems during language processing.

  1. Adult Age Differences in Accessing and Retrieving Information from Long-Term Memory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petros, Thomas V.; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Investigated adult age differences in accessing and retrieving information from long-term memory. Results showed that older adults (N=26) were slower than younger adults (N=35) at feature extraction, lexical access, and accessing category information. The age deficit was proportionally greater when retrieval of category information was required.…

  2. Artificial intelligence applications of fast optical memory access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henshaw, P. D.; Todtenkopf, A. B.

    The operating principles and performance of rapid laser beam-steering (LBS) techniques are reviewed and illustrated with diagrams; their applicability to fast optical-memory (disk) access is evaluated; and the implications of fast access for the design of expert systems are discussed. LBS methods examined include analog deflection (source motion, wavefront tilt, and phased arrays), digital deflection (polarization modulation, reflectivity modulation, interferometric switching, and waveguide deflection), and photorefractive LBS. The disk-access problem is considered, and typical LBS requirements are listed as 38,000 beam positions, rotational latency 25 ms, one-sector rotation time 1.5 ms, and intersector space 87 microsec. The value of rapid access for increasing the power of expert systems (by permitting better organization of blocks of information) is illustrated by summarizing the learning process of the MVP-FORTH system (Park, 1983).

  3. Improving memory after interruption: exploiting soft constraints and manipulating information access cost.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Phillip L; Patrick, John; Waldron, Samuel M; King, Sophia L; Patrick, Tanya

    2009-12-01

    Forgetting what one was doing prior to interruption is an everyday problem. The recent soft constraints hypothesis (Gray, Sims, Fu, & Schoelles, 2006) emphasizes the strategic adaptation of information processing strategy to the task environment. It predicts that increasing information access cost (IAC: the time, and physical and mental effort involved in accessing information) encourages a more memory-intensive strategy. Like interruptions, access costs are also intrinsic to most work environments, such as when opening documents and e-mails. Three experiments investigated whether increasing IAC during a simple copying task can be an effective method for reducing forgetting following interruption. IAC was designated Low (all information permanently visible), Medium (a mouse movement to uncover target information), or High (an additional few seconds to uncover such information). Experiment 1 found that recall improved across all three levels of IAC. Subsequent experiments found that High IAC facilitated resumption after interruption, particularly when interruption occurred on half of all trials (Experiment 2), and improved prospective memory following two different interrupting tasks, even when one involved the disruptive effect of using the same type of resource as the primary task (Experiment 3). The improvement of memory after interruption with increased IAC supports the prediction of the soft constraints hypothesis. The main disadvantage of a high access cost was a reduction in speed of task completion. The practicality of manipulating IAC as a design method for inducing a memory-intensive strategy to protect against forgetting is discussed. Copyright 2009 APA

  4. Integrated, nonvolatile, high-speed analog random access memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Wu, Jiin-Chuan (Inventor); Stadler, Henry L. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    This invention provides an integrated, non-volatile, high-speed random access memory. A magnetically switchable ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic layer is sandwiched between an electrical conductor which provides the ability to magnetize the magnetically switchable layer and a magneto resistive or Hall effect material which allows sensing the magnetic field which emanates from the magnetization of the magnetically switchable layer. By using this integrated three-layer form, the writing process, which is controlled by the conductor, is separated from the storage medium in the magnetic layer and from the readback process which is controlled by the magnetoresistive layer. A circuit for implementing the memory in CMOS or the like is disclosed.

  5. Mapping virtual addresses to different physical addresses for value disambiguation for thread memory access requests

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gala, Alan; Ohmacht, Martin

    A multiprocessor system includes nodes. Each node includes a data path that includes a core, a TLB, and a first level cache implementing disambiguation. The system also includes at least one second level cache and a main memory. For thread memory access requests, the core uses an address associated with an instruction format of the core. The first level cache uses an address format related to the size of the main memory plus an offset corresponding to hardware thread meta data. The second level cache uses a physical main memory address plus software thread meta data to store the memorymore » access request. The second level cache accesses the main memory using the physical address with neither the offset nor the thread meta data after resolving speculation. In short, this system includes mapping of a virtual address to a different physical addresses for value disambiguation for different threads.« less

  6. Boosting the FM-Index on the GPU: Effective Techniques to Mitigate Random Memory Access.

    PubMed

    Chacón, Alejandro; Marco-Sola, Santiago; Espinosa, Antonio; Ribeca, Paolo; Moure, Juan Carlos

    2015-01-01

    The recent advent of high-throughput sequencing machines producing big amounts of short reads has boosted the interest in efficient string searching techniques. As of today, many mainstream sequence alignment software tools rely on a special data structure, called the FM-index, which allows for fast exact searches in large genomic references. However, such searches translate into a pseudo-random memory access pattern, thus making memory access the limiting factor of all computation-efficient implementations, both on CPUs and GPUs. Here, we show that several strategies can be put in place to remove the memory bottleneck on the GPU: more compact indexes can be implemented by having more threads work cooperatively on larger memory blocks, and a k-step FM-index can be used to further reduce the number of memory accesses. The combination of those and other optimisations yields an implementation that is able to process about two Gbases of queries per second on our test platform, being about 8 × faster than a comparable multi-core CPU version, and about 3 × to 5 × faster than the FM-index implementation on the GPU provided by the recently announced Nvidia NVBIO bioinformatics library.

  7. The floating-gate non-volatile semiconductor memory--from invention to the digital age.

    PubMed

    Sze, S M

    2012-10-01

    In the past 45 years (from 1967 to 2012), the non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) has emerged from a floating-gate concept to the prime technology driver of the largest industry in the world-the electronics industry. In this paper, we briefly review the historical development of NVSM and project its future trends to the year 2020. In addition, we consider NVSM's wide-range of applications from the digital cellular phone to tablet computer to digital television. As the device dimension is scaled down to the deca-nanometer regime, we expect that many innovations will be made to meet the scaling challenges, and NVSM-inspired technology will continue to enrich and improve our lives for decades to come.

  8. Accessing Information in Working Memory: Can the Focus of Attention Grasp Two Elements at the Same Time?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oberauer, Klaus; Bialkova, Svetlana

    2009-01-01

    Processing information in working memory requires selective access to a subset of working-memory contents by a focus of attention. Complex cognition often requires joint access to 2 items in working memory. How does the focus select 2 items? Two experiments with an arithmetic task and 1 with a spatial task investigate time demands for successive…

  9. A novel ternary content addressable memory design based on resistive random access memory with high intensity and low search energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Runze; Shen, Wensheng; Huang, Peng; Zhou, Zheng; Liu, Lifeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; Kang, Jinfeng

    2018-04-01

    A novel ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) design based on resistive random access memory (RRAM) is presented. Each TCAM cell consists of two parallel RRAM to both store and search for ternary data. The cell size of the proposed design is 8F2, enable a ∼60× cell area reduction compared with the conventional static random access memory (SRAM) based implementation. Simulation results also show that the search delay and energy consumption of the proposed design at the 64-bit word search are 2 ps and 0.18 fJ/bit/search respectively at 22 nm technology node, where significant improvements are achieved compared to previous works. The desired characteristics of RRAM for implementation of the high performance TCAM search chip are also discussed.

  10. Semiconductor Cubing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    Through Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Small Business Innovation Research contracts, Irvine Sensors developed a three-dimensional memory system for a spaceborne data recorder and other applications for NASA. From these contracts, the company created the Memory Short Stack product, a patented technology for stacking integrated circuits that offers higher processing speeds and levels of integration, and lower power requirements. The product is a three-dimensional semiconductor package in which dozens of integrated circuits are stacked upon each other to form a cube. The technology is being used in various computer and telecommunications applications.

  11. What versus where: Investigating how autobiographical memory retrieval differs when accessed with thematic versus spatial information.

    PubMed

    Sheldon, Signy; Chu, Sonja

    2017-09-01

    Autobiographical memory research has investigated how cueing distinct aspects of a past event can trigger different recollective experiences. This research has stimulated theories about how autobiographical knowledge is accessed and organized. Here, we test the idea that thematic information organizes multiple autobiographical events whereas spatial information organizes individual past episodes by investigating how retrieval guided by these two forms of information differs. We used a novel autobiographical fluency task in which participants accessed multiple memory exemplars to event theme and spatial (location) cues followed by a narrative description task in which they described the memories generated to these cues. Participants recalled significantly more memory exemplars to event theme than to spatial cues; however, spatial cues prompted faster access to past memories. Results from the narrative description task revealed that memories retrieved via event theme cues compared to spatial cues had a higher number of overall details, but those recalled to the spatial cues were recollected with a greater concentration on episodic details than those retrieved via event theme cues. These results provide evidence that thematic information organizes and integrates multiple memories whereas spatial information prompts the retrieval of specific episodic content from a past event.

  12. Taxing Working Memory during Retrieval of Emotional Memories Does Not Reduce Memory Accessibility When Cued with Reminders

    PubMed Central

    van Schie, Kevin; Engelhard, Iris M.; van den Hout, Marcel A.

    2015-01-01

    Earlier studies have shown that when individuals recall an emotional memory while simultaneously doing a demanding dual-task [e.g., playing Tetris, mental arithmetic, making eye movements (EM)], this reduces self-reported vividness and emotionality of the memory. These effects have been found up to 1 week later, but have largely been confined to self-report ratings. This study examined whether this dual-tasking intervention reduces memory performance (i.e., accessibility of emotional memories). Undergraduates (N = 60) studied word-image pairs and rated the retrieved image on vividness and emotionality when cued with the word. Then they viewed the cues and recalled the images with or without making EM. Finally, they re-rated the images on vividness and emotionality. Additionally, fragments from images from all conditions were presented and participants identified which fragment was paired earlier with which cue. Findings showed no effect of the dual-task manipulation on self-reported ratings and latency responses. Several possible explanations for the lack of effects are discussed, but the cued recall procedure in our experiment seems to explain the absence of effects best. The study demonstrates boundaries to the effects of the “dual-tasking” procedure. PMID:25729370

  13. Technology breakthroughs in high performance metal-oxide-semiconductor devices for ultra-high density, low power non-volatile memory applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, Augustin Jinwoo

    Non-volatile memory devices have attracted much attention because data can be retained without power consumption more than a decade. Therefore, non-volatile memory devices are essential to mobile electronic applications. Among state of the art non-volatile memory devices, NAND flash memory has earned the highest attention because of its ultra-high scalability and therefore its ultra-high storage capacity. However, human desire as well as market competition requires not only larger storage capacity but also lower power consumption for longer battery life time. One way to meet this human desire and extend the benefits of NAND flash memory is finding out new materials for storage layer inside the flash memory, which is called floating gate in the state of the art flash memory device. In this dissertation, we study new materials for the floating gate that can lower down the power consumption and increase the storage capacity at the same time. To this end, we employ various materials such as metal nanodot, metal thin film and graphene incorporating complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible processes. Experimental results show excellent memory effects at relatively low operating voltages. Detailed physics and analysis on experimental results are discussed. These new materials for data storage can be promising candidates for future non-volatile memory application beyond the state of the art flash technologies.

  14. Large Capacity of Conscious Access for Incidental Memories in Natural Scenes.

    PubMed

    Kaunitz, Lisandro N; Rowe, Elise G; Tsuchiya, Naotsugu

    2016-09-01

    When searching a crowd, people can detect a target face only by direct fixation and attention. Once the target is found, it is consciously experienced and remembered, but what is the perceptual fate of the fixated nontarget faces? Whereas introspection suggests that one may remember nontargets, previous studies have proposed that almost no memory should be retained. Using a gaze-contingent paradigm, we asked subjects to visually search for a target face within a crowded natural scene and then tested their memory for nontarget faces, as well as their confidence in those memories. Subjects remembered up to seven fixated, nontarget faces with more than 70% accuracy. Memory accuracy was correlated with trial-by-trial confidence ratings, which implies that the memory was consciously maintained and accessed. When the search scene was inverted, no more than three nontarget faces were remembered. These findings imply that incidental memory for faces, such as those recalled by eyewitnesses, is more reliable than is usually assumed. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. Children's Access to Public Library Services: Prince George's County Memorial Public Library, Maryland, 1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerhardt, Lillian N.

    1981-01-01

    Evaluates the Prince George's County Memorial Public Library's approach to providing access to its services for children, and examines policies, regulations, practices, and conditions that affect such access. Six references are cited. (FM)

  16. Memory access in shared virtual memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berrendorf, R.

    1992-01-01

    Shared virtual memory (SVM) is a virtual memory layer with a single address space on top of a distributed real memory on parallel computers. We examine the behavior and performance of SVM running a parallel program with medium-grained, loop-level parallelism on top of it. A simulator for the underlying parallel architecture can be used to examine the behavior of SVM more deeply. The influence of several parameters, such as the number of processors, page size, cold or warm start, and restricted page replication, is studied.

  17. Memory access in shared virtual memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berrendorf, R.

    1992-09-01

    Shared virtual memory (SVM) is a virtual memory layer with a single address space on top of a distributed real memory on parallel computers. We examine the behavior and performance of SVM running a parallel program with medium-grained, loop-level parallelism on top of it. A simulator for the underlying parallel architecture can be used to examine the behavior of SVM more deeply. The influence of several parameters, such as the number of processors, page size, cold or warm start, and restricted page replication, is studied.

  18. Thermocouple for heating and cooling of memory metal actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wood, Charles (Inventor)

    1988-01-01

    A semiconductor thermocouple unit is provided for heating and cooling memory metal actuators. The semiconductor thermocouple unit is mounted adjacent to a memory metal actuator and has a heat sink attached to it. A flexible thermally conductive element extends between the semiconductor thermocouple and the actuator and serves as a heat transfer medium during heating and cooling operations.

  19. Semiconductor diode with external field modulation

    DOEpatents

    Nasby, Robert D.

    2000-01-01

    A non-destructive-readout nonvolatile semiconductor diode switching device that may be used as a memory element is disclosed. The diode switching device is formed with a ferroelectric material disposed above a rectifying junction to control the conduction characteristics therein by means of a remanent polarization. The invention may be used for the formation of integrated circuit memories for the storage of information.

  20. Semiconductor/High-Tc-Superconductor Hybrid ICs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burns, Michael J.

    1995-01-01

    Hybrid integrated circuits (ICs) containing both Si-based semiconducting and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-x) superconducting circuit elements on sapphire substrates developed. Help to prevent diffusion of Cu from superconductors into semiconductors. These hybrid ICs combine superconducting and semiconducting features unavailable in superconducting or semiconducting circuitry alone. For example, complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) readout and memory devices integrated with fast-switching Josephson-junction super-conducting logic devices and zero-resistance interconnections.

  1. Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Halide Perovskites for Memories, Transistors, and Artificial Synapses.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jaeho; Han, Ji Su; Hong, Kootak; Kim, Soo Young; Jang, Ho Won

    2018-05-30

    Fascinating characteristics of halide perovskites (HPs), which cannot be seen in conventional semiconductors and metal oxides, have boosted the application of HPs in electronic devices beyond optoelectronics such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. Here, recent advances in HP-based memory and logic devices such as resistive-switching memories (i.e., resistive random access memory (RRAM) or memristors), transistors, and artificial synapses are reviewed, focusing on inherently exotic properties of HPs: i) tunable bandgap, ii) facile majority carrier control, iii) fast ion migration, and iv) superflexibility. Various fabrication techniques of HP thin films from solution-based methods to vacuum processes are introduced. Up-to-date work in the field, emphasizing the compositional flexibility of HPs, suggest that HPs are promising candidates for next-generation electronic devices. Taking advantages of their unique electrical properties, low-cost and low-temperature synthesis, and compositional and mechanical flexibility, HPs have enormous potential to provide a new platform for future electronic devices and explosively intensive studies will pave the way in finding new HP materials beyond conventional silicon-based semiconductors to keep up with "More-than-Moore" times. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Remote direct memory access over datagrams

    DOEpatents

    Grant, Ryan Eric; Rashti, Mohammad Javad; Balaji, Pavan; Afsahi, Ahmad

    2014-12-02

    A communication stack for providing remote direct memory access (RDMA) over a datagram network is disclosed. The communication stack has a user level interface configured to accept datagram related input and communicate with an RDMA enabled network interface card (NIC) via an NIC driver. The communication stack also has an RDMA protocol layer configured to supply one or more data transfer primitives for the datagram related input of the user level. The communication stack further has a direct data placement (DDP) layer configured to transfer the datagram related input from a user storage to a transport layer based on the one or more data transfer primitives by way of a lower layer protocol (LLP) over the datagram network.

  3. An improved synthesis of pentacene: rapid access to a benchmark organic semiconductor.

    PubMed

    Pramanik, Chandrani; Miller, Glen P

    2012-04-20

    Pentacene is an organic semiconductor used in a variety of thin-film organic electronic devices. Although at least six separate syntheses of pentacene are known (two from dihydropentacenes, two from 6,13-pentacenedione and two from 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene), none is ideal and several utilize elevated temperatures that may facilitate the oxidation of pentacene as it is produced. Here, we present a fast (-2 min of reaction time), simple, high-yielding (≥ 90%), low temperature synthesis of pentacene from readily available 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene. Further, we discuss the mechanism of this highly efficient reaction. With this improved synthesis, researchers gain rapid, affordable access to high purity pentacene in excellent yield and without the need for a time consuming sublimation.

  4. Random Telegraph Signal-Like Fluctuation Created by Fowler-Nordheim Stress in Gate Induced Drain Leakage Current of the Saddle Type Dynamic Random Access Memory Cell Transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Heesang; Oh, Byoungchan; Kim, Kyungdo; Cha, Seon-Yong; Jeong, Jae-Goan; Hong, Sung-Joo; Lee, Jong-Ho; Park, Byung-Gook; Shin, Hyungcheol

    2010-09-01

    We generated traps inside gate oxide in gate-drain overlap region of recess channel type dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell transistor through Fowler-Nordheim (FN) stress, and observed gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) current both in time domain and in frequency domain. It was found that the trap inside gate oxide could generate random telegraph signal (RTS)-like fluctuation in GIDL current. The characteristics of that fluctuation were similar to those of RTS-like fluctuation in GIDL current observed in the non-stressed device. This result shows the possibility that the trap causing variable retention time (VRT) in DRAM data retention time can be located inside gate oxide like channel RTS of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs).

  5. Power reduction by power gating in differential pair type spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memories for low-power nonvolatile cache memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohsawa, Takashi; Ikeda, Shoji; Hanyu, Takahiro; Ohno, Hideo; Endoh, Tetsuo

    2014-01-01

    Array operation currents in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memories (STT-MRAMs) that use four differential pair type magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)-based memory cells (4T2MTJ, two 6T2MTJs and 8T2MTJ) are simulated and compared with that in SRAM. With L3 cache applications in mind, it is assumed that the memories are composed of 32 Mbyte capacity to be accessed in 64 byte in parallel. All the STT-MRAMs except for the 8T2MTJ one are designed with 32 bit fine-grained power gating scheme applied to eliminate static currents in the memory cells that are not accessed. The 8T2MTJ STT-MRAM, the cell’s design concept being not suitable for the fine-grained power gating, loads and saves 32 Mbyte data in 64 Mbyte unit per 1 Mbit sub-array in 2 × 103 cycles. It is shown that the array operation current of the 4T2MTJ STT-MRAM is 70 mA averaged in 15 ns write cycles at Vdd = 0.9 V. This is the smallest among the STT-MRAMs, about the half of the low standby power (LSTP) SRAM whose array operation current is totally dominated by the cells’ subthreshold leakage.

  6. Memory technology survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    The current status of semiconductor, magnetic, and optical memory technologies is described. Projections based on these research activities planned for the shot term are presented. Conceptual designs of specific memory buffer pplications employing bipola, CMOS, GaAs, and Magnetic Bubble devices are discussed.

  7. Design of Unstructured Adaptive (UA) NAS Parallel Benchmark Featuring Irregular, Dynamic Memory Accesses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Feng, Hui-Yu; VanderWijngaart, Rob; Biswas, Rupak; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We describe the design of a new method for the measurement of the performance of modern computer systems when solving scientific problems featuring irregular, dynamic memory accesses. The method involves the solution of a stylized heat transfer problem on an unstructured, adaptive grid. A Spectral Element Method (SEM) with an adaptive, nonconforming mesh is selected to discretize the transport equation. The relatively high order of the SEM lowers the fraction of wall clock time spent on inter-processor communication, which eases the load balancing task and allows us to concentrate on the memory accesses. The benchmark is designed to be three-dimensional. Parallelization and load balance issues of a reference implementation will be described in detail in future reports.

  8. Direct memory access transfer completion notification

    DOEpatents

    Chen, Dong; Giampapa, Mark E.; Heidelberger, Philip; Kumar, Sameer; Parker, Jeffrey J.; Steinmacher-Burow, Burkhard D.; Vranas, Pavlos

    2010-07-27

    Methods, compute nodes, and computer program products are provided for direct memory access (`DMA`) transfer completion notification. Embodiments include determining, by an origin DMA engine on an origin compute node, whether a data descriptor for an application message to be sent to a target compute node is currently in an injection first-in-first-out (`FIFO`) buffer in dependence upon a sequence number previously associated with the data descriptor, the total number of descriptors currently in the injection FIFO buffer, and the current sequence number for the newest data descriptor stored in the injection FIFO buffer; and notifying a processor core on the origin DMA engine that the message has been sent if the data descriptor for the message is not currently in the injection FIFO buffer.

  9. Parallel Optical Random Access Memory (PORAM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alphonse, G. A.

    1989-01-01

    It is shown that the need to minimize component count, power and size, and to maximize packing density require a parallel optical random access memory to be designed in a two-level hierarchy: a modular level and an interconnect level. Three module designs are proposed, in the order of research and development requirements. The first uses state-of-the-art components, including individually addressed laser diode arrays, acousto-optic (AO) deflectors and magneto-optic (MO) storage medium, aimed at moderate size, moderate power, and high packing density. The next design level uses an electron-trapping (ET) medium to reduce optical power requirements. The third design uses a beam-steering grating surface emitter (GSE) array to reduce size further and minimize the number of components.

  10. Development of highly reliable static random access memory for 40-nm embedded split gate-MONOS flash memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okamoto, Shin-ichi; Maekawa, Kei-ichi; Kawashima, Yoshiyuki; Shiba, Kazutoshi; Sugiyama, Hideki; Inoue, Masao; Nishida, Akio

    2015-04-01

    High quality static random access memory (SRAM) for 40-nm embedded MONOS flash memory with split gate (SG-MONOS) was developed. Marginal failure, which results in threshold voltage/drain current tailing and outliers of SRAM transistors, occurs when using a conventional SRAM structure. These phenomena can be explained by not only gate depletion but also partial depletion and percolation path formation in the MOS channel. A stacked poly-Si gate structure can suppress these phenomena and achieve high quality SRAM without any defects in the 6σ level and with high affinity to the 40-nm SG-MONOS process was developed.

  11. Spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random-access memory technologies for normally off computing (invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ando, K.; Fujita, S.; Ito, J.; Yuasa, S.; Suzuki, Y.; Nakatani, Y.; Miyazaki, T.; Yoda, H.

    2014-05-01

    Most parts of present computer systems are made of volatile devices, and the power to supply them to avoid information loss causes huge energy losses. We can eliminate this meaningless energy loss by utilizing the non-volatile function of advanced spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) technology and create a new type of computer, i.e., normally off computers. Critical tasks to achieve normally off computers are implementations of STT-MRAM technologies in the main memory and low-level cache memories. STT-MRAM technology for applications to the main memory has been successfully developed by using perpendicular STT-MRAMs, and faster STT-MRAM technologies for applications to the cache memory are now being developed. The present status of STT-MRAMs and challenges that remain for normally off computers are discussed.

  12. Design of a memory-access controller with 3.71-times-enhanced energy efficiency for Internet-of-Things-oriented nonvolatile microcontroller unit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natsui, Masanori; Hanyu, Takahiro

    2018-04-01

    In realizing a nonvolatile microcontroller unit (MCU) for sensor nodes in Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications, it is important to solve the data-transfer bottleneck between the central processing unit (CPU) and the nonvolatile memory constituting the MCU. As one circuit-oriented approach to solving this problem, we propose a memory access minimization technique for magnetoresistive-random-access-memory (MRAM)-embedded nonvolatile MCUs. In addition to multiplexing and prefetching of memory access, the proposed technique realizes efficient instruction fetch by eliminating redundant memory access while considering the code length of the instruction to be fetched and the transition of the memory address to be accessed. As a result, the performance of the MCU can be improved while relaxing the performance requirement for the embedded MRAM, and compact and low-power implementation can be performed as compared with the conventional cache-based one. Through the evaluation using a system consisting of a general purpose 32-bit CPU and embedded MRAM, it is demonstrated that the proposed technique increases the peak efficiency of the system up to 3.71 times, while a 2.29-fold area reduction is achieved compared with the cache-based one.

  13. The special role of item-context associations in the direct-access region of working memory.

    PubMed

    Campoy, Guillermo

    2017-09-01

    The three-embedded-component model of working memory (WM) distinguishes three representational states corresponding to three WM regions: activated long-term memory, direct-access region (DAR), and focus of attention. Recent neuroimaging research has revealed that access to the DAR is associated with enhanced hippocampal activity. Because the hippocampus mediates the encoding and retrieval of item-context associations, it has been suggested that this hippocampal activation is a consequence of the fact that item-context associations are particularly strong and accessible in the DAR. This study provides behavioral evidence for this view using an item-recognition task to assess the effect of non-intentional encoding and maintenance of item-location associations across WM regions. Five pictures of human faces were sequentially presented in different screen locations followed by a recognition probe. Visual cues immediately preceding the probe indicated the location thereof. When probe stimuli appeared in the same location that they had been presented within the memory set, the presentation of the cue was expected to elicit the activation of the corresponding WM representation through the just-established item-location association, resulting in faster recognition. Results showed this same-location effect, but only for items that, according to their serial position within the memory set, were held in the DAR.

  14. Photoresponse and photo-induced memory effect in the organic field-effect transistor based on AlOX nanoparticles at the interface of semiconductor/dielectric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Yunfei; Wang, Wu

    2017-10-01

    In this work, the photoresponse and photo-induced memory effect were demonstrated in an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with semiconductor pentacene and SiO2 as the active and gate dielectric layers, respectively. By inserting AlOX nanoparticles (NPs) at the interface of pentacene/SiO2, obvious enhancing photoresponse was obtained in the OFET with the maximum responsivity and photosensitivity of about 15 A/W and 100, respectively. Moreover, the stable photoinduced memory effect was achieved in the OFET, attributing to the photogenerated electrons captured by the interface traps of the AlOX NPs/SiO2.

  15. Remote direct memory access

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J.; Blocksome, Michael A.

    2012-12-11

    Methods, parallel computers, and computer program products are disclosed for remote direct memory access. Embodiments include transmitting, from an origin DMA engine on an origin compute node to a plurality target DMA engines on target compute nodes, a request to send message, the request to send message specifying a data to be transferred from the origin DMA engine to data storage on each target compute node; receiving, by each target DMA engine on each target compute node, the request to send message; preparing, by each target DMA engine, to store data according to the data storage reference and the data length, including assigning a base storage address for the data storage reference; sending, by one or more of the target DMA engines, an acknowledgment message acknowledging that all the target DMA engines are prepared to receive a data transmission from the origin DMA engine; receiving, by the origin DMA engine, the acknowledgement message from the one or more of the target DMA engines; and transferring, by the origin DMA engine, data to data storage on each of the target compute nodes according to the data storage reference using a single direct put operation.

  16. Optimizing NEURON Simulation Environment Using Remote Memory Access with Recursive Doubling on Distributed Memory Systems.

    PubMed

    Shehzad, Danish; Bozkuş, Zeki

    2016-01-01

    Increase in complexity of neuronal network models escalated the efforts to make NEURON simulation environment efficient. The computational neuroscientists divided the equations into subnets amongst multiple processors for achieving better hardware performance. On parallel machines for neuronal networks, interprocessor spikes exchange consumes large section of overall simulation time. In NEURON for communication between processors Message Passing Interface (MPI) is used. MPI_Allgather collective is exercised for spikes exchange after each interval across distributed memory systems. The increase in number of processors though results in achieving concurrency and better performance but it inversely affects MPI_Allgather which increases communication time between processors. This necessitates improving communication methodology to decrease the spikes exchange time over distributed memory systems. This work has improved MPI_Allgather method using Remote Memory Access (RMA) by moving two-sided communication to one-sided communication, and use of recursive doubling mechanism facilitates achieving efficient communication between the processors in precise steps. This approach enhanced communication concurrency and has improved overall runtime making NEURON more efficient for simulation of large neuronal network models.

  17. Optimizing NEURON Simulation Environment Using Remote Memory Access with Recursive Doubling on Distributed Memory Systems

    PubMed Central

    Bozkuş, Zeki

    2016-01-01

    Increase in complexity of neuronal network models escalated the efforts to make NEURON simulation environment efficient. The computational neuroscientists divided the equations into subnets amongst multiple processors for achieving better hardware performance. On parallel machines for neuronal networks, interprocessor spikes exchange consumes large section of overall simulation time. In NEURON for communication between processors Message Passing Interface (MPI) is used. MPI_Allgather collective is exercised for spikes exchange after each interval across distributed memory systems. The increase in number of processors though results in achieving concurrency and better performance but it inversely affects MPI_Allgather which increases communication time between processors. This necessitates improving communication methodology to decrease the spikes exchange time over distributed memory systems. This work has improved MPI_Allgather method using Remote Memory Access (RMA) by moving two-sided communication to one-sided communication, and use of recursive doubling mechanism facilitates achieving efficient communication between the processors in precise steps. This approach enhanced communication concurrency and has improved overall runtime making NEURON more efficient for simulation of large neuronal network models. PMID:27413363

  18. Crossover from Super- to Subdiffusive Motion and Memory Effects in Crystalline Organic Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Filippis, G.; Cataudella, V.; Mishchenko, A. S.; Nagaosa, N.; Fierro, A.; de Candia, A.

    2015-02-01

    The transport properties at finite temperature of crystalline organic semiconductors are investigated, within the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, by combining an exact diagonalization technique, Monte Carlo approaches, and a maximum entropy method. The temperature-dependent mobility data measured in single crystals of rubrene are successfully reproduced: a crossover from super- to subdiffusive motion occurs in the range 150 ≤T ≤200 K , where the mean free path becomes of the order of the lattice parameter and strong memory effects start to appear. We provide an effective model, which can successfully explain features of the absorption spectra at low frequencies. The observed response to slowly varying electric field is interpreted by means of a simple model where the interaction between the charge carrier and lattice polarization modes is simulated by a harmonic interaction between a fictitious particle and an electron embedded in a viscous fluid.

  19. Crossover from super- to subdiffusive motion and memory effects in crystalline organic semiconductors.

    PubMed

    De Filippis, G; Cataudella, V; Mishchenko, A S; Nagaosa, N; Fierro, A; de Candia, A

    2015-02-27

    The transport properties at finite temperature of crystalline organic semiconductors are investigated, within the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, by combining an exact diagonalization technique, Monte Carlo approaches, and a maximum entropy method. The temperature-dependent mobility data measured in single crystals of rubrene are successfully reproduced: a crossover from super- to subdiffusive motion occurs in the range 150≤T≤200  K, where the mean free path becomes of the order of the lattice parameter and strong memory effects start to appear. We provide an effective model, which can successfully explain features of the absorption spectra at low frequencies. The observed response to slowly varying electric field is interpreted by means of a simple model where the interaction between the charge carrier and lattice polarization modes is simulated by a harmonic interaction between a fictitious particle and an electron embedded in a viscous fluid.

  20. Nonvolatile gate effect in a ferroelectric-semiconductor quantum well.

    PubMed

    Stolichnov, Igor; Colla, Enrico; Setter, Nava; Wojciechowski, Tomasz; Janik, Elzbieta; Karczewski, Grzegorz

    2006-12-15

    Field effect transistors with ferroelectric gates would make ideal rewritable nonvolatile memories were it not for the severe problems in integrating the ferroelectric oxide directly on the semiconductor channel. We propose a powerful way to avoid these problems using a gate material that is ferroelectric and semiconducting simultaneously. First, ferroelectricity in semiconductor (Cd,Zn)Te films is proven and studied using modified piezoforce scanning probe microscopy. Then, a rewritable field effect device is demonstrated by local poling of the (Cd,Zn)Te layer of a (Cd,Zn)Te/CdTe quantum well, provoking a reversible, nonvolatile change in the resistance of the 2D electron gas. The results point to a potential new family of nanoscale one-transistor memories.

  1. Administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access

    DOEpatents

    Blocksome, Michael A; Miller, Douglas R

    2014-03-18

    Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access that include: initiating, by an origin application messaging module on an origin compute node, one or more data transfers to a target compute node for the epoch; initiating, by the origin application messaging module after initiating the data transfers, a closing stage for the epoch, including rejecting any new data transfers after initiating the closing stage for the epoch; determining, by the origin application messaging module, whether the data transfers have completed; and closing, by the origin application messaging module, the epoch if the data transfers have completed.

  2. Administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access

    DOEpatents

    Blocksome, Michael A; Miller, Douglas R

    2012-10-23

    Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access that include: initiating, by an origin application messaging module on an origin compute node, one or more data transfers to a target compute node for the epoch; initiating, by the origin application messaging module after initiating the data transfers, a closing stage for the epoch, including rejecting any new data transfers after initiating the closing stage for the epoch; determining, by the origin application messaging module, whether the data transfers have completed; and closing, by the origin application messaging module, the epoch if the data transfers have completed.

  3. Administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access

    DOEpatents

    Blocksome, Michael A.; Miller, Douglas R.

    2013-01-01

    Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for administering an epoch initiated for remote memory access that include: initiating, by an origin application messaging module on an origin compute node, one or more data transfers to a target compute node for the epoch; initiating, by the origin application messaging module after initiating the data transfers, a closing stage for the epoch, including rejecting any new data transfers after initiating the closing stage for the epoch; determining, by the origin application messaging module, whether the data transfers have completed; and closing, by the origin application messaging module, the epoch if the data transfers have completed.

  4. Optical interconnection network for parallel access to multi-rank memory in future computing systems.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kang; Gu, Huaxi; Yang, Yintang; Wang, Kun

    2015-08-10

    With the number of cores increasing, there is an emerging need for a high-bandwidth low-latency interconnection network, serving core-to-memory communication. In this paper, aiming at the goal of simultaneous access to multi-rank memory, we propose an optical interconnection network for core-to-memory communication. In the proposed network, the wavelength usage is delicately arranged so that cores can communicate with different ranks at the same time and broadcast for flow control can be achieved. A distributed memory controller architecture that works in a pipeline mode is also designed for efficient optical communication and transaction address processes. The scaling method and wavelength assignment for the proposed network are investigated. Compared with traditional electronic bus-based core-to-memory communication, the simulation results based on the PARSEC benchmark show that the bandwidth enhancement and latency reduction are apparent.

  5. Soft errors in commercial off-the-shelf static random access memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dilillo, L.; Tsiligiannis, G.; Gupta, V.; Bosser, A.; Saigne, F.; Wrobel, F.

    2017-01-01

    This article reviews state-of-the-art techniques for the evaluation of the effect of radiation on static random access memory (SRAM). We detailed irradiation test techniques and results from irradiation experiments with several types of particles. Two commercial SRAMs, in 90 and 65 nm technology nodes, were considered as case studies. Besides the basic static and dynamic test modes, advanced stimuli for the irradiation tests were introduced, as well as statistical post-processing techniques allowing for deeper analysis of the correlations between bit-flip cross-sections and design/architectural characteristics of the memory device. Further insight is provided on the response of irradiated stacked layer devices and on the use of characterized SRAM devices as particle detectors.

  6. The differential effects of ecstasy/polydrug use on executive components: shifting, inhibition, updating and access to semantic memory.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Catharine; Fisk, John E; Newcombe, Russell; Murphy, Phillip N

    2005-10-01

    Recent theoretical models suggest that the central executive may not be a unified structure. The present study explored the nature of central executive deficits in ecstasy users. In study 1, 27 ecstasy users and 34 non-users were assessed using tasks to tap memory updating (computation span; letter updating) and access to long-term memory (a semantic fluency test and the Chicago Word Fluency Test). In study 2, 51 ecstasy users and 42 non-users completed tasks that assess mental set switching (number/letter and plus/minus) and inhibition (random letter generation). MANOVA revealed that ecstasy users performed worse on both tasks used to assess memory updating and on tasks to assess access to long-term memory (C- and S-letter fluency). However, notwithstanding the significant ecstasy group-related effects, indices of cocaine and cannabis use were also significantly correlated with most of the executive measures. Unexpectedly, in study 2, ecstasy users performed significantly better on the inhibition task, producing more letters than non-users. No group differences were observed on the switching tasks. Correlations between indices of ecstasy use and number of letters produced were significant. The present study provides further support for ecstasy/polydrug-related deficits in memory updating and in access to long-term memory. The surplus evident on the inhibition task should be treated with some caution, as this was limited to a single measure and has not been supported by our previous work.

  7. Dual operation characteristics of resistance random access memory in indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jyun-Bao; Chang, Ting-Chang; Huang, Jheng-Jie; Chen, Yu-Chun; Chen, Yu-Ting; Tseng, Hsueh-Chih; Chu, Ann-Kuo; Sze, Simon M.

    2014-04-01

    In this study, indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors can be operated either as transistors or resistance random access memory devices. Before the forming process, current-voltage curve transfer characteristics are observed, and resistance switching characteristics are measured after a forming process. These resistance switching characteristics exhibit two behaviors, and are dominated by different mechanisms. The mode 1 resistance switching behavior is due to oxygen vacancies, while mode 2 is dominated by the formation of an oxygen-rich layer. Furthermore, an easy approach is proposed to reduce power consumption when using these resistance random access memory devices with the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistor.

  8. Fencing direct memory access data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface of a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Blocksome, Michael A.; Mamidala, Amith R.

    2013-09-03

    Fencing direct memory access (`DMA`) data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface (`PAMI`) of a parallel computer, the PAMI including data communications endpoints, each endpoint including specifications of a client, a context, and a task, the endpoints coupled for data communications through the PAMI and through DMA controllers operatively coupled to segments of shared random access memory through which the DMA controllers deliver data communications deterministically, including initiating execution through the PAMI of an ordered sequence of active DMA instructions for DMA data transfers between two endpoints, effecting deterministic DMA data transfers through a DMA controller and a segment of shared memory; and executing through the PAMI, with no FENCE accounting for DMA data transfers, an active FENCE instruction, the FENCE instruction completing execution only after completion of all DMA instructions initiated prior to execution of the FENCE instruction for DMA data transfers between the two endpoints.

  9. Fencing direct memory access data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface of a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Blocksome, Michael A; Mamidala, Amith R

    2014-02-11

    Fencing direct memory access (`DMA`) data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface (`PAMI`) of a parallel computer, the PAMI including data communications endpoints, each endpoint including specifications of a client, a context, and a task, the endpoints coupled for data communications through the PAMI and through DMA controllers operatively coupled to segments of shared random access memory through which the DMA controllers deliver data communications deterministically, including initiating execution through the PAMI of an ordered sequence of active DMA instructions for DMA data transfers between two endpoints, effecting deterministic DMA data transfers through a DMA controller and a segment of shared memory; and executing through the PAMI, with no FENCE accounting for DMA data transfers, an active FENCE instruction, the FENCE instruction completing execution only after completion of all DMA instructions initiated prior to execution of the FENCE instruction for DMA data transfers between the two endpoints.

  10. The dynamics of access to groups in working memory.

    PubMed

    Farrell, Simon; Lelièvre, Anna

    2012-11-01

    The finding that participants leave a pause between groups when attempting serial recall of temporally grouped lists has been taken to indicate access to a hierarchical representation of the list in working memory. An alternative explanation is that the dynamics of serial recall solely reflect output (rather than memorial) processes, with the temporal pattern at input merely suggesting a basis for the pattern of output buffering. Three experiments are presented here that disentangle input structure from output buffering in serial recall. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to recall a subset of visually presented digits from a temporally grouped list in their original order, where either within-group position or group position was kept constant. In Experiment 2, participants performed more standard serial recall of spoken digits, and input and output position were dissociated by asking participants to initiate recall from a post-cued position in the list. In Experiment 3, participants were asked to serially recall temporally grouped lists of visually presented digits where the grouping structure was unpredictable, under either articulatory suppression or silent conditions. The 3 experiments point to a tight linkage between implied memorial structures (i.e., the pattern of grouping at encoding) and the output structure implied by retrieval times and call into question a purely motoric account of the dynamics of recall.

  11. Making Physical Activity Accessible to Older Adults with Memory Loss: A Feasibility Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Logsdon, Rebecca G.; McCurry, Susan M.; Pike, Kenneth C.; Teri, Linda

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: For individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), memory loss may prevent successful engagement in exercise, a key factor in preventing additional disability. The Resources and Activities for Life Long Independence (RALLI) program uses behavioral principles to make exercise more accessible for these individuals. Exercises are broken…

  12. Integration of SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films for high density ferroelectric random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wouters, D. J.; Maes, D.; Goux, L.; Lisoni, J. G.; Paraschiv, V.; Johnson, J. A.; Schwitters, M.; Everaert, J.-L.; Boullart, W.; Schaekers, M.; Willegems, M.; Vander Meeren, H.; Haspeslagh, L.; Artoni, C.; Caputa, C.; Casella, P.; Corallo, G.; Russo, G.; Zambrano, R.; Monchoix, H.; Vecchio, G.; Van Autryve, L.

    2006-09-01

    Ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) is an attractive candidate technology for embedded nonvolatile memory, especially in applications where low power and high program speed are important. Market introduction of high-density FeRAM is, however, lagging behind standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) because of the difficult integration technology. This paper discusses the major integration issues for high-density FeRAM, based on SrBi2Ta2O9 (strontium bismuth tantalate or SBT), in relation to the fabrication of our stacked cell structure. We have worked in the previous years on the development of SBT-FeRAM integration technology, based on a so-called pseudo-three-dimensional (3D) cell, with a capacitor that can be scaled from quasi two-dimensional towards a true three-dimensional capacitor where the sidewalls will importantly contribute to the signal. In the first phase of our integration development, we integrated our FeRAM cell in a 0.35μm CMOS technology. In a second phase, then, possibility of scaling of our cell is demonstrated in 0.18μm technology. The excellent electrical and reliability properties of the small integrated ferroelectric capacitors prove the feasibility of the technology, while the verification of the potential 3D effect confirms the basic scaling potential of our concept beyond that of the single-mask capacitor. The paper outlines the different material and technological challenges, and working solutions are demonstrated. While some issues are specific to our own cell, many are applicable to different stacked FeRAM cell concepts, or will become more general concerns when more developments are moving into 3D structures.

  13. Memory Overview - Technologies and Needs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    LaBel, Kenneth A.

    2010-01-01

    As NASA has evolved it's usage of spaceflight computing, memory applications have followed as well. In this talk, we will discuss the history of NASA's memories from magnetic core and tape recorders to current semiconductor approaches. We will briefly describe current functional memory usage in NASA space systems followed by a description of potential radiation-induced failure modes along with considerations for reliable system design.

  14. Immigration, Language Proficiency, and Autobiographical Memories: Lifespan Distribution and Second-Language Access

    PubMed Central

    Esposito, Alena G.; Baker-Ward, Lynne

    2015-01-01

    This investigation examined two controversies in the autobiographical literature: how cross-language immigration affects the distribution of autobiographical memories across the lifespan and under what circumstances language-dependent recall is observed. Both Spanish/English bilingual immigrants and English monolingual non-immigrants participated in a cue word study, with the bilingual sample taking part in a within-subject language manipulation. The expected bump in the number of memories from early life was observed for non-immigrants but not immigrants, who reported more memories for events surrounding immigration. Aspects of the methodology addressed possible reasons for past discrepant findings. Language-dependent recall was influenced by second-language proficiency. Results were interpreted as evidence that bilinguals with high second-language proficiency, in contrast to those with lower second-language proficiency, access a single conceptual store through either language. The final multi-level model predicting language-dependent recall, including second-language proficiency, age of immigration, internal language, and cue word language, explained ¾ of the between-person variance and ⅕ of the within-person variance. We arrive at two conclusions. First, major life transitions influence the distribution of memories. Second, concept representation across multiple languages follows a developmental model. In addition, the results underscore the importance of considering language experience in research involving memory reports. PMID:26274061

  15. Immigration, language proficiency, and autobiographical memories: Lifespan distribution and second-language access.

    PubMed

    Esposito, Alena G; Baker-Ward, Lynne

    2016-08-01

    This investigation examined two controversies in the autobiographical literature: how cross-language immigration affects the distribution of autobiographical memories across the lifespan and under what circumstances language-dependent recall is observed. Both Spanish/English bilingual immigrants and English monolingual non-immigrants participated in a cue word study, with the bilingual sample taking part in a within-subject language manipulation. The expected bump in the number of memories from early life was observed for non-immigrants but not immigrants, who reported more memories for events surrounding immigration. Aspects of the methodology addressed possible reasons for past discrepant findings. Language-dependent recall was influenced by second-language proficiency. Results were interpreted as evidence that bilinguals with high second-language proficiency, in contrast to those with lower second-language proficiency, access a single conceptual store through either language. The final multi-level model predicting language-dependent recall, including second-language proficiency, age of immigration, internal language, and cue word language, explained ¾ of the between-person variance and (1)/5 of the within-person variance. We arrive at two conclusions. First, major life transitions influence the distribution of memories. Second, concept representation across multiple languages follows a developmental model. In addition, the results underscore the importance of considering language experience in research involving memory reports.

  16. Electromagnetic malfunction of semiconductor-type electronic personal dosimeters caused by access control systems for radiation facilities.

    PubMed

    Deji, Shizuhiko; Ito, Shigeki; Ariga, Eiji; Mori, Kazuyuki; Hirota, Masahiro; Saze, Takuya; Nishizawa, Kunihide

    2006-08-01

    High frequency electromagnetic fields in the 120 kHz band emitted from card readers for access control systems in radiation control areas cause abnormally high and erroneous indicated dose readings on semiconductor-type electronic personal dosimeters (SEPDs). All SEPDs malfunctioned but recovered their normal performance by resetting after the exposure ceased. The minimum distances required to prevent electromagnetic interference varied from 5.0 to 38.0 cm. The electric and magnetic immunity levels ranged from 35.1 to 267.6 V m(-1) and from 1.0 to 16.6 A m(-1), respectively. Electromagnetic immunity levels of SEPDs should be strengthened from the standpoint of radiation protection.

  17. Constraints on Access: Costs and Benefits (Spontaneous Memory for Relevant Experiences)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-05-01

    F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Levels of processing and human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Dewey, J. (1963). How we think. Portions published in R. M...transfer. Pictures (vs. words) and levels of processing and elaborative encoding manipulations are shown to affect directed access but are found to have...includes most 5 6 list-learning experiments, research on schema/script abstraction, and studies of remembering which might manipulate levels of processing

  18. Memories and NASA Spacecraft: A Description of Memories, Radiation Failure Modes, and System Design Considerations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    LaBel, Kenneth A.; Ladbury, Ray; Oldhamm, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    As NASA has evolved it's usage of spaceflight computing, memory applications have followed as well. In this slide presentation, the history of NASA's memories from magnetic core and tape recorders to current semiconductor approaches is discussed. There is a brief description of current functional memory usage in NASA space systems followed by a description of potential radiation-induced failure modes along with considerations for reliable system design.

  19. Electrical Evaluation of RCA MWS5501D Random Access Memory, Volume 2, Appendix a

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    The electrical characterization and qualification test results are presented for the RCA MWS5001D random access memory. The tests included functional tests, AC and DC parametric tests, AC parametric worst-case pattern selection test, determination of worst-case transition for setup and hold times, and a series of schmoo plots. The address access time, address readout time, the data hold time, and the data setup time are some of the results surveyed.

  20. Ga-doped indium oxide nanowire phase change random access memory cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Bo; Lim, Taekyung; Ju, Sanghyun; Latypov, Marat I.; Kim, Hyoung Seop; Meyyappan, M.; Lee, Jeong-Soo

    2014-02-01

    Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) devices are usually constructed using tellurium based compounds, but efforts to seek other materials providing desirable memory characteristics have continued. We have fabricated PCRAM devices using Ga-doped In2O3 nanowires with three different Ga compositions (Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio: 2.1%, 11.5% and 13.0%), and investigated their phase switching properties. The nanowires (˜40 nm in diameter) can be repeatedly switched between crystalline and amorphous phases, and Ga concentration-dependent memory switching behavior in the nanowires was observed with ultra-fast set/reset rates of 80 ns/20 ns, which are faster than for other competitive phase change materials. The observations of fast set/reset rates and two distinct states with a difference in resistance of two to three orders of magnitude appear promising for nonvolatile information storage. Moreover, we found that increasing the Ga concentration can reduce the power consumption and resistance drift; however, too high a level of Ga doping may cause difficulty in achieving the phase transition.

  1. Encoding and Retrieval Processes Involved in the Access of Source Information in the Absence of Item Memory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ball, B. Hunter; DeWitt, Michael R.; Knight, Justin B.; Hicks, Jason L.

    2014-01-01

    The current study sought to examine the relative contributions of encoding and retrieval processes in accessing contextual information in the absence of item memory using an extralist cuing procedure in which the retrieval cues used to query memory for contextual information were "related" to the target item but never actually studied.…

  2. Charging and exciton-mediated decharging of metal nanoparticles in organic semiconductor matrices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ligorio, Giovanni; Vittorio Nardi, Marco; Christodoulou, Christos; Florea, Ileana; Monteiro, Nicolas-Crespo; Ersen, Ovidiu; Brinkmann, Martin; Koch, Norbert

    2014-04-01

    Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) were deposited on the surface of n- and p-type organic semiconductors to form defined model systems for charge storage based electrically addressable memory elements. We used ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy to study the electronic properties and found that the Au-NPs become positively charged because of photoelectron emission, evidenced by spectral shifts to higher binding energy. Upon illumination with light that can be absorbed by the organic semiconductors, dynamic charge neutrality of the Au-NPs could be re-established through electron transfer from excitons. The light-controlled charge state of the Au-NPs could add optical addressability to memory elements.

  3. ViSA: a neurodynamic model for visuo-spatial working memory, attentional blink, and conscious access.

    PubMed

    Simione, Luca; Raffone, Antonino; Wolters, Gezinus; Salmas, Paola; Nakatani, Chie; Belardinelli, Marta Olivetti; van Leeuwen, Cees

    2012-10-01

    Two separate lines of study have clarified the role of selectivity in conscious access to visual information. Both involve presenting multiple targets and distracters: one simultaneously in a spatially distributed fashion, the other sequentially at a single location. To understand their findings in a unified framework, we propose a neurodynamic model for Visual Selection and Awareness (ViSA). ViSA supports the view that neural representations for conscious access and visuo-spatial working memory are globally distributed and are based on recurrent interactions between perceptual and access control processors. Its flexible global workspace mechanisms enable a unitary account of a broad range of effects: It accounts for the limited storage capacity of visuo-spatial working memory, attentional cueing, and efficient selection with multi-object displays, as well as for the attentional blink and associated sparing and masking effects. In particular, the speed of consolidation for storage in visuo-spatial working memory in ViSA is not fixed but depends adaptively on the input and recurrent signaling. Slowing down of consolidation due to weak bottom-up and recurrent input as a result of brief presentation and masking leads to the attentional blink. Thus, ViSA goes beyond earlier 2-stage and neuronal global workspace accounts of conscious processing limitations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Fencing direct memory access data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface of a parallel computer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blocksome, Michael A.; Mamidala, Amith R.

    2013-09-03

    Fencing direct memory access (`DMA`) data transfers in a parallel active messaging interface (`PAMI`) of a parallel computer, the PAMI including data communications endpoints, each endpoint including specifications of a client, a context, and a task, the endpoints coupled for data communications through the PAMI and through DMA controllers operatively coupled to segments of shared random access memory through which the DMA controllers deliver data communications deterministically, including initiating execution through the PAMI of an ordered sequence of active DMA instructions for DMA data transfers between two endpoints, effecting deterministic DMA data transfers through a DMA controller and a segmentmore » of shared memory; and executing through the PAMI, with no FENCE accounting for DMA data transfers, an active FENCE instruction, the FENCE instruction completing execution only after completion of all DMA instructions initiated prior to execution of the FENCE instruction for DMA data transfers between the two endpoints.« less

  5. Deciding with the eye: how the visually manipulated accessibility of information in memory influences decision behavior.

    PubMed

    Platzer, Christine; Bröder, Arndt; Heck, Daniel W

    2014-05-01

    Decision situations are typically characterized by uncertainty: Individuals do not know the values of different options on a criterion dimension. For example, consumers do not know which is the healthiest of several products. To make a decision, individuals can use information about cues that are probabilistically related to the criterion dimension, such as sugar content or the concentration of natural vitamins. In two experiments, we investigated how the accessibility of cue information in memory affects which decision strategy individuals rely on. The accessibility of cue information was manipulated by means of a newly developed paradigm, the spatial-memory-cueing paradigm, which is based on a combination of the looking-at-nothing phenomenon and the spatial-cueing paradigm. The results indicated that people use different decision strategies, depending on the validity of easily accessible information. If the easily accessible information is valid, people stop information search and decide according to a simple take-the-best heuristic. If, however, information that comes to mind easily has a low predictive validity, people are more likely to integrate all available cue information in a compensatory manner.

  6. Emerging memories: resistive switching mechanisms and current status

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Doo Seok; Thomas, Reji; Katiyar, R. S.; Scott, J. F.; Kohlstedt, H.; Petraru, A.; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2012-07-01

    The resistance switching behaviour of several materials has recently attracted considerable attention for its application in non-volatile memory (NVM) devices, popularly described as resistive random access memories (RRAMs). RRAM is a type of NVM that uses a material(s) that changes the resistance when a voltage is applied. Resistive switching phenomena have been observed in many oxides: (i) binary transition metal oxides (TMOs), e.g. TiO2, Cr2O3, FeOx and NiO; (ii) perovskite-type complex TMOs that are variously functional, paraelectric, ferroelectric, multiferroic and magnetic, e.g. (Ba,Sr)TiO3, Pb(Zrx Ti1-x)O3, BiFeO3 and PrxCa1-xMnO3 (iii) large band gap high-k dielectrics, e.g. Al2O3 and Gd2O3; (iv) graphene oxides. In the non-oxide category, higher chalcogenides are front runners, e.g. In2Se3 and In2Te3. Hence, the number of materials showing this technologically interesting behaviour for information storage is enormous. Resistive switching in these materials can form the basis for the next generation of NVM, i.e. RRAM, when current semiconductor memory technology reaches its limit in terms of density. RRAMs may be the high-density and low-cost NVMs of the future. A review on this topic is of importance to focus concentration on the most promising materials to accelerate application into the semiconductor industry. This review is a small effort to realize the ambitious goal of RRAMs. Its basic focus is on resistive switching in various materials with particular emphasis on binary TMOs. It also addresses the current understanding of resistive switching behaviour. Moreover, a brief comparison between RRAMs and memristors is included. The review ends with the current status of RRAMs in terms of stability, scalability and switching speed, which are three important aspects of integration onto semiconductors.

  7. Nonvolatile random access memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin-Chuan (Inventor); Stadler, Henry L. (Inventor); Katti, Romney R. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    A nonvolatile magnetic random access memory can be achieved by an array of magnet-Hall effect (M-H) elements. The storage function is realized with a rectangular thin-film ferromagnetic material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and inplane bipolar remanent magnetization states. The thin-film magnetic element is magnetized by a local applied field, whose direction is used to form either a 0 or 1 state. The element remains in the 0 or 1 state until a switching field is applied to change its state. The stored information is detcted by a Hall-effect sensor which senses the fringing field from the magnetic storage element. The circuit design for addressing each cell includes transistor switches for providing a current of selected polarity to store a binary digit through a separate conductor overlying the magnetic element of the cell. To read out a stored binary digit, transistor switches are employed to provide a current through a row of Hall-effect sensors connected in series and enabling a differential voltage amplifier connected to all Hall-effect sensors of a column in series. To avoid read-out voltage errors due to shunt currents through resistive loads of the Hall-effect sensors of other cells in the same column, at least one transistor switch is provided between every pair of adjacent cells in every row which are not turned on except in the row of the selected cell.

  8. Spin-transfer torque switched magnetic tunnel junctions in magnetic random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Jonathan Z.

    2016-10-01

    Spin-transfer torque (or spin-torque, or STT) based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is at the heart of a new generation of magnetism-based solid-state memory, the so-called spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory, or STT-MRAM. Over the past decades, STT-based switchable magnetic tunnel junction has seen progress on many fronts, including the discovery of (001) MgO as the most favored tunnel barrier, which together with (bcc) Fe or FeCo alloy are yielding best demonstrated tunnel magneto-resistance (TMR); the development of perpendicularly magnetized ultrathin CoFeB-type of thin films sufficient to support high density memories with junction sizes demonstrated down to 11nm in diameter; and record-low spin-torque switching threshold current, giving best reported switching efficiency over 5 kBT/μA. Here we review the basic device properties focusing on the perpendicularly magnetized MTJs, both in terms of switching efficiency as measured by sub-threshold, quasi-static methods, and of switching speed at super-threshold, forced switching. We focus on device behaviors important for memory applications that are rooted in fundamental device physics, which highlights the trade-off of device parameters for best suitable system integration.

  9. Future Development of Dense Ferroelectric Memories for Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Philpy, Stephen C.; Derbenwick, Gary F.

    2001-01-01

    The availability of high density, radiation tolerant, nonvolatile memories is critical for space applications. Ferroelectric memories, when fabricated with radiation hardened complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), can be manufactured and packaged to provide high density replacements for Flash memory, which is not radiation tolerant. Previous work showed ferroelectric memory cells to be resistant to single event upsets and proton irradiation, and ferroelectric storage capacitors to be resistant to neutron exposure. In addition to radiation hardness, the fast programming times, virtually unlimited endurance, and low voltage, low power operation make ferroelectric memories ideal for space missions. Previously, a commercial double level metal 64-kilobit ferroelectric memory was presented. Although the capabilities of radiation hardened wafer fabrication facilities lag behind those of the most modern commercial wafer fabrication facilities, several paths to achieving radiation tolerant, dense ferroelectric memories are emerging. Both short and long term solutions are presented in this paper. Although worldwide major semiconductor companies are introducing commercial ferroelectric memories, funding limitations must be overcome to proceed with the development of high density, radiation tolerant ferroelectric memories.

  10. Working memory capacity and controlled serial memory search.

    PubMed

    Mızrak, Eda; Öztekin, Ilke

    2016-08-01

    The speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) procedure was used to investigate the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and the dynamics of temporal order memory retrieval. High- and low-span participants (HSs, LSs) studied sequentially presented five-item lists, followed by two probes from the study list. Participants indicated the more recent probe. Overall, accuracy was higher for HSs compared to LSs. Crucially, in contrast to previous investigations that observed no impact of WMC on speed of access to item information in memory (e.g., Öztekin & McElree, 2010), recovery of temporal order memory was slower for LSs. While accessing an item's representation in memory can be direct, recovery of relational information such as temporal order information requires a more controlled serial memory search. Collectively, these data indicate that WMC effects are particularly prominent during high demands of cognitive control, such as serial search operations necessary to access temporal order information from memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Piezotronic nanowire-based resistive switches as programmable electromechanical memories.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wenzhuo; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2011-07-13

    We present the first piezoelectrically modulated resistive switching device based on piezotronic ZnO nanowire (NW), through which the write/read access of the memory cell is programmed via electromechanical modulation. Adjusted by the strain-induced polarization charges created at the semiconductor/metal interface under externally applied deformation by the piezoelectric effect, the resistive switching characteristics of the cell can be modulated in a controlled manner, and the logic levels of the strain stored in the cell can be recorded and read out, which has the potential for integrating with NEMS technology to achieve micro/nanosystems capable for intelligent and self-sufficient multidimensional operations.

  12. Multiple social identities and stereotype threat: imbalance, accessibility, and working memory.

    PubMed

    Rydell, Robert J; McConnell, Allen R; Beilock, Sian L

    2009-05-01

    In 4 experiments, the authors showed that concurrently making positive and negative self-relevant stereotypes available about performance in the same ability domain can eliminate stereotype threat effects. Replicating past work, the authors demonstrated that introducing negative stereotypes about women's math performance activated participants' female social identity and hurt their math performance (i.e., stereotype threat) by reducing working memory. Moving beyond past work, it was also demonstrated that concomitantly presenting a positive self-relevant stereotype (e.g., college students are good at math) increased the relative accessibility of females' college student identity and inhibited their gender identity, eliminating attendant working memory deficits and contingent math performance decrements. Furthermore, subtle manipulations in questions presented in the demographic section of a math test eliminated stereotype threat effects that result from women reporting their gender before completing the test. This work identifies the motivated processes through which people's social identities became active in situations in which self-relevant stereotypes about a stigmatized group membership and a nonstigmatized group membership were available. In addition, it demonstrates the downstream consequences of this pattern of activation on working memory and performance. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  13. Spin-based single-photon transistor, dynamic random access memory, diodes, and routers in semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, C. Y.

    2016-12-01

    The realization of quantum computers and quantum Internet requires not only quantum gates and quantum memories, but also transistors at single-photon levels to control the flow of information encoded on single photons. Single-photon transistor (SPT) is an optical transistor in the quantum limit, which uses a single photon to open or block a photonic channel. In sharp contrast to all previous SPT proposals which are based on single-photon nonlinearities, here I present a design for a high-gain and high-speed (up to THz) SPT based on a linear optical effect: giant circular birefringence induced by a single spin in a double-sided optical microcavity. A gate photon sets the spin state via projective measurement and controls the light propagation in the optical channel. This spin-cavity transistor can be directly configured as diodes, routers, DRAM units, switches, modulators, etc. Due to the duality as quantum gate and transistor, the spin-cavity unit provides a solid-state platform ideal for future Internet: a mixture of all-optical Internet with quantum Internet.

  14. GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor based non-volatile flash memory devices with InAs quantum dots as charge storage nodes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Islam, Sk Masiul, E-mail: masiulelt@gmail.com; Chowdhury, Sisir; Sarkar, Krishnendu

    2015-06-24

    Ultra-thin InP passivated GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor based non-volatile flash memory devices were fabricated using InAs quantum dots (QDs) as charge storing elements by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique to study the efficacy of the QDs as charge storage elements. The grown QDs were embedded between two high-k dielectric such as HfO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}, which were used for tunneling and control oxide layers, respectively. The size and density of the QDs were found to be 5 nm and 1.8×10{sup 11} cm{sup −2}, respectively. The device with a structure Metal/ZrO{sub 2}/InAs QDs/HfO{sub 2}/GaAs/Metal shows maximum memory window equivalent to 6.87 V. Themore » device also exhibits low leakage current density of the order of 10{sup −6} A/cm{sup 2} and reasonably good charge retention characteristics. The low value of leakage current in the fabricated memory device is attributed to the Coulomb blockade effect influenced by quantum confinement as well as reduction of interface trap states by ultra-thin InP passivation on GaAs prior to HfO{sub 2} deposition.« less

  15. Emerging memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldi, Livio; Bez, Roberto; Sandhu, Gurtej

    2014-12-01

    Memory is a key component of any data processing system. Following the classical Turing machine approach, memories hold both the data to be processed and the rules for processing them. In the history of microelectronics, the distinction has been rather between working memory, which is exemplified by DRAM, and storage memory, exemplified by NAND. These two types of memory devices now represent 90% of all memory market and 25% of the total semiconductor market, and have been the technology drivers in the last decades. Even if radically different in characteristics, they are however based on the same storage mechanism: charge storage, and this mechanism seems to be near to reaching its physical limits. The search for new alternative memory approaches, based on more scalable mechanisms, has therefore gained new momentum. The status of incumbent memory technologies and their scaling limitations will be discussed. Emerging memory technologies will be analyzed, starting from the ones that are already present for niche applications, and which are getting new attention, thanks to recent technology breakthroughs. Maturity level, physical limitations and potential for scaling will be compared to existing memories. At the end the possible future composition of memory systems will be discussed.

  16. Semiconductors: Still a Wide Open Frontier for Scientists/Engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seiler, David G.

    1997-10-01

    A 1995 Business Week article described several features of the explosive use of semiconductor chips today: ``Booming'' personal computer markets are driving high demand for microprocessors and memory chips; (2) New information superhighway markets will `ignite' sales of multimedia and communication chips; and (3) Demand for digital-signal-processing and data-compression chips, which speed up video and graphics, is `red hot.' A Washington Post article by Stan Hinden said that technology is creating an unstoppable demand for electronic elements. This ``digital pervasiveness'' means that a semiconductor chip is going into almost every high-tech product that people buy - cars, televisions, video recorders, telephones, radios, alarm clocks, coffee pots, etc. ``Semiconductors are everywhere.'' Silicon and compound semiconductors are absolutely essential and are pervasive enablers for DoD operations and systems. DoD's Critical Technologies Plan of 1991 says that ``Semiconductor materials and microelectronics are critically important and appropriately lead the list of critical defense technologies.'' These trends continue unabated. This talk describes some of the frontiers of semiconductors today and shows how scientists and engineers can effectively contribute to its advancement. Cooperative, multidisciplinary efforts are increasing. Specific examples will be given for scanning capacitance microscopy and thin-film metrology.

  17. Random Access Memories: A New Paradigm for Target Detection in High Resolution Aerial Remote Sensing Images.

    PubMed

    Zou, Zhengxia; Shi, Zhenwei

    2018-03-01

    We propose a new paradigm for target detection in high resolution aerial remote sensing images under small target priors. Previous remote sensing target detection methods frame the detection as learning of detection model + inference of class-label and bounding-box coordinates. Instead, we formulate it from a Bayesian view that at inference stage, the detection model is adaptively updated to maximize its posterior that is determined by both training and observation. We call this paradigm "random access memories (RAM)." In this paradigm, "Memories" can be interpreted as any model distribution learned from training data and "random access" means accessing memories and randomly adjusting the model at detection phase to obtain better adaptivity to any unseen distribution of test data. By leveraging some latest detection techniques e.g., deep Convolutional Neural Networks and multi-scale anchors, experimental results on a public remote sensing target detection data set show our method outperforms several other state of the art methods. We also introduce a new data set "LEarning, VIsion and Remote sensing laboratory (LEVIR)", which is one order of magnitude larger than other data sets of this field. LEVIR consists of a large set of Google Earth images, with over 22 k images and 10 k independently labeled targets. RAM gives noticeable upgrade of accuracy (an mean average precision improvement of 1% ~ 4%) of our baseline detectors with acceptable computational overhead.

  18. Giant tunnelling electroresistance in metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions by engineering the Schottky barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xi, Zhongnan; Ruan, Jieji; Li, Chen; Zheng, Chunyan; Wen, Zheng; Dai, Jiyan; Li, Aidong; Wu, Di

    2017-05-01

    Recently, ferroelectric tunnel junctions have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in non-destructive readout non-volatile memories. Using a semiconductor electrode has been proven effective to enhance the tunnelling electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Here we report a systematic investigation on electroresistance of Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions by engineering the Schottky barrier on Nb:SrTiO3 surface via varying BaTiO3 thickness and Nb doping concentration. The optimum ON/OFF ratio as great as 6.0 × 106, comparable to that of commercial Flash memories, is achieved in a device with 0.1 wt% Nb concentration and a 4-unit-cell-thick BaTiO3 barrier. With this thinnest BaTiO3 barrier, which shows a negligible resistance to the tunnelling current but is still ferroelectric, the device is reduced to a polarization-modulated metal/semiconductor Schottky junction that exhibits a more efficient control on the tunnelling resistance to produce the giant electroresistance observed. These results may facilitate the design of high performance non-volatile resistive memories.

  19. Giant tunnelling electroresistance in metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions by engineering the Schottky barrier

    PubMed Central

    Xi, Zhongnan; Ruan, Jieji; Li, Chen; Zheng, Chunyan; Wen, Zheng; Dai, Jiyan; Li, Aidong; Wu, Di

    2017-01-01

    Recently, ferroelectric tunnel junctions have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in non-destructive readout non-volatile memories. Using a semiconductor electrode has been proven effective to enhance the tunnelling electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Here we report a systematic investigation on electroresistance of Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions by engineering the Schottky barrier on Nb:SrTiO3 surface via varying BaTiO3 thickness and Nb doping concentration. The optimum ON/OFF ratio as great as 6.0 × 106, comparable to that of commercial Flash memories, is achieved in a device with 0.1 wt% Nb concentration and a 4-unit-cell-thick BaTiO3 barrier. With this thinnest BaTiO3 barrier, which shows a negligible resistance to the tunnelling current but is still ferroelectric, the device is reduced to a polarization-modulated metal/semiconductor Schottky junction that exhibits a more efficient control on the tunnelling resistance to produce the giant electroresistance observed. These results may facilitate the design of high performance non-volatile resistive memories. PMID:28513590

  20. Low-power resistive random access memory by confining the formation of conducting filaments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Yi-Jen; Lee, Si-Chen, E-mail: sclee@ntu.edu.tw; Shen, Tzu-Hsien

    2016-06-15

    Owing to their small physical size and low power consumption, resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices are potential for future memory and logic applications in microelectronics. In this study, a new resistive switching material structure, TiO{sub x}/silver nanoparticles/TiO{sub x}/AlTiO{sub x}, fabricated between the fluorine-doped tin oxide bottom electrode and the indium tin oxide top electrode is demonstrated. The device exhibits excellent memory performances, such as low operation voltage (<±1 V), low operation power, small variation in resistance, reliable data retention, and a large memory window. The current-voltage measurement shows that the conducting mechanism in the device at the high resistancemore » state is via electron hopping between oxygen vacancies in the resistive switching material. When the device is switched to the low resistance state, conducting filaments are formed in the resistive switching material as a result of accumulation of oxygen vacancies. The bottom AlTiO{sub x} layer in the device structure limits the formation of conducting filaments; therefore, the current and power consumption of device operation are significantly reduced.« less

  1. Solution processed molecular floating gate for flexible flash memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Yan, Yan; Huang, Long-Biao; Zhou, Li; Huang, Jing; Roy, V. A. L.

    2013-10-01

    Solution processed fullerene (C60) molecular floating gate layer has been employed in low voltage nonvolatile memory device on flexible substrates. We systematically studied the charge trapping mechanism of the fullerene floating gate for both p-type pentacene and n-type copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) semiconductor in a transistor based flash memory architecture. The devices based on pentacene as semiconductor exhibited both hole and electron trapping ability, whereas devices with F16CuPc trapped electrons alone due to abundant electron density. All the devices exhibited large memory window, long charge retention time, good endurance property and excellent flexibility. The obtained results have great potential for application in large area flexible electronic devices.

  2. Solution processed molecular floating gate for flexible flash memories

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Yan, Yan; Huang, Long-Biao; Zhou, Li; Huang, Jing; Roy, V. A. L.

    2013-01-01

    Solution processed fullerene (C60) molecular floating gate layer has been employed in low voltage nonvolatile memory device on flexible substrates. We systematically studied the charge trapping mechanism of the fullerene floating gate for both p-type pentacene and n-type copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) semiconductor in a transistor based flash memory architecture. The devices based on pentacene as semiconductor exhibited both hole and electron trapping ability, whereas devices with F16CuPc trapped electrons alone due to abundant electron density. All the devices exhibited large memory window, long charge retention time, good endurance property and excellent flexibility. The obtained results have great potential for application in large area flexible electronic devices. PMID:24172758

  3. Daily Access to Sucrose Impairs Aspects of Spatial Memory Tasks Reliant on Pattern Separation and Neural Proliferation in Rats

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reichelt, Amy C.; Morris, Margaret J.; Westbrook, Reginald Frederick

    2016-01-01

    High sugar diets reduce hippocampal neurogenesis, which is required for minimizing interference between memories, a process that involves "pattern separation." We provided rats with 2 h daily access to a sucrose solution for 28 d and assessed their performance on a spatial memory task. Sucrose consuming rats discriminated between objects…

  4. Plastic Deformation and Failure Analysis of Phase Change Random Access Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang; Hongxin; Shi; Luping; Lee; Koon, Hock; Zhao; Rong; Li; Jianming; Lim; Guan, Kian; Chong; Chong, Tow

    2009-04-01

    Although lateral phase change random access memory (PCRAM) has attracted a lot of interest due to its simpler fabrication process and lower current compared to ovonic unified memory (OUM), it faces a problem of poor lifetime. This paper studied relation between plastic deformation and the failure of PCRAM through both experiment and simulation. OUM and lateral PCRAM incorporating Ge2Sb2Te5 were fabricated and tested. The overwriting test showed that lifetime of OUM exceeded 106 while that of lateral PCRAM was only about 100. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), it was found that the plastic deformation after 106 overwriting reached several tens of nm for lateral PCRAM while it was negligible for OUM. The thermo-mechanical simulation results confirmed the similar results on larger plastic deformation of lateral PCRAM than that of OUM during overwriting. As plastic deformation involves of atomic bonds breaking and reforming in phase change material, the plastic deformation may be one main reason for the failure of lateral PCRAM.

  5. Elevated-Confined Phase-Change Random Access Memory Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee; Koon, Hock; Shi; Luping; Zhao; Rong; Yang; Hongxin; Lim; Guan, Kian; Li; Jianming; Chong; Chong, Tow

    2010-04-01

    A new elevated-confined phase-change random access memory (PCRAM) cell structure to reduce power consumption was proposed. In this proposed structure, the confined phase-change region is sitting on top of a small metal column enclosed by a dielectric at the sides. Hence, more heat can be effectively sustained underneath the phase-change region. As for the conventional structure, the confined phase-change region is sitting directly above a large planar bottom metal electrode, which can easily conduct most of the induced heat away. From simulations, a more uniform temperature profile around the active region and a higher peak temperature at the phase-change layer (PCL) in an elevated-confined structure were observed. Experimental results showed that the elevated-confined PCRAM cell requires a lower programming power and has a better scalability than a conventional confined PCRAM cell.

  6. Spectrotemporal processing drives fast access to memory traces for spoken words.

    PubMed

    Tavano, A; Grimm, S; Costa-Faidella, J; Slabu, L; Schröger, E; Escera, C

    2012-05-01

    The Mismatch Negativity (MMN) component of the event-related potentials is generated when a detectable spectrotemporal feature of the incoming sound does not match the sensory model set up by preceding repeated stimuli. MMN is enhanced at frontocentral scalp sites for deviant words when compared to acoustically similar deviant pseudowords, suggesting that automatic access to long-term memory traces for spoken words contributes to MMN generation. Does spectrotemporal feature matching also drive automatic lexical access? To test this, we recorded human auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) to disyllabic spoken words and pseudowords within a passive oddball paradigm. We first aimed at replicating the word-related MMN enhancement effect for Spanish, thereby adding to the available cross-linguistic evidence (e.g., Finnish, English). We then probed its resilience to spectrotemporal perturbation by inserting short (20 ms) and long (120 ms) silent gaps between first and second syllables of deviant and standard stimuli. A significantly enhanced, frontocentrally distributed MMN to deviant words was found for stimuli with no gap. The long gap yielded no deviant word MMN, showing that prior expectations of word form limits in a given language influence deviance detection processes. Crucially, the insertion of a short gap suppressed deviant word MMN enhancement at frontocentral sites. We propose that spectrotemporal point-wise matching constitutes a core mechanism for fast serial computations in audition and language, bridging sensory and long-term memory systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Encoding and retrieval processes involved in the access of source information in the absence of item memory.

    PubMed

    Ball, B Hunter; DeWitt, Michael R; Knight, Justin B; Hicks, Jason L

    2014-09-01

    The current study sought to examine the relative contributions of encoding and retrieval processes in accessing contextual information in the absence of item memory using an extralist cuing procedure in which the retrieval cues used to query memory for contextual information were related to the target item but never actually studied. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants studied 1 category member (e.g., onion) from a variety of different categories and at test were presented with an unstudied category label (e.g., vegetable) to probe memory for item and source information. In Experiments 3 and 4, 1 member of unidirectional (e.g., credit or card) or bidirectional (e.g., salt or pepper) associates was studied, whereas the other unstudied member served as a test probe. When recall failed, source information was accessible only when items were processed deeply during encoding (Experiments 1 and 2) and when there was strong forward associative strength between the retrieval cue and target (Experiments 3 and 4). These findings suggest that a retrieval probe diagnostic of semantically related item information reinstantiates information bound in memory during encoding that results in reactivation of associated contextual information, contingent upon sufficient learning of the item itself and the association between the item and its context information.

  8. Modeling of SONOS Memory Cell Erase Cycle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, Thomas A.; MacLeod, Todd C.; Ho, Fat H.

    2011-01-01

    Utilization of Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS) nonvolatile semiconductor memories as a flash memory has many advantages. These electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) utilize low programming voltages, have a high erase/write cycle lifetime, are radiation hardened, and are compatible with high-density scaled CMOS for low power, portable electronics. In this paper, the SONOS memory cell erase cycle was investigated using a nonquasi-static (NQS) MOSFET model. Comparisons were made between the model predictions and experimental data.

  9. Apparatus and methods for memory using in-plane polarization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Junwei; Chang, Kai; Ji, Shuai-Hua

    A memory device includes a semiconductor layer with an in-plane polarization component switchable between a first direction and a second direction. A writing electrode is employed to apply a writing voltage to the semiconductor layer to change the in-plane polarization component between the first direction and the second direction. A reading electrode is employed to apply a reading voltage to the semiconductor layer to measure a tunneling current substantially perpendicular to the polarization direction of the in-plane polarization component. The directions of the reading voltage and the writing voltage are substantially perpendicular to each other. Therefore, the reading process ismore » non-destructive. Thin films (e.g., one unit cell thick) of ferroelectric material can be used in the memory device to increase the miniaturization of the device.« less

  10. Quantum memory node based on a semiconductor double quantum dot in a laser-controlled optical resonator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsukanov, A. V.; Kateev, I. Yu

    2017-08-01

    The concept of a quantum node consisting of a memory qubit and a frequency convertor is proposed and analysed. The memory qubit is presented by a semiconductor four-level double quantum dot (DQD) placed in an optical microresonator (MR). The DQD contains an electron in the quantised part of the conduction band and the MR can be populated by a certain number of photons. The DQD and MR states are controlled be applying the laser and electrostatic fields. The difference between the telecommunication frequency of the photon (transport qubit) supplied to the system through a waveguide and the frequency of the electronic transition in the DQD is compensated for using an auxiliary element, i.e. a frequency convertor based on a single quantum dot (QD). This design allows the electron - photon state of the hybrid system to be controlled by an appropriate variation of the field parameters and the switching between resonance and nonresonance DQD and MR interaction regimes. As an example, a GaAs DQD placed in a microdisk MR is studied. A numerical technique for modelling an optical spectrum of a microdisk MR with an additional layer (AL) deposited on its surface is developed. Using this technique, the effect of the AL on the MR eigenmode properties is investigated and the possibility of tuning its frequency to the QD electronic transition frequency by depositing an AL on the disk surface is demonstrated.

  11. SONOS technology for commercial and military nonvolatile memory applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, D.; Farrell, P.; Jacunski, M.; Williams, D.; Jakubczak, J.; Knoll, M.; Murray, J.

    Silicon Oxide Nitride Oxide Semiconductor (SONOS) technology is well suited for military and commercial nonvolatile memory applications. Excellent long term memory retention, radiation hardness, and endurance has been demonstrated with this technology. This paper summarizes our data in these areas for SONOS technology.

  12. Memory for recently accessed visual attributes.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Yuhong V; Shupe, Joshua M; Swallow, Khena M; Tan, Deborah H

    2016-08-01

    Recent reports have suggested that the attended features of an item may be rapidly forgotten once they are no longer relevant for an ongoing task (attribute amnesia). This finding relies on a surprise memory procedure that places high demands on declarative memory. We used intertrial priming to examine whether the representation of an item's identity is lost completely once it becomes task irrelevant. If so, then the identity of a target on one trial should not influence performance on the next trial. In 3 experiments, we replicated the finding that a target's identity is poorly recognized in a surprise memory test. However, we also observed location and identity repetition priming across consecutive trials. These data suggest that, although explicit recognition on a surprise memory test may be impaired, some information about a particular target's identity can be retained after it is no longer needed for a task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Semiconductor ring lasers coupled by a single waveguide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coomans, W.; Gelens, L.; Van der Sande, G.; Mezosi, G.; Sorel, M.; Danckaert, J.; Verschaffelt, G.

    2012-06-01

    We experimentally and theoretically study the characteristics of semiconductor ring lasers bidirectionally coupled by a single bus waveguide. This configuration has, e.g., been suggested for use as an optical memory and as an optical neural network motif. The main results are that the coupling can destabilize the state in which both rings lase in the same direction, and it brings to life a state with equal powers at both outputs. These are both undesirable for optical memory operation. Although the coupling between the rings is bidirectional, the destabilization occurs due to behavior similar to an optically injected laser system.

  14. Ferroelectric switching of poly(vinylidene difluoride-trifluoroethylene) in metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor non-volatile memories with an amorphous oxide semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gelinck, G. H.; van Breemen, A. J. J. M.; Cobb, B.

    2015-03-01

    Ferroelectric polarization switching of poly(vinylidene difluoride-trifluoroethylene) is investigated in different thin-film device structures, ranging from simple capacitors to dual-gate thin-film transistors (TFT). Indium gallium zinc oxide, a high mobility amorphous oxide material, is used as semiconductor. We find that the ferroelectric can be polarized in both directions in the metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) structure and in the dual-gate TFT under certain biasing conditions, but not in the single-gate thin-film transistors. These results disprove the common belief that MFS structures serve as a good model system for ferroelectric polarization switching in thin-film transistors.

  15. Sustained Resistive Switching in a Single Cu:7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane Nanowire: A Promising Material for Resistive Random Access Memory

    PubMed Central

    Basori, Rabaya; Kumar, Manoranjan; Raychaudhuri, Arup K.

    2016-01-01

    We report a new type of sustained and reversible unipolar resistive switching in a nanowire device made from a single strand of Cu:7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (Cu:TCNQ) nanowire (diameter <100 nm) that shows high ON/OFF ratio (~103), low threshold voltage of switching (~3.5 V) and large cycling endurance (>103). This indicates a promising material for high density resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device integration. Switching is observed in Cu:TCNQ single nanowire devices with two different electrode configuration: symmetric (C-Pt/Cu:TCNQ/C-Pt) and asymmetric (Cu/Cu:TCNQ/C-Pt), where contacts connecting the nanowire play an important role. This report also developed a method of separating out the electrode and material contributions in switching using metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device model along with a direct 4-probe resistivity measurement of the nanowire in the OFF as well as ON state. The device model was followed by a phenomenological model of current transport through the nanowire device which shows that lowering of potential barrier at the contacts likely occur due to formation of Cu filaments in the interface between nanowire and contact electrodes. We obtain quantitative agreement of numerically analyzed results with the experimental switching data. PMID:27245099

  16. Twin-bit via resistive random access memory in 16 nm FinFET logic technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shih, Yi-Hong; Hsu, Meng-Yin; King, Ya-Chin; Lin, Chrong Jung

    2018-04-01

    A via resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell fully compatible with the standard CMOS logic process has been successfully demonstrated for high-density logic nonvolatile memory (NVM) modules in advanced FinFET circuits. In this new cell, the transition metal layers are formed on both sides of a via, given two storage bits per via. In addition to its compact cell area (1T + 14 nm × 32 nm), the twin-bit via RRAM cell features a low operation voltage, a large read window, good data retention, and excellent cycling capability. As fine alignments between mask layers become possible, the twin-bit via RRAM cell is expected to be highly scalable in advanced FinFET technology.

  17. Overview of emerging nonvolatile memory technologies

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Nonvolatile memory technologies in Si-based electronics date back to the 1990s. Ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) was one of the most promising devices replacing the conventional Flash memory facing physical scaling limitations at those times. A variant of charge storage memory referred to as Flash memory is widely used in consumer electronic products such as cell phones and music players while NAND Flash-based solid-state disks (SSDs) are increasingly displacing hard disk drives as the primary storage device in laptops, desktops, and even data centers. The integration limit of Flash memories is approaching, and many new types of memory to replace conventional Flash memories have been proposed. Emerging memory technologies promise new memories to store more data at less cost than the expensive-to-build silicon chips used by popular consumer gadgets including digital cameras, cell phones and portable music players. They are being investigated and lead to the future as potential alternatives to existing memories in future computing systems. Emerging nonvolatile memory technologies such as magnetic random-access memory (MRAM), spin-transfer torque random-access memory (STT-RAM), ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), and resistive random-access memory (RRAM) combine the speed of static random-access memory (SRAM), the density of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and the nonvolatility of Flash memory and so become very attractive as another possibility for future memory hierarchies. Many other new classes of emerging memory technologies such as transparent and plastic, three-dimensional (3-D), and quantum dot memory technologies have also gained tremendous popularity in recent years. Subsequently, not an exaggeration to say that computer memory could soon earn the ultimate commercial validation for commercial scale-up and production the cheap plastic knockoff. Therefore, this review is devoted to the rapidly developing new

  18. Overview of emerging nonvolatile memory technologies.

    PubMed

    Meena, Jagan Singh; Sze, Simon Min; Chand, Umesh; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen

    2014-01-01

    Nonvolatile memory technologies in Si-based electronics date back to the 1990s. Ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) was one of the most promising devices replacing the conventional Flash memory facing physical scaling limitations at those times. A variant of charge storage memory referred to as Flash memory is widely used in consumer electronic products such as cell phones and music players while NAND Flash-based solid-state disks (SSDs) are increasingly displacing hard disk drives as the primary storage device in laptops, desktops, and even data centers. The integration limit of Flash memories is approaching, and many new types of memory to replace conventional Flash memories have been proposed. Emerging memory technologies promise new memories to store more data at less cost than the expensive-to-build silicon chips used by popular consumer gadgets including digital cameras, cell phones and portable music players. They are being investigated and lead to the future as potential alternatives to existing memories in future computing systems. Emerging nonvolatile memory technologies such as magnetic random-access memory (MRAM), spin-transfer torque random-access memory (STT-RAM), ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), and resistive random-access memory (RRAM) combine the speed of static random-access memory (SRAM), the density of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and the nonvolatility of Flash memory and so become very attractive as another possibility for future memory hierarchies. Many other new classes of emerging memory technologies such as transparent and plastic, three-dimensional (3-D), and quantum dot memory technologies have also gained tremendous popularity in recent years. Subsequently, not an exaggeration to say that computer memory could soon earn the ultimate commercial validation for commercial scale-up and production the cheap plastic knockoff. Therefore, this review is devoted to the rapidly developing new

  19. Direct access inter-process shared memory

    DOEpatents

    Brightwell, Ronald B; Pedretti, Kevin; Hudson, Trammell B

    2013-10-22

    A technique for directly sharing physical memory between processes executing on processor cores is described. The technique includes loading a plurality of processes into the physical memory for execution on a corresponding plurality of processor cores sharing the physical memory. An address space is mapped to each of the processes by populating a first entry in a top level virtual address table for each of the processes. The address space of each of the processes is cross-mapped into each of the processes by populating one or more subsequent entries of the top level virtual address table with the first entry in the top level virtual address table from other processes.

  20. High-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature.

    PubMed

    Hu, Jia-Mian; Li, Zheng; Chen, Long-Qing; Nan, Ce-Wen

    2011-11-22

    The main bottlenecks limiting the practical applications of current magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology are its low storage density and high writing energy consumption. Although a number of proposals have been reported for voltage-controlled memory device in recent years, none of them simultaneously satisfy the important device attributes: high storage capacity, low power consumption and room temperature operation. Here we present, using phase-field simulations, a simple and new pathway towards high-performance MRAMs that display significant improvements over existing MRAM technologies or proposed concepts. The proposed nanoscale MRAM device simultaneously exhibits ultrahigh storage capacity of up to 88 Gb inch(-2), ultralow power dissipation as low as 0.16 fJ per bit and room temperature high-speed operation below 10 ns.

  1. High-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Jia-Mian; Li, Zheng; Chen, Long-Qing; Nan, Ce-Wen

    2011-01-01

    The main bottlenecks limiting the practical applications of current magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology are its low storage density and high writing energy consumption. Although a number of proposals have been reported for voltage-controlled memory device in recent years, none of them simultaneously satisfy the important device attributes: high storage capacity, low power consumption and room temperature operation. Here we present, using phase-field simulations, a simple and new pathway towards high-performance MRAMs that display significant improvements over existing MRAM technologies or proposed concepts. The proposed nanoscale MRAM device simultaneously exhibits ultrahigh storage capacity of up to 88 Gb inch−2, ultralow power dissipation as low as 0.16 fJ per bit and room temperature high-speed operation below 10 ns. PMID:22109527

  2. Memory for Recently Accessed Visual Attributes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jiang, Yuhong V.; Shupe, Joshua M.; Swallow, Khena M.; Tan, Deborah H.

    2016-01-01

    Recent reports have suggested that the attended features of an item may be rapidly forgotten once they are no longer relevant for an ongoing task (attribute amnesia). This finding relies on a surprise memory procedure that places high demands on declarative memory. We used intertrial priming to examine whether the representation of an item's…

  3. The contribution to immediate serial recall of rehearsal, search speed, access to lexical memory, and phonological coding: an investigation at the construct level.

    PubMed

    Tehan, Gerald; Fogarty, Gerard; Ryan, Katherine

    2004-07-01

    Rehearsal speed has traditionally been seen to be the prime determinant of individual differences in memory span. Recent studies, in the main using young children as the participant population, have suggested other contributors to span performance. In the present research, we used structural equation modeling to explore, at the construct level, individual differences in immediate serial recall with respect to rehearsal, search, phonological coding, and speed of access to lexical memory. We replicated standard short-term phenomena; we showed that the variables that influence children's span performance influence adult performance in the same way; and we showed that speed of access to lexical memory and facility with phonological codes appear to be more potent sources of individual differences in immediate memory than is either rehearsal speed or search factors.

  4. Improved Writing-Conductor Designs For Magnetic Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

    1994-01-01

    Writing currents reduced to practical levels. Improved conceptual designs for writing conductors in micromagnet/Hall-effect random-access integrated-circuit memory reduces electrical current needed to magnetize micromagnet in each memory cell. Basic concept of micromagnet/Hall-effect random-access memory presented in "Magnetic Analog Random-Access Memory" (NPO-17999).

  5. Nanoscale CuO solid-electrolyte-based conductive-bridging, random-access memory cell with a TiN liner

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jong-Sun; Kim, Dong-Won; Kim, Hea-Jee; Jin, Soo-Min; Song, Myung-Jin; Kwon, Ki-Hyun; Park, Jea-Gun; Jalalah, Mohammed; Al-Hajry, Ali

    2018-01-01

    The Conductive-bridge random-access memory (CBRAM) cell is a promising candidate for a terabit-level non-volatile memory due to its remarkable advantages. We present for the first time TiN as a diffusion barrier in CBRAM cells for enhancing their reliability. CuO solid-electrolyte-based CBRAM cells implemented with a 0.1-nm TiN liner demonstrated better non-volatile memory characteristics such as 106 AC write/erase endurance cycles with 100-μs AC pulse width and a long retention time of 7.4-years at 85 °C. In addition, the analysis of Ag diffusion in the CBRAM cell suggests that the morphology of the Ag filaments in the electrolyte can be effectively controlled by tuning the thickness of the TiN liner. These promising results pave the way for faster commercialization of terabit-level non-volatile memories.

  6. All oxide semiconductor-based bidirectional vertical p-n-p selectors for 3D stackable crossbar-array electronics

    PubMed Central

    Bae, Yoon Cheol; Lee, Ah Rahm; Baek, Gwang Ho; Chung, Je Bock; Kim, Tae Yoon; Park, Jea Gun; Hong, Jin Pyo

    2015-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) stackable memory devices including nano-scaled crossbar array are central for the realization of high-density non-volatile memory electronics. However, an essential sneak path issue affecting device performance in crossbar array remains a bottleneck and a grand challenge. Therefore, a suitable bidirectional selector as a two-way switch is required to facilitate a major breakthrough in the 3D crossbar array memory devices. Here, we show the excellent selectivity of all oxide p-/n-type semiconductor-based p-n-p open-based bipolar junction transistors as selectors in crossbar memory array. We report that bidirectional nonlinear characteristics of oxide p-n-p junctions can be highly enhanced by manipulating p-/n-type oxide semiconductor characteristics. We also propose an associated Zener tunneling mechanism that explains the unique features of our p-n-p selector. Our experimental findings are further extended to confirm the profound functionality of oxide p-n-p selectors integrated with several bipolar resistive switching memory elements working as storage nodes. PMID:26289565

  7. A review of the semiconductor storage of television signals. Part 2: Applications 1975-1986

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riley, J. L.

    1987-08-01

    This is the second of two reports. In the first, the emerging semiconductor memory technology over the last two decades and some of the important operational characteristics of each ensuing generation of device are described together with the design philosophy for forming the devices into useful tools for the storage of television signals. The second of these reports describes some of the applications. These include improved television synchronizers, high quality PAL decoders, television noise reducers, film dirt concealment equipment and buffer storage for television picture processing equipment such as stills stores. The continuing developments in the technology promise still further increases of memory capacity and there is a proposal to build a mass semiconductor television picture sequence store, initially as a research tool.

  8. Temperature dependent characteristics of the random telegraph noise on contact resistive random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Liang-Shun; Lin, Chrong Jung; King, Ya-Chin

    2014-01-01

    The temperature dependent characteristics of the random telegraphic noise (RTN) on contact resistive random access memory (CRRAM) are studied in this work. In addition to the bi-level switching, the occurrences of the middle states in the RTN signal are investigated. Based on the unique its temperature dependent characteristics, a new temperature sensing scheme is proposed for applications in ultra-low power sensor modules.

  9. Distributed multiport memory architecture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohl, W. H. (Inventor)

    1983-01-01

    A multiport memory architecture is diclosed for each of a plurality of task centers connected to a command and data bus. Each task center, includes a memory and a plurality of devices which request direct memory access as needed. The memory includes an internal data bus and an internal address bus to which the devices are connected, and direct timing and control logic comprised of a 10-state ring counter for allocating memory devices by enabling AND gates connected to the request signal lines of the devices. The outputs of AND gates connected to the same device are combined by OR gates to form an acknowledgement signal that enables the devices to address the memory during the next clock period. The length of the ring counter may be effectively lengthened to any multiple of ten to allow for more direct memory access intervals in one repetitive sequence. One device is a network bus adapter which serially shifts onto the command and data bus, a data word (8 bits plus control and parity bits) during the next ten direct memory access intervals after it has been granted access. The NBA is therefore allocated only one access in every ten intervals, which is a predetermined interval for all centers. The ring counters of all centers are periodically synchronized by DMA SYNC signal to assure that all NBAs be able to function in synchronism for data transfer from one center to another.

  10. Light programmable organic transistor memory device based on hybrid dielectric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Xiaochen; Chan, Paddy K. L.

    2013-09-01

    We have fabricated the transistor memory devices based on SiO2 and polystyrene (PS) hybrid dielectric. The trap states densities with different semiconductors have been investigated and a maximum 160V memory window between programming and erasing is realized. For DNTT based transistor, the trapped electron density is limited by the number of mobile electrons in semiconductor. The charge transport mechanism is verified by light induced Vth shift effect. Furthermore, in order to meet the low operating power requirement of portable electronic devices, we fabricated the organic memory transistor based on AlOx/self-assembly monolayer (SAM)/PS hybrid dielectric, the effective capacitance of hybrid dielectric is 210 nF cm-2 and the transistor can reach saturation state at -3V gate bias. The memory window in transfer I-V curve is around 1V under +/-5V programming and erasing bias.

  11. Ferroelectric-field-effect-enhanced electroresistance in metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, Zheng; Li, Chen; Wu, Di; Li, Aidong; Ming, Naiben

    2013-07-01

    Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs), composed of two metal electrodes separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric barrier, have attracted much attention as promising candidates for non-volatile resistive memories. Theoretical and experimental works have revealed that the tunnelling resistance switching in FTJs originates mainly from a ferroelectric modulation on the barrier height. However, in these devices, modulation on the barrier width is very limited, although the tunnelling transmittance depends on it exponentially as well. Here we propose a novel tunnelling heterostructure by replacing one of the metal electrodes in a normal FTJ with a heavily doped semiconductor. In these metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor FTJs, not only the height but also the width of the barrier can be electrically modulated as a result of a ferroelectric field effect, leading to a greatly enhanced tunnelling electroresistance. This idea is implemented in Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 heterostructures, in which an ON/OFF conductance ratio above 104, about one to two orders greater than those reported in normal FTJs, can be achieved at room temperature. The giant tunnelling electroresistance, reliable switching reproducibility and long data retention observed in these metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor FTJs suggest their great potential in non-destructive readout non-volatile memories.

  12. Non-volatile, high density, high speed, Micromagnet-Hall effect Random Access Memory (MHRAM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin C.; Katti, Romney R.; Stadler, Henry L.

    1991-01-01

    The micromagnetic Hall effect random access memory (MHRAM) has the potential of replacing ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, and SRAMs because of its ability to achieve non-volatility, radiation hardness, high density, and fast access times, simultaneously. Information is stored magnetically in small magnetic elements (micromagnets), allowing unlimited data retention time, unlimited numbers of rewrite cycles, and inherent radiation hardness and SEU immunity, making the MHRAM suitable for ground based as well as spaceflight applications. The MHRAM device design is not affected by areal property fluctuations in the micromagnet, so high operating margins and high yield can be achieved in large scale integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. The MHRAM has short access times (less than 100 nsec). Write access time is short because on-chip transistors are used to gate current quickly, and magnetization reversal in the micromagnet can occur in a matter of a few nanoseconds. Read access time is short because the high electron mobility sensor (InAs or InSb) produces a large signal voltage in response to the fringing magnetic field from the micromagnet. High storage density is achieved since a unit cell consists only of two transistors and one micromagnet Hall effect element. By comparison, a DRAM unit cell has one transistor and one capacitor, and a SRAM unit cell has six transistors.

  13. In2Ga2ZnO7 oxide semiconductor based charge trap device for NAND flash memory.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Eun Suk; Kim, Jun Shik; Jeon, Seok Min; Lee, Seung Jun; Jang, Younjin; Cho, Deok-Yong; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2018-04-01

    The programming characteristics of charge trap flash memory device adopting amorphous In 2 Ga 2 ZnO 7 (a-IGZO) oxide semiconductors as channel layer were evaluated. Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and RF-sputtering processes were used to grow a 45 nm thick a-IGZO layer on a 20 nm thick SiO 2 (blocking oxide)/p ++ -Si (control gate) substrate, where 3 nm thick atomic layer deposited Al 2 O 3 (tunneling oxide) and 5 nm thick low-pressure CVD Si 3 N 4 (charge trap) layers were intervened between the a-IGZO and substrate. Despite the identical stoichiometry and other physicochemical properties of the MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, a much faster programming speed of MOCVD a-IGZO was observed. A comparable amount of oxygen vacancies was found in both MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and bias-illumination-instability test measurements. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed a higher Fermi level (E F ) of the MOCVD a-IGZO (∼0.3 eV) film than that of the sputtered a-IGZO, which could be ascribed to the higher hydrogen concentration in the MOCVD a-IGZO film. Since the programming in a flash memory device is governed by the tunneling of electrons from the channel to charge trapping layer, the faster programming performance could be the result of a higher E F of MOCVD a-IGZO.

  14. In2Ga2ZnO7 oxide semiconductor based charge trap device for NAND flash memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hwang, Eun Suk; Kim, Jun Shik; Jeon, Seok Min; Lee, Seung Jun; Jang, Younjin; Cho, Deok-Yong; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2018-04-01

    The programming characteristics of charge trap flash memory device adopting amorphous In2Ga2ZnO7 (a-IGZO) oxide semiconductors as channel layer were evaluated. Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and RF-sputtering processes were used to grow a 45 nm thick a-IGZO layer on a 20 nm thick SiO2 (blocking oxide)/p++-Si (control gate) substrate, where 3 nm thick atomic layer deposited Al2O3 (tunneling oxide) and 5 nm thick low-pressure CVD Si3N4 (charge trap) layers were intervened between the a-IGZO and substrate. Despite the identical stoichiometry and other physicochemical properties of the MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, a much faster programming speed of MOCVD a-IGZO was observed. A comparable amount of oxygen vacancies was found in both MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and bias-illumination-instability test measurements. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed a higher Fermi level (E F) of the MOCVD a-IGZO (∼0.3 eV) film than that of the sputtered a-IGZO, which could be ascribed to the higher hydrogen concentration in the MOCVD a-IGZO film. Since the programming in a flash memory device is governed by the tunneling of electrons from the channel to charge trapping layer, the faster programming performance could be the result of a higher E F of MOCVD a-IGZO.

  15. Attentional priorities and access to short-term memory: parietal interactions.

    PubMed

    Gillebert, Céline R; Dyrholm, Mads; Vangkilde, Signe; Kyllingsbæk, Søren; Peeters, Ronald; Vandenberghe, Rik

    2012-09-01

    The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) has been implicated in selective attention as well as visual short-term memory (VSTM). To contrast mechanisms of target selection, distracter filtering, and access to VSTM, we combined behavioral testing, computational modeling and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in a change detection task in which we manipulated both target and distracter set sizes. We directly compared the IPS response as a function of the number of targets and distracters in the display and in VSTM. When distracters were not present, the posterior and middle segments of IPS showed the predicted asymptotic activity increase with an increasing target set size. When distracters were added to a single target, activity also increased as predicted. However, the addition of distracters to multiple targets suppressed both middle and posterior IPS activities, thereby displaying a significant interaction between the two factors. The interaction between target and distracter set size in IPS could not be accounted for by a simple explanation in terms of number of items accessing VSTM. Instead, it led us to a model where items accessing VSTM receive differential weights depending on their behavioral relevance, and secondly, a suppressive effect originates during the selection phase when multiple targets and multiple distracters are simultaneously present. The reverse interaction between target and distracter set size was significant in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), where activity was highest for a single target compared to any other condition. Our study reconciles the role of middle IPS in attentional selection and biased competition with its role in VSTM access. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Response of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System to Memory Retrieval After Extended-Access Cocaine or Saline Self-Administration.

    PubMed

    Werner, Craig T; Milovanovic, Mike; Christian, Daniel T; Loweth, Jessica A; Wolf, Marina E

    2015-12-01

    The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has been implicated in the retrieval-induced destabilization of cocaine- and fear-related memories in Pavlovian paradigms. However, nothing is known about its role in memory retrieval after self-administration of cocaine, an operant paradigm, or how the length of withdrawal from cocaine may influence retrieval mechanisms. Here, we examined UPS activity after an extended-access cocaine self-administration regimen that leads to withdrawal-dependent incubation of cue-induced cocaine craving. Controls self-administered saline. In initial experiments, memory retrieval was elicited via a cue-induced seeking/retrieval test on withdrawal day (WD) 50-60, when craving has incubated. We found that retrieval of cocaine- and saline-associated memories produced similar increases in polyubiquitinated proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), compared with rats that did not undergo a seeking/retrieval test. Measures of proteasome catalytic activity confirmed similar activation of the UPS after retrieval of saline and cocaine memories. However, in a subsequent experiment in which testing was conducted on WD1, proteasome activity in the NAc was greater after retrieval of cocaine memory than saline memory. Analysis of other brain regions confirmed that effects of cocaine memory retrieval on proteasome activity, relative to saline memory retrieval, depend on withdrawal time. These results, combined with prior studies, suggest that the relationship between UPS activity and memory retrieval depends on training paradigm, brain region, and time elapsed between training and retrieval. The observation that mechanisms underlying cocaine memory retrieval change depending on the age of the memory has implications for development of memory destabilization therapies for cue-induced relapse in cocaine addicts.

  17. Optical mass memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bailey, G. A.

    1976-01-01

    Optical and magnetic variants in the design of trillion-bit read/write memories are compared and tabulated. Components and materials suitable for a random access read/write nonmoving memory system are examined, with preference given to holography and photoplastic materials. Advantages and deficiencies of photoplastics are reviewed. Holographic page composer design, essential features of an optical memory with no moving parts, fiche-oriented random access memory design, and materials suitable for an efficient photoplastic fiche are considered. The optical variants offer advantages in lower volume and weight at data transfer rates near 1 Mbit/sec, but power drain is of the same order as for the magnetic variants (tape memory, disk memory). The mechanical properties of photoplastic film materials still leave much to be desired.

  18. Parity of access to memory services in London for the BAME population: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Cook, Laura; Mukherjee, Sujoy; McLachlan, Tim; Shah, Rajendra; Livingston, Gill; Mukadam, Naaheed

    2018-03-12

    To investigate whether referrals to memory services in London reflect the ethnic diversity of the population. Memory service data including referral rates of BAME was collected from London Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The expected percentage of BAME referrals using census data was compared against White British population percentages using the chi squared test. We found that within 13,166 referrals to memory services across London, the percentage of people from BAME groups was higher than would be expected (20.3 versus 19.4%; χ 2 = 39.203, d.f. = 1, p < 0.0001) indicating that generally people from BAME groups are accessing memory services. Seventy-nine percent of memory services had more referrals than expected or no significant difference for all BAME groups. When there were fewer referrals then expected, the largest difference in percentage for an individual ethnic group was 3.3%. Results are encouraging and may indicate a significant improvement in awareness of dementia and help seeking behaviour among BAME populations. Prevalence of dementia in some ethnic groups may be higher so these numbers could still indicate under-referral. Due to the data available we were unable to compare disease severity or diagnosis type.

  19. Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    DOEpatents

    Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

    2011-03-15

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, triaxially textured, single-crystal or single-crystal-like, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  20. Optical memories in digital computing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alford, C. O.; Gaylord, T. K.

    1979-01-01

    High capacity optical memories with relatively-high data-transfer rate and multiport simultaneous access capability may serve as basis for new computer architectures. Several computer structures that might profitably use memories are: a) simultaneous record-access system, b) simultaneously-shared memory computer system, and c) parallel digital processing structure.

  1. Modeling of Sonos Memory Cell Erase Cycle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, Thomas A.; MacLeond, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

    2010-01-01

    Silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) nonvolatile semiconductor memories (NVSMS) have many advantages. These memories are electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs). They utilize low programming voltages, endure extended erase/write cycles, are inherently resistant to radiation, and are compatible with high-density scaled CMOS for low power, portable electronics. The SONOS memory cell erase cycle was investigated using a nonquasi-static (NQS) MOSFET model. The SONOS floating gate charge and voltage, tunneling current, threshold voltage, and drain current were characterized during an erase cycle. Comparisons were made between the model predictions and experimental device data.

  2. GMAG Dissertation Award: Tunnel spin injectors for semiconductor spintronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Xin

    2004-03-01

    Spin-based electronics aims to develop novel sensor, memory and logic devices by manipulating the spin states of carriers in semiconducting materials. This talk will focus on electrical spin injection into semiconductors, which is a prerequisite for spintronics and, in particular, on tunnel based spin injectors that are potentially operable above room temperature. The magneto-transport properties of two families of tunnel spin injectors will be discussed. The spin polarization of the electron current within the semiconductor is detected by measuring the circular polarization of the electroluminescence (EL) from a quantum well light emitting diode structure. The temperature and bias dependence of the EL polarization provides insight into the mechanism of spin relaxation within the semiconductor heterostructure. Collaborators: Roger Wang^1,2, Sebastiaan van Dijken^1,*, Robert Shelby^1, Roger Macfarlane^1, Seth Bank^2, Glenn Solomon^2, James Harris^2, and Stuart S. P. Parkin^1 * Currently at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

  3. Tunnel field-effect transistor charge-trapping memory with steep subthreshold slope and large memory window

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kino, Hisashi; Fukushima, Takafumi; Tanaka, Tetsu

    2018-04-01

    Charge-trapping memory requires the increase of bit density per cell and a larger memory window for lower-power operation. A tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) can achieve to increase the bit density per cell owing to its steep subthreshold slope. In addition, a TFET structure has an asymmetric structure, which is promising for achieving a larger memory window. A TFET with the N-type gate shows a higher electric field between the P-type source and the N-type gate edge than the conventional FET structure. This high electric field enables large amounts of charges to be injected into the charge storage layer. In this study, we fabricated silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) memory devices with the TFET structure and observed a steep subthreshold slope and a larger memory window.

  4. Carbon nanomaterials for non-volatile memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, Ethan C.; Wong, H.-S. Philip; Pop, Eric

    2018-03-01

    Carbon can create various low-dimensional nanostructures with remarkable electronic, optical, mechanical and thermal properties. These features make carbon nanomaterials especially interesting for next-generation memory and storage devices, such as resistive random access memory, phase-change memory, spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory and ferroelectric random access memory. Non-volatile memories greatly benefit from the use of carbon nanomaterials in terms of bit density and energy efficiency. In this Review, we discuss sp2-hybridized carbon-based low-dimensional nanostructures, such as fullerene, carbon nanotubes and graphene, in the context of non-volatile memory devices and architectures. Applications of carbon nanomaterials as memory electrodes, interfacial engineering layers, resistive-switching media, and scalable, high-performance memory selectors are investigated. Finally, we compare the different memory technologies in terms of writing energy and time, and highlight major challenges in the manufacturing, integration and understanding of the physical mechanisms and material properties.

  5. Photo-reactive charge trapping memory based on lanthanide complex.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Jiaqing; Lo, Wai-Sum; Zhou, Li; Sun, Qi-Jun; Chan, Chi-Fai; Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Yan, Yan; Wong, Wing-Tak; Wong, Ka-Leung; Roy, V A L

    2015-10-09

    Traditional utilization of photo-induced excitons is popularly but restricted in the fields of photovoltaic devices as well as photodetectors, and efforts on broadening its function have always been attempted. However, rare reports are available on organic field effect transistor (OFET) memory employing photo-induced charges. Here, we demonstrate an OFET memory containing a novel organic lanthanide complex Eu(tta)3ppta (Eu(tta)3 = Europium(III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, ppta = 2-phenyl-4,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine), in which the photo-induced charges can be successfully trapped and detrapped. The luminescent complex emits intense red emission upon ultraviolet (UV) light excitation and serves as a trapping element of holes injected from the pentacene semiconductor layer. Memory window can be significantly enlarged by light-assisted programming and erasing procedures, during which the photo-induced excitons in the semiconductor layer are separated by voltage bias. The enhancement of memory window is attributed to the increasing number of photo-induced excitons by the UV light. The charges are stored in this luminescent complex for at least 10(4) s after withdrawing voltage bias. The present study on photo-assisted novel memory may motivate the research on a new type of light tunable charge trapping photo-reactive memory devices.

  6. Photo-reactive charge trapping memory based on lanthanide complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhuang, Jiaqing; Lo, Wai-Sum; Zhou, Li; Sun, Qi-Jun; Chan, Chi-Fai; Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Yan, Yan; Wong, Wing-Tak; Wong, Ka-Leung; Roy, V. A. L.

    2015-10-01

    Traditional utilization of photo-induced excitons is popularly but restricted in the fields of photovoltaic devices as well as photodetectors, and efforts on broadening its function have always been attempted. However, rare reports are available on organic field effect transistor (OFET) memory employing photo-induced charges. Here, we demonstrate an OFET memory containing a novel organic lanthanide complex Eu(tta)3ppta (Eu(tta)3 = Europium(III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, ppta = 2-phenyl-4,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine), in which the photo-induced charges can be successfully trapped and detrapped. The luminescent complex emits intense red emission upon ultraviolet (UV) light excitation and serves as a trapping element of holes injected from the pentacene semiconductor layer. Memory window can be significantly enlarged by light-assisted programming and erasing procedures, during which the photo-induced excitons in the semiconductor layer are separated by voltage bias. The enhancement of memory window is attributed to the increasing number of photo-induced excitons by the UV light. The charges are stored in this luminescent complex for at least 104 s after withdrawing voltage bias. The present study on photo-assisted novel memory may motivate the research on a new type of light tunable charge trapping photo-reactive memory devices.

  7. Design and measurement of fully digital ternary content addressable memory using ratioless static random access memory cells and hierarchical-AND matching comparator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishikata, Daisuke; Ali, Mohammad Alimudin Bin Mohd; Hosoda, Kento; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Kazuyuki

    2018-04-01

    A 36-bit × 32-entry fully digital ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) using the ratioless static random access memory (RL-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed. Since its fully complementary and digital operation enables the effect of device variabilities to be avoided, it can operate with a quite low supply voltage. A test chip incorporating a conventional TCAM and a proposed 24-transistor ratioless TCAM (RL-TCAM) cells and HAMCs was developed using a 0.18 µm CMOS process. The minimum operating voltage of 0.25 V of the developed RL-TCAM, which is less than half of that of the conventional TCAM, was measured via the conventional CMOS push–pull output buffers with the level-shifting and flipping technique using optimized pull-up voltage and resistors.

  8. Electrical Evaluation of RCA MWS5001D Random Access Memory, Volume 5, Appendix D

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    The electrical characterization and qualification test results are presented for the RCA MWS 5001D random access memory. The tests included functional tests, AC and DC parametric tests, AC parametric worst-case pattern selection test, determination of worst-case transition for setup and hold times, and a series of schmoo plots. Average input high current, worst case input high current, output low current, and data setup time are some of the results presented.

  9. Electrical Evaluation of RCA MWS5001D Random Access Memory, Volume 4, Appendix C

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    The electrical characterization and qualification test results are presented for the RCA MWS5001D random access memory. The tests included functional tests, AC and DC parametric tests, AC parametric worst-case pattern selection test, determination of worst-case transition for setup and hold times, and a series of schmoo plots. Statistical analysis data is supplied along with write pulse width, read cycle time, write cycle time, and chip enable time data.

  10. Accessing long-term memory representations during visual change detection.

    PubMed

    Beck, Melissa R; van Lamsweerde, Amanda E

    2011-04-01

    In visual change detection tasks, providing a cue to the change location concurrent with the test image (post-cue) can improve performance, suggesting that, without a cue, not all encoded representations are automatically accessed. Our studies examined the possibility that post-cues can encourage the retrieval of representations stored in long-term memory (LTM). Participants detected changes in images composed of familiar objects. Performance was better when the cue directed attention to the post-change object. Supporting the role of LTM in the cue effect, the effect was similar regardless of whether the cue was presented during the inter-stimulus interval, concurrent with the onset of the test image, or after the onset of the test image. Furthermore, the post-cue effect and LTM performance were similarly influenced by encoding time. These findings demonstrate that monitoring the visual world for changes does not automatically engage LTM retrieval.

  11. Influence of ultraviolet irradiation on data retention characteristics in resistive random access memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kimura, K.; Ohmi, K.; Tottori University Electronic Display Research Center, 101 Minami4-chome, Koyama-cho, Tottori-shi, Tottori 680-8551

    With increasing density of memory devices, the issue of generating soft errors by cosmic rays is becoming more and more serious. Therefore, the irradiation resistance of resistance random access memory (ReRAM) to cosmic radiation has to be elucidated for practical use. In this paper, we investigated the data retention characteristics of ReRAM against ultraviolet irradiation with a Pt/NiO/ITO structure. Soft errors were confirmed to be caused by ultraviolet irradiation in both low- and high-resistance states. An analysis of the wavelength dependence of light irradiation on data retention characteristics suggested that electronic excitation from the valence to the conduction band andmore » to the energy level generated due to the introduction of oxygen vacancies caused the errors. Based on a statistically estimated soft error rates, the errors were suggested to be caused by the cohesion and dispersion of oxygen vacancies owing to the generation of electron-hole pairs and valence changes by the ultraviolet irradiation.« less

  12. Electrical properties and transport mechanisms in phase change memory thin films of quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sherchenkov, A. A.; Kozyukhin, S. A., E-mail: sergkoz@igic.ras.ru; Lazarenko, P. I.

    The temperature dependences of the resistivity and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of phase change memory thin films based on quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, GeSb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, and GeSb{sub 4}Te{sub 7} are investigated. The effect of composition variation along the quasibinary line on the electrical properties and transport mechanisms of the thin films is studied. The existence of three ranges with different I–V characteristics is established. The position and concentration of energy levels controlling carrier transport are estimated. The results obtained show that the electrical properties of the thin films can significantly change during a shiftmore » along the quasi-binary line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, which is important for targeted optimization of the phase change memory technology.« less

  13. Nonvolatile reconfigurable sequential logic in a HfO2 resistive random access memory array.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Ya-Xiong; Li, Yi; Su, Yu-Ting; Wang, Zhuo-Rui; Shih, Ling-Yi; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Long, Shi-Bing; Sze, Simon M; Miao, Xiang-Shui

    2017-05-25

    Resistive random access memory (RRAM) based reconfigurable logic provides a temporal programmable dimension to realize Boolean logic functions and is regarded as a promising route to build non-von Neumann computing architecture. In this work, a reconfigurable operation method is proposed to perform nonvolatile sequential logic in a HfO 2 -based RRAM array. Eight kinds of Boolean logic functions can be implemented within the same hardware fabrics. During the logic computing processes, the RRAM devices in an array are flexibly configured in a bipolar or complementary structure. The validity was demonstrated by experimentally implemented NAND and XOR logic functions and a theoretically designed 1-bit full adder. With the trade-off between temporal and spatial computing complexity, our method makes better use of limited computing resources, thus provides an attractive scheme for the construction of logic-in-memory systems.

  14. Organic nonvolatile resistive memory devices based on thermally deposited Au nanoparticle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Zhiwen; Liu, Guo; Wang, Jizheng

    2013-05-01

    Uniform Au nanoparticles (NPs) are formed by thermally depositing nominal 2-nm thick Au film on a 10-nm thick polyimide film formed on a Al electrode, and then covered by a thin polymer semiconductor film, which acts as an energy barrier for electrons to be injected from the other Al electrode (on top of polymer film) into the Au NPs, which are energetically electron traps in such a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. The Au NPs based RRAM device exhibits estimated retention time of 104 s, cycle times of more than 100, and ON-OFF ratio of 102 to 103. The carrier transport properties are also analyzed by fitting the measured I-V curves with several conduction models.

  15. Enhancement of Speed Margins for 16× Digital Versatile Disc-Random Access Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watanabe, Koichi; Minemura, Hiroyuki; Miyamoto, Makoto; Iimura, Makoto

    2006-02-01

    We have evaluated the speed margins of write/read 16× digital versatile disc-random access memory (DVD-RAM) test discs using write strategies for 6--16× constant angular velocity (CAV) control. Our approach is to determine the writing parameters for the middle zones by interpolating the zone numbers. Using this interpolation strategy, we successfully obtained overwrite jitter values of less than 8% and bit error rates of less than 10-5 in 6--16× DVD-RAM. Moreover, we confirmed that the speed margins were ± 20% for a 6--16× CAV.

  16. Tuning resistance states by thickness control in an electroforming-free nanometallic complementary resistance random access memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Xiang; Lu, Yang; Lee, Jongho

    2016-01-04

    Tuning low resistance state is crucial for resistance random access memory (RRAM) that aims to achieve optimal read margin and design flexibility. By back-to-back stacking two nanometallic bipolar RRAMs with different thickness into a complementary structure, we have found that its low resistance can be reliably tuned over several orders of magnitude. Such high tunability originates from the exponential thickness dependence of the high resistance state of nanometallic RRAM, in which electron wave localization in a random network gives rise to the unique scaling behavior. The complementary nanometallic RRAM provides electroforming-free, multi-resistance-state, sub-100 ns switching capability with advantageous characteristics formore » memory arrays.« less

  17. Hydrogen doping in HfO{sub 2} resistance change random access memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duncan, D.; Magyari-Köpe, B.; Nishi, Y.

    2016-01-25

    The structures and energies of hydrogen-doped monoclinic hafnium dioxide were calculated using density-functional theory. The electronic interactions are described within the LDA + U formalism, where on-site Coulomb corrections are applied to the 5d orbital electrons of Hf atoms and 2p orbital electrons of the O atoms. The effects of charge state, defect-defect interactions, and hydrogenation are investigated and compared with experiment. It is found that hydrogenation of HfO{sub 2} resistance-change random access memory devices energetically stabilizes the formation of oxygen vacancies and conductive vacancy filaments through multiple mechanisms, leading to improved switching characteristic and device yield.

  18. Evaluation of Data Retention Characteristics for Ferroelectric Random Access Memories (FRAMs)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sharma, Ashok K.; Teverovsky, Alexander

    2001-01-01

    Data retention and fatigue characteristics of 64 Kb lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based Ferroelectric Random Access Memories (FRAMs) microcircuits manufactured by Ramtron were examined over temperature range from -85 C to +310 C for ceramic packaged parts and from -85 C to +175 C for plastic parts, during retention periods up to several thousand hours. Intrinsic failures, which were caused by a thermal degradation of the ferroelectric cells, occurred in ceramic parts after tens or hundreds hours of aging at temperatures above 200 C. The activation energy of the retention test failures was 1.05 eV and the extrapolated mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) at room temperature was estimated to be more than 280 years. Multiple write-read cycling (up to 3x10(exp 7)) during the fatigue testing of plastic and ceramic parts did not result in any parametric or functional failures. However, operational currents linearly decreased with the logarithm of number of cycles thus indicating fatigue process in PZT films. Plastic parts, that had more recent date code as compared to ceramic parts, appeared to be using die with improved process technology and showed significantly smaller changes in operational currents and data access times.

  19. Selective memory retrieval can impair and improve retrieval of other memories.

    PubMed

    Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T; Samenieh, Anuscheh

    2012-03-01

    Research from the past decades has shown that retrieval of a specific memory (e.g., retrieving part of a previous vacation) typically attenuates retrieval of other memories (e.g., memories for other details of the event), causing retrieval-induced forgetting. More recently, however, it has been shown that retrieval can both attenuate and aid recall of other memories (K.-H. T. Bäuml & A. Samenieh, 2010). To identify the circumstances under which retrieval aids recall, the authors examined retrieval dynamics in listwise directed forgetting, context-dependent forgetting, proactive interference, and in the absence of any induced memory impairment. They found beneficial effects of selective retrieval in listwise directed forgetting and context-dependent forgetting but detrimental effects in all the other conditions. Because context-dependent forgetting and listwise directed forgetting arguably reflect impaired context access, the results suggest that memory retrieval aids recall of memories that are subject to impaired context access but attenuates recall in the absence of such circumstances. The findings are consistent with a 2-factor account of memory retrieval and suggest the existence of 2 faces of memory retrieval. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

  20. Multiple core computer processor with globally-accessible local memories

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shalf, John; Donofrio, David; Oliker, Leonid

    A multi-core computer processor including a plurality of processor cores interconnected in a Network-on-Chip (NoC) architecture, a plurality of caches, each of the plurality of caches being associated with one and only one of the plurality of processor cores, and a plurality of memories, each of the plurality of memories being associated with a different set of at least one of the plurality of processor cores and each of the plurality of memories being configured to be visible in a global memory address space such that the plurality of memories are visible to two or more of the plurality ofmore » processor cores.« less

  1. Low power consumption resistance random access memory with Pt/InOx/TiN structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jyun-Bao; Chang, Ting-Chang; Huang, Jheng-Jie; Chen, Yu-Ting; Tseng, Hsueh-Chih; Chu, Ann-Kuo; Sze, Simon M.; Tsai, Ming-Jinn

    2013-09-01

    In this study, the resistance switching characteristics of a resistive random access memory device with Pt/InOx/TiN structure is investigated. Unstable bipolar switching behavior is observed during the initial switching cycle, which then stabilizes after several switching cycles. Analyses indicate that the current conduction mechanism in the resistance state is dominated by Ohmic conduction. The decrease in electrical conductance can be attributed to the reduction of the cross-sectional area of the conduction path. Furthermore, the device exhibits low operation voltage and power consumption.

  2. Performance of an MPI-only semiconductor device simulator on a quad socket/quad core InfiniBand platform.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shadid, John Nicolas; Lin, Paul Tinphone

    2009-01-01

    This preliminary study considers the scaling and performance of a finite element (FE) semiconductor device simulator on a capacity cluster with 272 compute nodes based on a homogeneous multicore node architecture utilizing 16 cores. The inter-node communication backbone for this Tri-Lab Linux Capacity Cluster (TLCC) machine is comprised of an InfiniBand interconnect. The nonuniform memory access (NUMA) nodes consist of 2.2 GHz quad socket/quad core AMD Opteron processors. The performance results for this study are obtained with a FE semiconductor device simulation code (Charon) that is based on a fully-coupled Newton-Krylov solver with domain decomposition and multilevel preconditioners. Scaling andmore » multicore performance results are presented for large-scale problems of 100+ million unknowns on up to 4096 cores. A parallel scaling comparison is also presented with the Cray XT3/4 Red Storm capability platform. The results indicate that an MPI-only programming model for utilizing the multicore nodes is reasonably efficient on all 16 cores per compute node. However, the results also indicated that the multilevel preconditioner, which is critical for large-scale capability type simulations, scales better on the Red Storm machine than the TLCC machine.« less

  3. A hybrid magnetic/complementary metal oxide semiconductor three-context memory bit cell for non-volatile circuit design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jovanović, B.; Brum, R. M.; Torres, L.

    2014-04-01

    After decades of continued scaling to the beat of Moore's law, it now appears that conventional silicon based devices are approaching their physical limits. In today's deep-submicron nodes, a number of short-channel and quantum effects are emerging that affect the manufacturing process, as well as, the functionality of the microelectronic systems-on-chip. Spintronics devices that exploit both the intrinsic spin of the electron and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to its fundamental electronic charge, are promising solutions to circumvent these scaling threats. Being compatible with the CMOS technology, such devices offer a promising synergy of radiation immunity, infinite endurance, non-volatility, increased density, etc. In this paper, we present a hybrid (magnetic/CMOS) cell that is able to store and process data both electrically and magnetically. The cell is based on perpendicular spin-transfer torque magnetic tunnel junctions (STT-MTJs) and is suitable for use in magnetic random access memories and reprogrammable computing (non-volatile registers, processor cache memories, magnetic field-programmable gate arrays, etc). To demonstrate the potential our hybrid cell, we physically implemented a small hybrid memory block using 45 nm × 45 nm round MTJs for the magnetic part and 28 nm fully depleted silicon on insulator (FD-SOI) technology for the CMOS part. We also report the cells measured performances in terms of area, robustness, read/write speed and energy consumption.

  4. Material insights of HfO2-based integrated 1-transistor-1-resistor resistive random access memory devices processed by batch atomic layer deposition

    PubMed Central

    Niu, Gang; Kim, Hee-Dong; Roelofs, Robin; Perez, Eduardo; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Zaumseil, Peter; Costina, Ioan; Wenger, Christian

    2016-01-01

    With the continuous scaling of resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices, in-depth understanding of the physical mechanism and the material issues, particularly by directly studying integrated cells, become more and more important to further improve the device performances. In this work, HfO2-based integrated 1-transistor-1-resistor (1T1R) RRAM devices were processed in a standard 0.25 μm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process line, using a batch atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool, which is particularly designed for mass production. We demonstrate a systematic study on TiN/Ti/HfO2/TiN/Si RRAM devices to correlate key material factors (nano-crystallites and carbon impurities) with the filament type resistive switching (RS) behaviours. The augmentation of the nano-crystallites density in the film increases the forming voltage of devices and its variation. Carbon residues in HfO2 films turn out to be an even more significant factor strongly impacting the RS behaviour. A relatively higher deposition temperature of 300 °C dramatically reduces the residual carbon concentration, thus leading to enhanced RS performances of devices, including lower power consumption, better endurance and higher reliability. Such thorough understanding on physical mechanism of RS and the correlation between material and device performances will facilitate the realization of high density and reliable embedded RRAM devices with low power consumption. PMID:27312225

  5. Material insights of HfO2-based integrated 1-transistor-1-resistor resistive random access memory devices processed by batch atomic layer deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niu, Gang; Kim, Hee-Dong; Roelofs, Robin; Perez, Eduardo; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Zaumseil, Peter; Costina, Ioan; Wenger, Christian

    2016-06-01

    With the continuous scaling of resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices, in-depth understanding of the physical mechanism and the material issues, particularly by directly studying integrated cells, become more and more important to further improve the device performances. In this work, HfO2-based integrated 1-transistor-1-resistor (1T1R) RRAM devices were processed in a standard 0.25 μm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process line, using a batch atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool, which is particularly designed for mass production. We demonstrate a systematic study on TiN/Ti/HfO2/TiN/Si RRAM devices to correlate key material factors (nano-crystallites and carbon impurities) with the filament type resistive switching (RS) behaviours. The augmentation of the nano-crystallites density in the film increases the forming voltage of devices and its variation. Carbon residues in HfO2 films turn out to be an even more significant factor strongly impacting the RS behaviour. A relatively higher deposition temperature of 300 °C dramatically reduces the residual carbon concentration, thus leading to enhanced RS performances of devices, including lower power consumption, better endurance and higher reliability. Such thorough understanding on physical mechanism of RS and the correlation between material and device performances will facilitate the realization of high density and reliable embedded RRAM devices with low power consumption.

  6. 76 FR 45295 - In the Matter of Certain Static Random Access Memories and Products Containing Same; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-28

    ... supplementing the amended complaint was filed on June 28, 2011. A second amended complaint was filed on July 13... of certain static random access memories and products containing same by reason of infringement of... 13 of the `937 patent, and whether an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection...

  7. High speed magneto-resistive random access memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Jiin-Chuan (Inventor); Stadler, Henry L. (Inventor); Katti, Romney R. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    A high speed read MRAM memory element is configured from a sandwich of magnetizable, ferromagnetic film surrounding a magneto-resistive film which may be ferromagnetic or not. One outer ferromagnetic film has a higher coercive force than the other and therefore remains magnetized in one sense while the other may be switched in sense by a switching magnetic field. The magneto-resistive film is therefore sensitive to the amplitude of the resultant field between the outer ferromagnetic films and may be constructed of a high resistivity, high magneto-resistive material capable of higher sensing currents. This permits higher read voltages and therefore faster read operations. Alternate embodiments with perpendicular anisotropy, and in-plane anisotropy are shown, including an embodiment which uses high permeability guides to direct the closing flux path through the magneto-resistive material. High density, high speed, radiation hard, memory matrices may be constructed from these memory elements.

  8. The future of memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinella, M.

    In the not too distant future, the traditional memory and storage hierarchy of may be replaced by a single Storage Class Memory (SCM) device integrated on or near the logic processor. Traditional magnetic hard drives, NAND flash, DRAM, and higher level caches (L2 and up) will be replaced with a single high performance memory device. The Storage Class Memory paradigm will require high speed (< 100 ns read/write), excellent endurance (> 1012), nonvolatility (retention > 10 years), and low switching energies (< 10 pJ per switch). The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) has recently evaluated several potential candidates SCM technologies, including Resistive (or Redox) RAM, Spin Torque Transfer RAM (STT-MRAM), and phase change memory (PCM). All of these devices show potential well beyond that of current flash technologies and research efforts are underway to improve the endurance, write speeds, and scalabilities to be on-par with DRAM. This progress has interesting implications for space electronics: each of these emerging device technologies show excellent resistance to the types of radiation typically found in space applications. Commercially developed, high density storage class memory-based systems may include a memory that is physically radiation hard, and suitable for space applications without major shielding efforts. This paper reviews the Storage Class Memory concept, emerging memory devices, and possible applicability to radiation hardened electronics for space.

  9. Cancer and reproductive risks in the semiconductor industry.

    PubMed

    LaDou, Joseph; Bailar, John C

    2007-01-01

    Although many reproductive toxicants and carcinogens are used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips, and worrisome findings have been reported, no broad epidemiologic study has been conducted to define possible risks in a comprehensive way. With few exceptions, the American semiconductor industry has not supported access for independent studies. Older technologies are exported to newly industrialized countries as newer technologies are installed in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Thus there is particular concern about the many workers, mostly in countries that are still industrializing, who have jobs that use chemicals, technologies, and equipment that are no longer in use in developed countries. Since most countries lack cancer registries and have inadequate reproductive and cancer reporting mechanisms, industry efforts to control exposures to carcinogens are of particular importance. Government agencies, the courts, industry, publishers, and academia, on occasion, collude to ignore or to downplay the importance of occupational diseases. Examples of how this happens in the semiconductor industry are presented.

  10. Charge carrier transport and optical properties of SAM-induced conducting channel in organic semiconductors.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Podzorov, Vitaly

    2009-03-01

    Certain types of self-assembled monolayers (SAM) grown directly at the surface of organic semiconductors can induce a high surface conductivity in these materials [1]. For example, the conductivity induced by perfluorinated alkyl silanes in organic molecular crystals approaches 10 to -5 Siemens per square. The observed large electronic effect opens new opportunities for nanoscale surface functionalization of organic semiconductors and provides experimental access to the regime of high carrier density. Here, we will discuss temperature variable measurements of SAM-induced conductivity in several types of organic semiconductors. [1]. M. F. Calhoun, J. Sanchez, D. Olaya, M. E. Gershenson and V. Podzorov, ``Electronic functionalization of the surface of organic semiconductors with self-assembled monolayers'', Nature Mat. 7, 84 (2008).

  11. Bubble memory module for spacecraft application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayes, P. J.; Looney, K. T.; Nichols, C. D.

    1985-01-01

    Bubble domain technology offers an all-solid-state alternative for data storage in onboard data systems. A versatile modular bubble memory concept was developed. The key module is the bubble memory module which contains all of the storage devices and circuitry for accessing these devices. This report documents the bubble memory module design and preliminary hardware designs aimed at memory module functional demonstration with available commercial bubble devices. The system architecture provides simultaneous operation of bubble devices to attain high data rates. Banks of bubble devices are accessed by a given bubble controller to minimize controller parts. A power strobing technique is discussed which could minimize the average system power dissipation. A fast initialization method using EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory) devices promotes fast access. Noise and crosstalk problems and implementations to minimize these are discussed. Flight memory systems which incorporate the concepts and techniques of this work could now be developed for applications.

  12. Generation of Quality Pulses for Control of Qubit/Quantum Memory Spin States: Experimental and Simulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    TECHNICAL REPORT 3046 September 2016 GENERATION OF QUALITY PULSES FOR CONTROL OF QUBIT/QUANTUM MEMORY SPIN STATES: EXPERIMENTAL AND SIMULATION...control circuitry for control of electron/ nuclear spin states of qubits/quantum memory applicable to semiconductor, superconductor, ionic, and...coherence time of the qubit/ memory , we present as an example the integration of cryogenic superconductor components, including filters and

  13. Episodic memories.

    PubMed

    Conway, Martin A

    2009-09-01

    An account of episodic memories is developed that focuses on the types of knowledge they represent, their properties, and the functions they might serve. It is proposed that episodic memories consist of episodic elements, summary records of experience often in the form of visual images, associated to a conceptual frame that provides a conceptual context. Episodic memories are embedded in a more complex conceptual system in which they can become the basis of autobiographical memories. However, the function of episodic memories is to keep a record of progress with short-term goals and access to most episodic memories is lost soon after their formation. Finally, it is suggested that developmentally episodic memories form the basis of the conceptual system and it is from sets of episodic memories that early non-verbal conceptual knowledge is abstracted.

  14. Semiconductor photoelectrochemistry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buoncristiani, A. M.; Byvik, C. E.

    1983-01-01

    Semiconductor photoelectrochemical reactions are investigated. A model of the charge transport processes in the semiconductor, based on semiconductor device theory, is presented. It incorporates the nonlinear processes characterizing the diffusion and reaction of charge carriers in the semiconductor. The model is used to study conditions limiting useful energy conversion, specifically the saturation of current flow due to high light intensity. Numerical results describing charge distributions in the semiconductor and its effects on the electrolyte are obtained. Experimental results include: an estimate rate at which a semiconductor photoelectrode is capable of converting electromagnetic energy into chemical energy; the effect of cell temperature on the efficiency; a method for determining the point of zero zeta potential for macroscopic semiconductor samples; a technique using platinized titanium dioxide powders and ultraviolet radiation to produce chlorine, bromine, and iodine from solutions containing their respective ions; the photoelectrochemical properties of a class of layered compounds called transition metal thiophosphates; and a technique used to produce high conversion efficiency from laser radiation to chemical energy.

  15. Soft-error tolerance and energy consumption evaluation of embedded computer with magnetic random access memory in practical systems using computer simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nebashi, Ryusuke; Sakimura, Noboru; Sugibayashi, Tadahiko

    2017-08-01

    We evaluated the soft-error tolerance and energy consumption of an embedded computer with magnetic random access memory (MRAM) using two computer simulators. One is a central processing unit (CPU) simulator of a typical embedded computer system. We simulated the radiation-induced single-event-upset (SEU) probability in a spin-transfer-torque MRAM cell and also the failure rate of a typical embedded computer due to its main memory SEU error. The other is a delay tolerant network (DTN) system simulator. It simulates the power dissipation of wireless sensor network nodes of the system using a revised CPU simulator and a network simulator. We demonstrated that the SEU effect on the embedded computer with 1 Gbit MRAM-based working memory is less than 1 failure in time (FIT). We also demonstrated that the energy consumption of the DTN sensor node with MRAM-based working memory can be reduced to 1/11. These results indicate that MRAM-based working memory enhances the disaster tolerance of embedded computers.

  16. Cascadable all-optical inverter based on a nonlinear vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Haijiang; Wen, Pengyue; Esener, Sadik

    2007-07-01

    We report, for the first time to our knowledge, the operation of a cascadable, low-optical-switching-power(~10 microW) small-area (~100 microm(2)) high-speed (80 ps fall time) all-optical inverter. This inverter employs cross-gain modulation, polarization gain anisotropy, and highly nonlinear gain characteristics of an electrically pumped vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA). The measured transfer characteristics of such an optical inverter resemble those of standard electronic metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor-based inverters exhibiting high noise margin and high extinction ratio (~9.3 dB), making VCSOAs an ideal building block for all-optical logic and memory.

  17. Set statistics in conductive bridge random access memory device with Cu/HfO{sub 2}/Pt structure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Meiyun; Long, Shibing, E-mail: longshibing@ime.ac.cn; Wang, Guoming

    2014-11-10

    The switching parameter variation of resistive switching memory is one of the most important challenges in its application. In this letter, we have studied the set statistics of conductive bridge random access memory with a Cu/HfO{sub 2}/Pt structure. The experimental distributions of the set parameters in several off resistance ranges are shown to nicely fit a Weibull model. The Weibull slopes of the set voltage and current increase and decrease logarithmically with off resistance, respectively. This experimental behavior is perfectly captured by a Monte Carlo simulator based on the cell-based set voltage statistics model and the Quantum Point Contact electronmore » transport model. Our work provides indications for the improvement of the switching uniformity.« less

  18. Access to Attitude-Relevant Information in Memory as a Determinant of Persuasion: The Role of Message and Communicator Attributes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Wendy; And Others

    Research literature shows that people with access to attitude-relevant information in memory are able to draw on relevant beliefs and prior experiences when analyzing a persuasive message. This suggests that people who can retrieve little attitude-relevant information should be less able to engage in systematic processing. Two experiments were…

  19. Progress in ion torrent semiconductor chip based sequencing.

    PubMed

    Merriman, Barry; Rothberg, Jonathan M

    2012-12-01

    In order for next-generation sequencing to become widely used as a diagnostic in the healthcare industry, sequencing instrumentation will need to be mass produced with a high degree of quality and economy. One way to achieve this is to recast DNA sequencing in a format that fully leverages the manufacturing base created for computer chips, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chip fabrication, which is the current pinnacle of large scale, high quality, low-cost manufacturing of high technology. To achieve this, ideally the entire sensory apparatus of the sequencer would be embodied in a standard semiconductor chip, manufactured in the same fab facilities used for logic and memory chips. Recently, such a sequencing chip, and the associated sequencing platform, has been developed and commercialized by Ion Torrent, a division of Life Technologies, Inc. Here we provide an overview of this semiconductor chip based sequencing technology, and summarize the progress made since its commercial introduction. We described in detail the progress in chip scaling, sequencing throughput, read length, and accuracy. We also summarize the enhancements in the associated platform, including sample preparation, data processing, and engagement of the broader development community through open source and crowdsourcing initiatives. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Affect, accessibility of material in memory, and behavior: a cognitive loop?

    PubMed

    Isen, A M; Shalker, T E; Clark, M; Karp, L

    1978-01-01

    Two studies investigated the effect of good mood on cognitive processes. In the first study, conducted in a shopping mall, a positive feeling state was induced by giving subjects a free gift, and good mood, thus induced, was found to improve subjects' evaluations of the performance and service records of products they owned. In the second study, in which affect was induced by having subjects win or lose a computer game in a laboratory setting, subjects who had won the game were found to be better able to recall positive material in memory. The results of the two studies are discussed in terms of the effect that feelings have on accessibility of cognitions. In addition, the nature of affect and the relationship between good mood and behavior (such as helping) are discussed in terms of this proposed cognitive process.

  1. Stream specificity and asymmetries in feature binding and content-addressable access in visual encoding and memory.

    PubMed

    Huynh, Duong L; Tripathy, Srimant P; Bedell, Harold E; Ögmen, Haluk

    2015-01-01

    Human memory is content addressable-i.e., contents of the memory can be accessed using partial information about the bound features of a stored item. In this study, we used a cross-feature cuing technique to examine how the human visual system encodes, binds, and retains information about multiple stimulus features within a set of moving objects. We sought to characterize the roles of three different features (position, color, and direction of motion, the latter two of which are processed preferentially within the ventral and dorsal visual streams, respectively) in the construction and maintenance of object representations. We investigated the extent to which these features are bound together across the following processing stages: during stimulus encoding, sensory (iconic) memory, and visual short-term memory. Whereas all features examined here can serve as cues for addressing content, their effectiveness shows asymmetries and varies according to cue-report pairings and the stage of information processing and storage. Position-based indexing theories predict that position should be more effective as a cue compared to other features. While we found a privileged role for position as a cue at the stimulus-encoding stage, position was not the privileged cue at the sensory and visual short-term memory stages. Instead, the pattern that emerged from our findings is one that mirrors the parallel processing streams in the visual system. This stream-specific binding and cuing effectiveness manifests itself in all three stages of information processing examined here. Finally, we find that the Leaky Flask model proposed in our previous study is applicable to all three features.

  2. Toward designing semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunctions for photocatalytic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liping; Jaroniec, Mietek

    2018-02-01

    Semiconductor photocatalysts show a great potential for environmental and energy-related applications, however one of the major disadvantages is their relatively low photocatalytic performance due to the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Therefore, intensive research is being conducted toward design of heterojunctions, which have been shown to be effective for improving the charge-transfer properties and efficiency of photocatalysts. According to the type of band alignment and direction of internal electric field, heterojunctions are categorized into five different types, each of which is associated with its own charge transfer characteristics. Since the design of heterojunctions requires the knowledge of band edge positions of component semiconductors, the commonly used techniques for the assessment of band edge positions are reviewed. Among them the electronegativity-based calculation method is applied for a large number of popular visible-light-active semiconductors, including some widely investigated bismuth-containing semiconductors. On basis of the calculated band edge positions and the type of component semiconductors reported, heterojunctions composed of the selected bismuth-containing semiconductors are proposed. Finally, the most popular synthetic techniques for the fabrication of heterojunctions are briefly discussed.

  3. On Using the Volatile Mem-Capacitive Effect of TiO2 Resistive Random Access Memory to Mimic the Synaptic Forgetting Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Biplab; Mills, Steven; Lee, Bongmook; Pitts, W. Shepherd; Misra, Veena; Franzon, Paul D.

    2018-02-01

    In this work, we report on mimicking the synaptic forgetting process using the volatile mem-capacitive effect of a resistive random access memory (RRAM). TiO2 dielectric, which is known to show volatile memory operations due to migration of inherent oxygen vacancies, was used to achieve the volatile mem-capacitive effect. By placing the volatile RRAM candidate along with SiO2 at the gate of a MOS capacitor, a volatile capacitance change resembling the forgetting nature of a human brain is demonstrated. Furthermore, the memory operation in the MOS capacitor does not require a current flow through the gate dielectric indicating the feasibility of obtaining low power memory operations. Thus, the mem-capacitive effect of volatile RRAM candidates can be attractive to the future neuromorphic systems for implementing the forgetting process of a human brain.

  4. A microprocessor based on a two-dimensional semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wachter, Stefan; Polyushkin, Dmitry K.; Bethge, Ole; Mueller, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    The advent of microcomputers in the 1970s has dramatically changed our society. Since then, microprocessors have been made almost exclusively from silicon, but the ever-increasing demand for higher integration density and speed, lower power consumption and better integrability with everyday goods has prompted the search for alternatives. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors are being considered promising candidates for future high-performance processor generations and chips based on thin-film plastic technology or carbon nanotubes could allow for embedding electronic intelligence into arbitrary objects for the Internet-of-Things. Here, we present a 1-bit implementation of a microprocessor using a two-dimensional semiconductor--molybdenum disulfide. The device can execute user-defined programs stored in an external memory, perform logical operations and communicate with its periphery. Our 1-bit design is readily scalable to multi-bit data. The device consists of 115 transistors and constitutes the most complex circuitry so far made from a two-dimensional material.

  5. A microprocessor based on a two-dimensional semiconductor.

    PubMed

    Wachter, Stefan; Polyushkin, Dmitry K; Bethge, Ole; Mueller, Thomas

    2017-04-11

    The advent of microcomputers in the 1970s has dramatically changed our society. Since then, microprocessors have been made almost exclusively from silicon, but the ever-increasing demand for higher integration density and speed, lower power consumption and better integrability with everyday goods has prompted the search for alternatives. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors are being considered promising candidates for future high-performance processor generations and chips based on thin-film plastic technology or carbon nanotubes could allow for embedding electronic intelligence into arbitrary objects for the Internet-of-Things. Here, we present a 1-bit implementation of a microprocessor using a two-dimensional semiconductor-molybdenum disulfide. The device can execute user-defined programs stored in an external memory, perform logical operations and communicate with its periphery. Our 1-bit design is readily scalable to multi-bit data. The device consists of 115 transistors and constitutes the most complex circuitry so far made from a two-dimensional material.

  6. Working memory at work: how the updating process alters the nature of working memory transfer.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yanmin; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

    2012-01-01

    In three N-Back experiments, we investigated components of the process of working memory (WM) updating, more specifically access to items stored outside the focus of attention and transfer from the focus to the region of WM outside the focus. We used stimulus complexity as a marker. We found that when WM transfer occurred under full attention, it was slow and highly sensitive to stimulus complexity, much more so than WM access. When transfer occurred in conjunction with access, however, it was fast and no longer sensitive to stimulus complexity. Thus the updating context altered the nature of WM processing: The dual-task situation (transfer in conjunction with access) drove memory transfer into a more efficient mode, indifferent to stimulus complexity. In contrast, access times consistently increased with complexity, unaffected by the processing context. This study reinforces recent reports that retrieval is a (perhaps the) key component of working memory functioning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Working Memory at Work: How the Updating Process Alters the Nature of Working Memory Transfer

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yanmin; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

    2011-01-01

    In three N-Back experiments, we investigated components of the process of working memory (WM) updating, more specifically access to items stored outside the focus of attention and transfer from the focus to the region of WM outside the focus. We used stimulus complexity as a marker. We found that when WM transfer occurred under full attention, it was slow and highly sensitive to stimulus complexity, much more so than WM access. When transfer occurred in conjunction with access, however, it was fast and no longer sensitive to stimulus complexity. Thus the updating context altered the nature of WM processing: The dual-task situation (transfer in conjunction with access) drove memory transfer into a more efficient mode, indifferent to stimulus complexity. In contrast, access times consistently increased with complexity, unaffected by the processing context. This study reinforces recent reports that retrieval is a (perhaps the) key component of working memory functioning. PMID:22105718

  8. Optoelectronic-cache memory system architecture.

    PubMed

    Chiarulli, D M; Levitan, S P

    1996-05-10

    We present an investigation of the architecture of an optoelectronic cache that can integrate terabit optical memories with the electronic caches associated with high-performance uniprocessors and multiprocessors. The use of optoelectronic-cache memories enables these terabit technologies to provide transparently low-latency secondary memory with frame sizes comparable with disk pages but with latencies that approach those of electronic secondary-cache memories. This enables the implementation of terabit memories with effective access times comparable with the cycle times of current microprocessors. The cache design is based on the use of a smart-pixel array and combines parallel free-space optical input-output to-and-from optical memory with conventional electronic communication to the processor caches. This cache and the optical memory system to which it will interface provide a large random-access memory space that has a lower overall latency than that of magnetic disks and disk arrays. In addition, as a consequence of the high-bandwidth parallel input-output capabilities of optical memories, fault service times for the optoelectronic cache are substantially less than those currently achievable with any rotational media.

  9. One bipolar transistor selector - One resistive random access memory device for cross bar memory array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aluguri, R.; Kumar, D.; Simanjuntak, F. M.; Tseng, T.-Y.

    2017-09-01

    A bipolar transistor selector was connected in series with a resistive switching memory device to study its memory characteristics for its application in cross bar array memory. The metal oxide based p-n-p bipolar transistor selector indicated good selectivity of about 104 with high retention and long endurance showing its usefulness in cross bar RRAM devices. Zener tunneling is found to be the main conduction phenomena for obtaining high selectivity. 1BT-1R device demonstrated good memory characteristics with non-linearity of 2 orders, selectivity of about 2 orders and long retention characteristics of more than 105 sec. One bit-line pull-up scheme shows that a 650 kb cross bar array made with this 1BT1R devices works well with more than 10 % read margin proving its ability in future memory technology application.

  10. Semiconductor sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gatos, Harry C. (Inventor); Lagowski, Jacek (Inventor)

    1977-01-01

    A semiconductor sensor adapted to detect with a high degree of sensitivity small magnitudes of a mechanical force, presence of traces of a gas or light. The sensor includes a high energy gap (i.e., .about. 1.0 electron volts) semiconductor wafer. Mechanical force is measured by employing a non-centrosymmetric material for the semiconductor. Distortion of the semiconductor by the force creates a contact potential difference (cpd) at the semiconductor surface, and this cpd is determined to give a measure of the force. When such a semiconductor is subjected to illumination with an energy less than the energy gap of the semiconductors, such illumination also creates a cpd at the surface. Detection of this cpd is employed to sense the illumination itself or, in a variation of the system, to detect a gas. When either a gas or light is to be detected and a crystal of a non-centrosymmetric material is employed, the presence of gas or light, in appropriate circumstances, results in a strain within the crystal which distorts the same and the distortion provides a mechanism for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the gas or the light, as the case may be.

  11. Dual representation of item positions in verbal short-term memory: Evidence for two access modes.

    PubMed

    Lange, Elke B; Verhaeghen, Paul; Cerella, John

    Memory sets of N = 1~5 digits were exposed sequentially from left-to-right across the screen, followed by N recognition probes. Probes had to be compared to memory list items on identity only (Sternberg task) or conditional on list position. Positions were probed randomly or in left-to-right order. Search functions related probe response times to set size. Random probing led to ramped, "Sternbergian" functions whose intercepts were elevated by the location requirement. Sequential probing led to flat search functions-fast responses unaffected by set size. These results suggested that items in STM could be accessed either by a slow search-on-identity followed by recovery of an associated location tag, or in a single step by following item-to-item links in study order. It is argued that this dual coding of location information occurs spontaneously at study, and that either code can be utilised at retrieval depending on test demands.

  12. Optical memory development. Volume 3: The membrane light value page composer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cosentino, L. S.; Nagle, E. M.; Stewart, W. C.

    1972-01-01

    The feasibility of producing a page composer for optical memory systems using thin, deformable, membrane-mirror elements as light valves was investigated. The electromechanical and optical performances of such elements were determined both analytically and experimentally. It was found that fast switching (approximately 10 microseconds), high-contrast (10 or greater), fatigue-free operation over missions of cycles, and efficient utilization of input light could be obtained with membrane light valves. Several arrays of 64 elements were made on substrates with feedthroughs, allowing access to individual elements from the backside of the substrate. Single light valves on such arrays were successfully operated with the transistors designed and produced for selection and storage at each bit location. This simulated the operation of a prototype page composer with semiconductor chips beam-lead bonded to the back of the substrate.

  13. An amorphous titanium dioxide metal insulator metal selector device for resistive random access memory crossbar arrays with tunable voltage margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cortese, Simone; Khiat, Ali; Carta, Daniela; Light, Mark E.; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

    2016-01-01

    Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) crossbar arrays have become one of the most promising candidates for next-generation non volatile memories. To become a mature technology, the sneak path current issue must be solved without compromising all the advantages that crossbars offer in terms of electrical performances and fabrication complexity. Here, we present a highly integrable access device based on nickel and sub-stoichiometric amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2-x), in a metal insulator metal crossbar structure. The high voltage margin of 3 V, amongst the highest reported for monolayer selector devices, and the good current density of 104 A/cm2 make it suitable to sustain ReRAM read and write operations, effectively tackling sneak currents in crossbars without compromising fabrication complexity in a 1 Selector 1 Resistor (1S1R) architecture. Furthermore, the voltage margin is found to be tunable by an annealing step without affecting the device's characteristics.

  14. Efficient Memory Access with NumPy Global Arrays using Local Memory Access

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daily, Jeffrey A.; Berghofer, Dan C.

    This paper discusses the work completed working with Global Arrays of data on distributed multi-computer systems and improving their performance. The tasks completed were done at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Science Undergrad Laboratory Internship program in the summer of 2013 for the Data Intensive Computing Group in the Fundamental and Computational Sciences DIrectorate. This work was done on the Global Arrays Toolkit developed by this group. This toolkit is an interface for programmers to more easily create arrays of data on networks of computers. This is useful because scientific computation is often done on large amounts of datamore » sometimes so large that individual computers cannot hold all of it. This data is held in array form and can best be processed on supercomputers which often consist of a network of individual computers doing their computation in parallel. One major challenge for this sort of programming is that operations on arrays on multiple computers is very complex and an interface is needed so that these arrays seem like they are on a single computer. This is what global arrays does. The work done here is to use more efficient operations on that data that requires less copying of data to be completed. This saves a lot of time because copying data on many different computers is time intensive. The way this challenge was solved is when data to be operated on with binary operations are on the same computer, they are not copied when they are accessed. When they are on separate computers, only one set is copied when accessed. This saves time because of less copying done although more data access operations were done.« less

  15. Effect of embedded metal nanocrystals on the resistive switching characteristics in NiN-based resistive random access memory cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yun, Min Ju; Kim, Hee-Dong; Man Hong, Seok

    2014-03-07

    The metal nanocrystals (NCs) embedded-NiN-based resistive random access memory cells are demonstrated using several metal NCs (i.e., Pt, Ni, and Ti) with different physical parameters in order to investigate the metal NC's dependence on resistive switching (RS) characteristics. First, depending on the electronegativity of metal, the size of metal NCs is determined and this affects the operating current of memory cells. If metal NCs with high electronegativity are incorporated, the size of the NCs is reduced; hence, the operating current is reduced owing to the reduced density of the electric field around the metal NCs. Second, the potential wells aremore » formed by the difference of work function between the metal NCs and active layer, and the barrier height of the potential wells affects the level of operating voltage as well as the conduction mechanism of metal NCs embedded memory cells. Therefore, by understanding these correlations between the active layer and embedded metal NCs, we can optimize the RS properties of metal NCs embedded memory cells as well as predict their conduction mechanisms.« less

  16. Multiple memory stores and operant conditioning: a rationale for memory's complexity.

    PubMed

    Meeter, Martijn; Veldkamp, Rob; Jin, Yaochu

    2009-02-01

    Why does the brain contain more than one memory system? Genetic algorithms can play a role in elucidating this question. Here, model animals were constructed containing a dorsal striatal layer that controlled actions, and a ventral striatal layer that controlled a dopaminergic learning signal. Both layers could gain access to three modeled memory stores, but such access was penalized as energy expenditure. Model animals were then selected on their fitness in simulated operant conditioning tasks. Results suggest that having access to multiple memory stores and their representations is important in learning to regulate dopamine release, as well as in contextual discrimination. For simple operant conditioning, as well as stimulus discrimination, hippocampal compound representations turned out to suffice, a counterintuitive result given findings that hippocampal lesions tend not to affect performance in such tasks. We argue that there is in fact evidence to support a role for compound representations and the hippocampus in even the simplest conditioning tasks.

  17. Remote Memory Access Protocol Target Node Intellectual Property

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haddad, Omar

    2013-01-01

    The MagnetoSpheric Multiscale (MMS) mission had a requirement to use the Remote Memory Access Protocol (RMAP) over its SpaceWire network. At the time, no known intellectual property (IP) cores were available for purchase. Additionally, MMS preferred to implement the RMAP functionality with control over the low-level details of the design. For example, not all the RMAP standard functionality was needed, and it was desired to implement only the portions of the RMAP protocol that were needed. RMAP functionality had been previously implemented in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products, but the IP core was not available for purchase. The RMAP Target IP core is a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language description of a digital logic design suitable for implementation in an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that parses SpaceWire packets that conform to the RMAP standard. The RMAP packet protocol allows a network host to access and control a target device using address mapping. This capability allows SpaceWire devices to be managed in a standardized way that simplifies the hardware design of the device, as well as the development of the software that controls the device. The RMAP Target IP core has some features that are unique and not specified in the RMAP standard. One such feature is the ability to automatically abort transactions if the back-end logic does not respond to read/write requests within a predefined time. When a request times out, the RMAP Target IP core automatically retracts the request and returns a command response with an appropriate status in the response packet s header. Another such feature is the ability to control the SpaceWire node or router using RMAP transactions in the extended address range. This allows the SpaceWire network host to manage the SpaceWire network elements using RMAP packets, which reduces the number of protocols that the network host needs to support.

  18. Organic memory device with self-assembly monolayered aptamer conjugated nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, Sewook; Kim, Minkeun; Kim, Yejin; Jung, Hunsang; Yoon, Tae-Sik; Choi, Young-Jin; Jung Kang, Chi; Moon, Myeong-Ju; Jeong, Yong-Yeon; Park, In-Kyu; Ho Lee, Hyun

    2013-08-01

    An organic memory structure using monolayered aptamer conjugated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as charge storage nodes was demonstrated. Metal-pentacene-insulator-semiconductor device was adopted for the non-volatile memory effect through self assembly monolayer of A10-aptamer conjugated Au NPs, which was formed on functionalized insulator surface with prostate-specific membrane antigen protein. The capacitance versus voltage (C-V) curves obtained for the monolayered Au NPs capacitor exhibited substantial flat-band voltage shift (ΔVFB) or memory window of 3.76 V under (+/-)7 V voltage sweep. The memory device format can be potentially expanded to a highly specific capacitive sensor for the aptamer-specific biomolecule detection.

  19. [100] or [110] aligned, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    DOEpatents

    Goyal, Amit

    2015-03-24

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, [100] or [110] textured, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  20. Generation of Quality Pulses for Control of Qubit/Quantum Memory Spin States: Experimental and Simulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    TECHNICAL REPORT 3046 September 2016 GENERATION OF QUALITY PULSES FOR CONTROL OF QUBIT/QUANTUM MEMORY SPIN STATES: EXPERIMENTAL AND SIMULATION...nuclear spin states of qubits/quantum memory applicable to semiconductor, superconductor, ionic, and superconductor-ionic hybrid technologies. As the...pulse quality and need for development of single pulses with very high quality will impact directly the coherence time of the qubit/ memory , we present

  1. Low-voltage all-inorganic perovskite quantum dot transistor memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhiliang; Zhang, Yating; Zhang, Heng; Yu, Yu; Song, Xiaoxian; Zhang, Haiting; Cao, Mingxuan; Che, Yongli; Jin, Lufan; Li, Yifan; Li, Qingyan; Dai, Haitao; Yang, Junbo; Yao, Jianquan

    2018-05-01

    An all-inorganic cesium lead halide quantum dot (QD) based Au nanoparticle (NP) floating-gate memory with a solution processed layer-by-layer method is demonstrated. Easy synthesis at room temperature and excellent stability make all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs suitable as a semiconductor layer in low voltage nonvolatile transistor memory. The bipolarity of QDs has both electrons and holes stored in the Au NP floating gate, resulting in bidirectional shifts of initial threshold voltage according to the applied programing and erasing pulses. Under low operation voltage (±5 V), the memory achieved a great memory window (˜2.4 V), long retention time (>105 s), and stable endurance properties after 200 cycles. So the proposed memory device based on CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs has a great potential in the flash memory market.

  2. Resistive switching characteristics and mechanisms in silicon oxide memory devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Yao-Feng; Fowler, Burt; Chen, Ying-Chen; Zhou, Fei; Wu, Xiaohan; Chen, Yen-Ting; Wang, Yanzhen; Xue, Fei; Lee, Jack C.

    2016-05-01

    Intrinsic unipolar SiOx-based resistance random access memories (ReRAM) characterization, switching mechanisms, and applications have been investigated. Device structures, material compositions, and electrical characteristics are identified that enable ReRAM cells with high ON/OFF ratio, low static power consumption, low switching power, and high readout-margin using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor transistor (CMOS)-compatible SiOx-based materials. These ideas are combined with the use of horizontal and vertical device structure designs, composition optimization, electrical control, and external factors to help understand resistive switching (RS) mechanisms. Measured temperature effects, pulse response, and carrier transport behaviors lead to compact models of RS mechanisms and energy band diagrams in order to aid the development of computer-aided design for ultralarge-v scale integration. This chapter presents a comprehensive investigation of SiOx-based RS characteristics and mechanisms for the post-CMOS device era.

  3. Some pitfalls in measuring memory in animals.

    PubMed

    Thorpe, Christina M; Jacova, Claudia; Wilkie, Donald M

    2004-11-01

    Because the presence or absence of memories in the brain cannot be directly observed, scientists must rely on indirect measures and use inferential reasoning to make statements about the status of memories. In humans, memories are often accessed through spoken or written language. In animals, memory is accessed through overt behaviours such as running down an arm in a maze, pressing a lever, or visiting a food cache site. Because memory is measured by these indirect methods, errors in the veracity of statements about memory can occur. In this brief paper, we identify three areas that may serve as pitfalls in reasoning about memory in animals: (1) the presence of 'silent associations', (2) intrusions of species-typical behaviours on memory tasks, and (3) improper mapping between human and animals memory tasks. There are undoubtedly other areas in which scientists should act cautiously when reasoning about the status of memory.

  4. Implementation of nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten tunable heater in phase change random access memory and its effects on device performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tan, Chun Chia; Zhao, Rong, E-mail: zhao-rong@sutd.edu.sg; Chong, Tow Chong

    2014-10-13

    Nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten (N-TiW) was proposed as a tunable heater in Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM). By tuning N-TiW's material properties through doping, the heater can be tailored to optimize the access speed and programming current of PCRAM. Experiments reveal that N-TiW's resistivity increases and thermal conductivity decreases with increasing nitrogen-doping ratio, and N-TiW devices displayed (∼33% to ∼55%) reduced programming currents. However, there is a tradeoff between the current and speed for heater-based PCRAM. Analysis of devices with different N-TiW heaters shows that N-TiW doping levels could be optimized to enable low RESET currents and fast access speeds.

  5. Architectures for Improved Organic Semiconductor Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beck, Jonathan H.

    Advancements in the microelectronics industry have brought increasing performance and decreasing prices to a wide range of users. Conventional silicon-based electronics have followed Moore's law to provide an ever-increasing integrated circuit transistor density, which drives processing power, solid-state memory density, and sensor technologies. As shrinking conventional integrated circuits became more challenging, researchers began exploring electronics with the potential to penetrate new applications with a low price of entry: "Electronics everywhere." The new generation of electronics is thin, light, flexible, and inexpensive. Organic electronics are part of the new generation of thin-film electronics, relying on the synthetic flexibility of carbon molecules to create organic semiconductors, absorbers, and emitters which perform useful tasks. Organic electronics can be fabricated with low energy input on a variety of novel substrates, including inexpensive plastic sheets. The potential ease of synthesis and fabrication of organic-based devices means that organic electronics can be made at very low cost. Successfully demonstrated organic semiconductor devices include photovoltaics, photodetectors, transistors, and light emitting diodes. Several challenges that face organic semiconductor devices are low performance relative to conventional devices, long-term device stability, and development of new organic-compatible processes and materials. While the absorption and emission performance of organic materials in photovoltaics and light emitting diodes is extraordinarily high for thin films, the charge conduction mobilities are generally low. Building highly efficient devices with low-mobility materials is one challenge. Many organic semiconductor films are unstable during fabrication, storage, and operation due to reactions with water, oxygen and hydroxide. A final challenge facing organic electronics is the need for new processes and materials for electrodes

  6. The dynamic interplay between acute psychosocial stress, emotion and autobiographical memory.

    PubMed

    Sheldon, Signy; Chu, Sonja; Nitschke, Jonas P; Pruessner, Jens C; Bartz, Jennifer A

    2018-06-06

    Although acute psychosocial stress can impact autobiographical memory retrieval, the nature of this effect is not entirely clear. One reason for this ambiguity is because stress can have opposing effects on the different stages of autobiographical memory retrieval. We addressed this issue by testing how acute stress affects three stages of the autobiographical memory retrieval - accessing, recollecting and reconsolidating a memory. We also investigate the influence of emotion valence on this effect. In a between-subjects design, participants were first exposed to an acute psychosocial stressor or a control task. Next, the participants were shown positive, negative or neutral retrieval cues and asked to access and describe autobiographical memories. After a three to four day delay, participants returned for a second session in which they described these autobiographical memories. During initial retrieval, stressed participants were slower to access memories than were control participants; moreover, cortisol levels were positively associated with response times to access positively-cued memories. There were no effects of stress on the amount of details used to describe memories during initial retrieval, but stress did influence memory detail during session two. During session two, stressed participants recovered significantly more details, particularly emotional ones, from the remembered events than control participants. Our results indicate that the presence of stress impairs the ability to access consolidated autobiographical memories; moreover, although stress has no effect on memory recollection, stress alters how recollected experiences are reconsolidated back into memory traces.

  7. A stochastic simulation method for the assessment of resistive random access memory retention reliability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berco, Dan, E-mail: danny.barkan@gmail.com; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen, E-mail: tseng@cc.nctu.edu.tw

    This study presents an evaluation method for resistive random access memory retention reliability based on the Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm and Gibbs free energy. The method, which does not rely on a time evolution, provides an extremely efficient way to compare the relative retention properties of metal-insulator-metal structures. It requires a small number of iterations and may be used for statistical analysis. The presented approach is used to compare the relative robustness of a single layer ZrO{sub 2} device with a double layer ZnO/ZrO{sub 2} one, and obtain results which are in good agreement with experimental data.

  8. MOSFET analog memory circuit achieves long duration signal storage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1966-01-01

    Memory circuit maintains the signal voltage at the output of an analog signal amplifier when the input signal is interrupted or removed. The circuit uses MOSFET /Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor/ devices as voltage-controlled switches, triggered by an external voltage-sensing device.

  9. Empirical Modeling Of Single-Event Upset

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zoutendyk, John A.; Smith, Lawrence S.; Soli, George A.; Thieberger, Peter; Smith, Stephen L.; Atwood, Gregory E.

    1988-01-01

    Experimental study presents examples of empirical modeling of single-event upset in negatively-doped-source/drain metal-oxide-semiconductor static random-access memory cells. Data supports adoption of simplified worst-case model in which cross sectionof SEU by ion above threshold energy equals area of memory cell.

  10. A Pilot Memory Café for People with Learning Disabilities and Memory Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiddle, Hannah; Drew, Neil; Crabbe, Paul; Wigmore, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Memory cafés have been found to normalise experiences of dementia and provide access to an accepting social network. People with learning disabilities are at increased risk of developing dementia, but the possible benefits of attending a memory café are not known. This study evaluates a 12-week pilot memory café for people with learning…

  11. System and method for programmable bank selection for banked memory subsystems

    DOEpatents

    Blumrich, Matthias A.; Chen, Dong; Gara, Alan G.; Giampapa, Mark E.; Hoenicke, Dirk; Ohmacht, Martin; Salapura, Valentina; Sugavanam, Krishnan

    2010-09-07

    A programmable memory system and method for enabling one or more processor devices access to shared memory in a computing environment, the shared memory including one or more memory storage structures having addressable locations for storing data. The system comprises: one or more first logic devices associated with a respective one or more processor devices, each first logic device for receiving physical memory address signals and programmable for generating a respective memory storage structure select signal upon receipt of pre-determined address bit values at selected physical memory address bit locations; and, a second logic device responsive to each of the respective select signal for generating an address signal used for selecting a memory storage structure for processor access. The system thus enables each processor device of a computing environment memory storage access distributed across the one or more memory storage structures.

  12. Oxygen-ion-migration-modulated bipolar resistive switching and complementary resistive switching in tungsten/indium tin oxide/gold memory device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xinghui; Zhang, Qiuhui; Cui, Nana; Xu, Weiwei; Wang, Kefu; Jiang, Wei; Xu, Qixing

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we report our investigation of room-temperature-fabricated tungsten/indium tin oxide/gold (W/ITO/Au) resistive random access memory (RRAM), which exhibits asymmetric bipolar resistive switching (BRS) behavior. The device displays good write/erase endurance and data retention properties. The device shows complementary resistive switching (CRS) characteristics after controlling the compliance current. A WO x layer electrically formed at the W/ITO in the forming process. Mobile oxygen ions within ITO migrate toward the electrode/ITO interface and produce a semiconductor-like layer that acts as a free-carrier barrier. The CRS characteristic here can be elucidated in light of the evolution of an asymmetric free-carrier blocking layer at the electrode/ITO interface.

  13. Ultrafast dynamics of many-body processes and fundamental quantum mechanical phenomena in semiconductors

    PubMed Central

    Chemla, Daniel S.; Shah, Jagdeep

    2000-01-01

    The large dielectric constant and small effective mass in a semiconductor allows a description of its electronic states in terms of envelope wavefunctions whose energy, time, and length scales are mesoscopic, i.e., halfway between those of atomic and those of condensed matter systems. This property makes it possible to demonstrate and investigate many quantum mechanical, many-body, and quantum kinetic phenomena with tabletop experiments that would be nearly impossible in other systems. This, along with the ability to custom-design semiconductor nanostructures, makes semiconductors an ideal laboratory for experimental investigations. We present an overview of some of the most exciting results obtained in semiconductors in recent years using the technique of ultrafast nonlinear optical spectrocopy. These results show that Coulomb correlation plays a major role in semiconductors and makes them behave more like a strongly interacting system than like an atomic system. The results provide insights into the physics of strongly interacting systems that are relevant to other condensed matter systems, but not easily accessible in other materials. PMID:10716981

  14. Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices on {110}<100> oriented substrates

    DOEpatents

    Goyal, Amit

    2014-08-05

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices on {110}<100> textured substrates are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  15. RAPID: A random access picture digitizer, display, and memory system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yakimovsky, Y.; Rayfield, M.; Eskenazi, R.

    1976-01-01

    RAPID is a system capable of providing convenient digital analysis of video data in real-time. It has two modes of operation. The first allows for continuous digitization of an EIA RS-170 video signal. Each frame in the video signal is digitized and written in 1/30 of a second into RAPID's internal memory. The second mode leaves the content of the internal memory independent of the current input video. In both modes of operation the image contained in the memory is used to generate an EIA RS-170 composite video output signal representing the digitized image in the memory so that it can be displayed on a monitor.

  16. Attention, working memory, and phenomenal experience of WM content: memory levels determined by different types of top-down modulation.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Jane; Jacobs, Christianne; Silvanto, Juha

    2015-01-01

    What is the role of top-down attentional modulation in consciously accessing working memory (WM) content? In influential WM models, information can exist in different states, determined by allocation of attention; placing the original memory representation in the center of focused attention gives rise to conscious access. Here we discuss various lines of evidence indicating that such attentional modulation is not sufficient for memory content to be phenomenally experienced. We propose that, in addition to attentional modulation of the memory representation, another type of top-down modulation is required: suppression of all incoming visual information, via inhibition of early visual cortex. In this view, there are three distinct memory levels, as a function of the top-down control associated with them: (1) Nonattended, nonconscious associated with no attentional modulation; (2) attended, phenomenally nonconscious memory, associated with attentional enhancement of the actual memory trace; (3) attended, phenomenally conscious memory content, associated with enhancement of the memory trace and top-down suppression of all incoming visual input.

  17. Memory protection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Denning, Peter J.

    1988-01-01

    Accidental overwriting of files or of memory regions belonging to other programs, browsing of personal files by superusers, Trojan horses, and viruses are examples of breakdowns in workstations and personal computers that would be significantly reduced by memory protection. Memory protection is the capability of an operating system and supporting hardware to delimit segments of memory, to control whether segments can be read from or written into, and to confine accesses of a program to its segments alone. The absence of memory protection in many operating systems today is the result of a bias toward a narrow definition of performance as maximum instruction-execution rate. A broader definition, including the time to get the job done, makes clear that cost of recovery from memory interference errors reduces expected performance. The mechanisms of memory protection are well understood, powerful, efficient, and elegant. They add to performance in the broad sense without reducing instruction execution rate.

  18. How intention and monitoring your thoughts influence characteristics of autobiographical memories.

    PubMed

    Barzykowski, Krystian; Staugaard, Søren Risløv

    2018-05-01

    Involuntary autobiographical memories come to mind effortlessly and unintended, but the mechanisms of their retrieval are not fully understood. We hypothesize that involuntary retrieval depends on memories that are highly accessible (e.g., intense, unusual, recent, rehearsed), while the elaborate search that characterizes voluntary retrieval also produces memories that are mundane, repeated or distant - memories with low accessibility. Previous research provides some evidence for this 'threshold hypothesis'. However, in almost every prior study, participants have been instructed to report only memories while ignoring other thoughts. It is possible that such an instruction can modify the phenomenological characteristics of involuntary memories. This study aimed to investigate the effects of retrieval intentionality (i.e., wanting to retrieve a memory) and selective monitoring (i.e., instructions to report only memories) on the phenomenology of autobiographical memories. Participants were instructed to (1) intentionally retrieve autobiographical memories, (2) intentionally retrieve any type of thought (3) wait for an autobiographical memory to spontaneously appear, or (4) wait for any type of thought to spontaneously appear. They rated the mental content on a number of phenomenological characteristics both during retrieval and retrospectively following retrieval. The results support the prediction that highly accessible memories mostly enter awareness unintended and without selective monitoring, while memories with low accessibility rely on intention and selective monitoring. We discuss the implications of these effects. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  19. Memory-Intensive Benchmarks: IRAM vs. Cache-Based Machines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Biswas, Rupak; Gaeke, Brian R.; Husbands, Parry; Li, Xiaoye S.; Oliker, Leonid; Yelick, Katherine A.; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The increasing gap between processor and memory performance has lead to new architectural models for memory-intensive applications. In this paper, we explore the performance of a set of memory-intensive benchmarks and use them to compare the performance of conventional cache-based microprocessors to a mixed logic and DRAM processor called VIRAM. The benchmarks are based on problem statements, rather than specific implementations, and in each case we explore the fundamental hardware requirements of the problem, as well as alternative algorithms and data structures that can help expose fine-grained parallelism or simplify memory access patterns. The benchmarks are characterized by their memory access patterns, their basic control structures, and the ratio of computation to memory operation.

  20. Ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited charge and spin currents in semiconductor nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meier, Torsten; Pasenow, Bernhard; Duc, Huynh Thanh; Vu, Quang Tuyen; Haug, Hartmut; Koch, Stephan W.

    2007-02-01

    Employing the quantum interference among one- and two-photon excitations induced by ultrashort two-color laser pulses it is possible to generate charge and spin currents in semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures on femtosecond time scales. Here, it is reviewed how the excitation process and the dynamics of such photocurrents can be described on the basis of a microscopic many-body theory. Numerical solutions of the semiconductor Bloch equations (SBE) provide a detailed description of the time-dependent material excitations. Applied to the case of photocurrents, numerical solutions of the SBE for a two-band model including many-body correlations on the second-Born Markov level predict an enhanced damping of the spin current relative to that of the charge current. Interesting effects are obtained when the scattering processes are computed beyond the Markovian limit. Whereas the overall decay of the currents is basically correctly described already within the Markov approximation, quantum-kinetic calculations show that memory effects may lead to additional oscillatory signatures in the current transients. When transitions to coupled heavy- and light-hole valence bands are incorporated into the SBE, additional charge and spin currents, which are not described by the two-band model, appear.

  1. Spin-transfer-torque efficiency enhanced by edge-damage of perpendicular magnetic random access memories

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Song, Kyungmi; Lee, Kyung-Jin, E-mail: kj-lee@korea.ac.kr; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713

    2015-08-07

    We numerically investigate the effect of magnetic and electrical damages at the edge of a perpendicular magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell on the spin-transfer-torque (STT) efficiency that is defined by the ratio of thermal stability factor to switching current. We find that the switching mode of an edge-damaged cell is different from that of an undamaged cell, which results in a sizable reduction in the switching current. Together with a marginal reduction of the thermal stability factor of an edge-damaged cell, this feature makes the STT efficiency large. Our results suggest that a precise edge control is viable formore » the optimization of STT-MRAM.« less

  2. 75 FR 49526 - Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Technical Information Center, Tempe, AZ; Freescale Semiconductor...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-13

    ... Semiconductor, Inc., Technical Information Center, Tempe, AZ; Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Technical... October 1, 2009, applicable to workers of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Technical Information Center..., Massachusetts location of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Technical Information Center. The intent of the...

  3. Metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitor based persistent memory for electronic product code class-1 generation-2 uhf passive radio-frequency identification tag

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Bongno; Sung, Man Young; Yeon, Sujin; Oh, Hyun S.; Kwon, Yoonjoo; Kim, Chuljin; Kim, Kyung-Ho

    2009-03-01

    With the circuits using metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitor, rf operational signal properties are almost the same or superior to those of polysilicon-insulator-polysilicon, metal-insulator-metal, and metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. In electronic product code global class-1 generation-2 uhf radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocols, the MFM can play a crucial role in satisfying the specifications of the inventoried flag's persistence times (Tpt) for each session (S0-S3, SL). In this paper, we propose and design a new MFM capacitor based memory scheme of which persistence time for S1 flag is measured at 2.2 s as well as indefinite for S2, S3, and SL flags during the period of power-on. A ferroelectric random access memory embedded RFID tag chip is fabricated with an industry-standard complementary MOS process. The chip size is around 500×500 μm2 and the measured power consumption is about 10 μW.

  4. Forming-free and self-rectifying resistive switching of the simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si structure for access device-free high-density memory application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Shuang; Zeng, Fei; Li, Fan; Wang, Minjuan; Mao, Haijun; Wang, Guangyue; Song, Cheng; Pan, Feng

    2015-03-01

    The search for self-rectifying resistive memories has aroused great attention due to their potential in high-density memory applications without additional access devices. Here we report the forming-free and self-rectifying bipolar resistive switching behavior of a simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si tri-layer structure. The forming-free phenomenon is attributed to the generation of a large amount of oxygen vacancies, in a TaOx region that is in close proximity to the TaOx/n-Si interface, via out-diffusion of oxygen ions from TaOx to n-Si. A maximum rectification ratio of ~6 × 102 is obtained when the Pt/TaOx/n-Si devices stay in a low resistance state, which originates from the existence of a Schottky barrier between the formed oxygen vacancy filament and the n-Si electrode. More importantly, numerical simulation reveals that the self-rectifying behavior itself can guarantee a maximum crossbar size of 212 × 212 (~44 kbit) on the premise of 10% read margin. Moreover, satisfactory switching uniformity and retention performance are observed based on this simple tri-layer structure. All of these results demonstrate the great potential of this simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si tri-layer structure for access device-free high-density memory applications.The search for self-rectifying resistive memories has aroused great attention due to their potential in high-density memory applications without additional access devices. Here we report the forming-free and self-rectifying bipolar resistive switching behavior of a simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si tri-layer structure. The forming-free phenomenon is attributed to the generation of a large amount of oxygen vacancies, in a TaOx region that is in close proximity to the TaOx/n-Si interface, via out-diffusion of oxygen ions from TaOx to n-Si. A maximum rectification ratio of ~6 × 102 is obtained when the Pt/TaOx/n-Si devices stay in a low resistance state, which originates from the existence of a Schottky barrier between the formed oxygen vacancy filament and the n

  5. Macroporous Semiconductors

    PubMed Central

    Föll, Helmut; Leisner, Malte; Cojocaru, Ala; Carstensen, Jürgen

    2010-01-01

    Pores in single crystalline semiconductors come in many forms (e.g., pore sizes from 2 nm to > 10 µm; morphologies from perfect pore crystal to fractal) and exhibit many unique properties directly or as nanocompounds if the pores are filled. The various kinds of pores obtained in semiconductors like Ge, Si, III-V, and II-VI compound semiconductors are systematically reviewed, emphasizing macropores. Essentials of pore formation mechanisms will be discussed, focusing on differences and some open questions but in particular on common properties. Possible applications of porous semiconductors, including for example high explosives, high efficiency electrodes for Li ion batteries, drug delivery systems, solar cells, thermoelectric elements and many novel electronic, optical or sensor devices, will be introduced and discussed.

  6. Charge transfer in rectifying oxide heterostructures and oxide access elements in ReRAM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stefanovich, G. B.; Pergament, A. L.; Boriskov, P. P.

    2016-05-15

    The main aspects of the synthesis and experimental research of oxide diode heterostructures are discussed with respect to their use as selector diodes, i.e., access elements in oxide resistive memory. It is shown that charge transfer in these materials differs significantly from the conduction mechanism in p–n junctions based on conventional semiconductors (Si, Ge, A{sup III}–B{sup V}), and the model should take into account the electronic properties of oxides, primarily the low carrier drift mobility. It is found that an increase in the forward current requires an oxide with a small band gap (<1.3 eV) in the heterostructure composition. Heterostructuresmore » with Zn, In–Zn (IZO), Ti, Ni, and Cu oxides are studied; it is found that the CuO–IZO heterojunction has the highest forward current density (10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2}).« less

  7. Cost-effective, transfer-free, flexible resistive random access memory using laser-scribed reduced graphene oxide patterning technology.

    PubMed

    Tian, He; Chen, Hong-Yu; Ren, Tian-Ling; Li, Cheng; Xue, Qing-Tang; Mohammad, Mohammad Ali; Wu, Can; Yang, Yi; Wong, H-S Philip

    2014-06-11

    Laser scribing is an attractive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) growth and patterning technology because the process is low-cost, time-efficient, transfer-free, and flexible. Various laser-scribed rGO (LSG) components such as capacitors, gas sensors, and strain sensors have been demonstrated. However, obstacles remain toward practical application of the technology where all the components of a system are fabricated using laser scribing. Memory components, if developed, will substantially broaden the application space of low-cost, flexible electronic systems. For the first time, a low-cost approach to fabricate resistive random access memory (ReRAM) using laser-scribed rGO as the bottom electrode is experimentally demonstrated. The one-step laser scribing technology allows transfer-free rGO synthesis directly on flexible substrates or non-flat substrates. Using this time-efficient laser-scribing technology, the patterning of a memory-array area up to 100 cm(2) can be completed in 25 min. Without requiring the photoresist coating for lithography, the surface of patterned rGO remains as clean as its pristine state. Ag/HfOx/LSG ReRAM using laser-scribing technology is fabricated in this work. Comprehensive electrical characteristics are presented including forming-free behavior, stable switching, reasonable reliability performance and potential for 2-bit storage per memory cell. The results suggest that laser-scribing technology can potentially produce more cost-effective and time-effective rGO-based circuits and systems for practical applications.

  8. Neural Correlates of Conceptual Implicit Memory and Their Contamination of Putative Neural Correlates of Explicit Memory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voss, Joel L.; Paller, Ken A.

    2007-01-01

    During episodic recognition tests, meaningful stimuli such as words can engender both conscious retrieval (explicit memory) and facilitated access to meaning that is distinct from the awareness of remembering (conceptual implicit memory). Neuroimaging investigations of one type of memory are frequently subject to the confounding influence of the…

  9. FOREWORD: Focus on Superconductivity in Semiconductors Focus on Superconductivity in Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takano, Yoshihiko

    2008-12-01

    Since the discovery of superconductivity in diamond, much attention has been given to the issue of superconductivity in semiconductors. Because diamond has a large band gap of 5.5 eV, it is called a wide-gap semiconductor. Upon heavy boron doping over 3×1020 cm-3, diamond becomes metallic and demonstrates superconductivity at temperatures below 11.4 K. This discovery implies that a semiconductor can become a superconductor upon carrier doping. Recently, superconductivity was also discovered in boron-doped silicon and SiC semiconductors. The number of superconducting semiconductors has increased. In 2008 an Fe-based superconductor was discovered in a research project on carrier doping in a LaCuSeO wide-gap semiconductor. This discovery enhanced research activities in the field of superconductivity, where many scientists place particular importance on superconductivity in semiconductors. This focus issue features a variety of topics on superconductivity in semiconductors selected from the 2nd International Workshop on Superconductivity in Diamond and Related Materials (IWSDRM2008), which was held at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan in July 2008. The 1st workshop was held in 2005 and was published as a special issue in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) in 2006 (Takano 2006 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 7 S1). The selection of papers describe many important experimental and theoretical studies on superconductivity in semiconductors. Topics on boron-doped diamond include isotope effects (Ekimov et al) and the detailed structure of boron sites, and the relation between superconductivity and disorder induced by boron doping. Regarding other semiconductors, the superconducting properties of silicon and SiC (Kriener et al, Muranaka et al and Yanase et al) are discussed, and In2O3 (Makise et al) is presented as a new superconducting semiconductor. Iron-based superconductors are presented as a new series of high

  10. Metal oxide resistive random access memory based synaptic devices for brain-inspired computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Bin; Kang, Jinfeng; Zhou, Zheng; Chen, Zhe; Huang, Peng; Liu, Lifeng; Liu, Xiaoyan

    2016-04-01

    The traditional Boolean computing paradigm based on the von Neumann architecture is facing great challenges for future information technology applications such as big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and wearable devices, due to the limited processing capability issues such as binary data storage and computing, non-parallel data processing, and the buses requirement between memory units and logic units. The brain-inspired neuromorphic computing paradigm is believed to be one of the promising solutions for realizing more complex functions with a lower cost. To perform such brain-inspired computing with a low cost and low power consumption, novel devices for use as electronic synapses are needed. Metal oxide resistive random access memory (ReRAM) devices have emerged as the leading candidate for electronic synapses. This paper comprehensively addresses the recent work on the design and optimization of metal oxide ReRAM-based synaptic devices. A performance enhancement methodology and optimized operation scheme to achieve analog resistive switching and low-energy training behavior are provided. A three-dimensional vertical synapse network architecture is proposed for high-density integration and low-cost fabrication. The impacts of the ReRAM synaptic device features on the performances of neuromorphic systems are also discussed on the basis of a constructed neuromorphic visual system with a pattern recognition function. Possible solutions to achieve the high recognition accuracy and efficiency of neuromorphic systems are presented.

  11. The potential of multi-port optical memories in digital computing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alford, C. O.; Gaylord, T. K.

    1975-01-01

    A high-capacity memory with a relatively high data transfer rate and multi-port simultaneous access capability may serve as the basis for new computer architectures. The implementation of a multi-port optical memory is discussed. Several computer structures are presented that might profitably use such a memory. These structures include (1) a simultaneous record access system, (2) a simultaneously shared memory computer system, and (3) a parallel digital processing structure.

  12. Thermal characterization and analysis of phase change random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giraud, V.; Cluzel, J.; Sousa, V.; Jacquot, A.; Dauscher, A.; Lenoir, B.; Scherrer, H.; Romer, S.

    2005-07-01

    The cross-plane thermal conductivity of Ge2Sb2Te5, either in its amorphous state or fcc crystallized state, and titanium nitride (TiN) thin films has been measured at room temperature by the 3ω method. These materials are involved in the fabrication of phase change random access memory (PC-RAM), Ge2Sb2Te5 and TiN being the PC and pseudoelectrode materials, respectively. The thermal conductivity of insulating SiO2 and ZnS :SiO2 layers was determined too. Each thermal conductivity measurement was performed by the means of at least two strip widths in order to check both the measurement self-consistency and the measurement accuracy. The performance of PC-RAM cells, i.e., the time needed to reach the melting temperature of the PC material and the cooling speed, has been evaluated as a function of both the measured thermal conductivity of the PC material and the reset current intensity independently of the thermal properties of the pseudoelectrodes by the way of analytical formula. The influence of the thickness and the thermal properties of the pseudoelectrodes on the performances have been determined by numerical simulations.

  13. Origin of poor doping efficiency in solution processed organic semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Jha, Ajay; Duan, Hong-Guang; Tiwari, Vandana; Thorwart, Michael; Miller, R J Dwayne

    2018-05-21

    Doping is an extremely important process where intentional insertion of impurities in semiconductors controls their electronic properties. In organic semiconductors, one of the convenient, but inefficient, ways of doping is the spin casting of a precursor mixture of components in solution, followed by solvent evaporation. Active control over this process holds the key to significant improvements over current poor doping efficiencies. Yet, an optimized control can only come from a detailed understanding of electronic interactions responsible for the low doping efficiencies. Here, we use two-dimensional nonlinear optical spectroscopy to examine these interactions in the course of the doping process by probing the solution mixture of doped organic semiconductors. A dopant accepts an electron from the semiconductor and the two ions form a duplex of interacting charges known as ion-pair complexes. Well-resolved off-diagonal peaks in the two-dimensional spectra clearly demonstrate the electronic connectivity among the ions in solution. This electronic interaction represents a well resolved electrostatically bound state, as opposed to a random distribution of ions. We developed a theoretical model to recover the experimental data, which reveals an unexpectedly strong electronic coupling of ∼250 cm -1 with an intermolecular distance of ∼4.5 Å between ions in solution, which is approximately the expected distance in processed films. The fact that this relationship persists from solution to the processed film gives direct evidence that Coulomb interactions are retained from the precursor solution to the processed films. This memory effect renders the charge carriers equally bound also in the film and, hence, results in poor doping efficiencies. This new insight will help pave the way towards rational tailoring of the electronic interactions to improve doping efficiencies in processed organic semiconductor thin films.

  14. Unitary lens semiconductor device

    DOEpatents

    Lear, Kevin L.

    1997-01-01

    A unitary lens semiconductor device and method. The unitary lens semiconductor device is provided with at least one semiconductor layer having a composition varying in the growth direction for unitarily forming one or more lenses in the semiconductor layer. Unitary lens semiconductor devices may be formed as light-processing devices such as microlenses, and as light-active devices such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and resonant cavity photodetectors.

  15. Kanerva's sparse distributed memory: An associative memory algorithm well-suited to the Connection Machine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rogers, David

    1988-01-01

    The advent of the Connection Machine profoundly changes the world of supercomputers. The highly nontraditional architecture makes possible the exploration of algorithms that were impractical for standard Von Neumann architectures. Sparse distributed memory (SDM) is an example of such an algorithm. Sparse distributed memory is a particularly simple and elegant formulation for an associative memory. The foundations for sparse distributed memory are described, and some simple examples of using the memory are presented. The relationship of sparse distributed memory to three important computational systems is shown: random-access memory, neural networks, and the cerebellum of the brain. Finally, the implementation of the algorithm for sparse distributed memory on the Connection Machine is discussed.

  16. zorder-lib: Library API for Z-Order Memory Layout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nowell, Lucy; Edward W. Bethel

    2015-04-01

    This document describes the motivation for, elements of, and use of the zorder-lib, a library API that implements organization of and access to data in memory using either a-order (also known as "row-major" order) or z-order memory layouts. The primary motivation for this work is to improve the performance of many types of data- intensive codes by increasing both spatial and temporal locality of memory accesses. The basic idea is that the cost associated with accessing a datum is less when it is nearby in either space or time.

  17. Thin film memory matrix using amorphous and high resistive layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakoor, Anilkumar P. (Inventor); Lambe, John (Inventor); Moopen, Alexander (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    Memory cells in a matrix are provided by a thin film of amorphous semiconductor material overlayed by a thin film of resistive material. An array of parallel conductors on one side perpendicular to an array of parallel conductors on the other side enable the amorphous semiconductor material to be switched in addressed areas to be switched from a high resistance state to a low resistance state with a predetermined level of electrical energy applied through selected conductors, and thereafter to be read out with a lower level of electrical energy. Each cell may be fabricated in the channel of an MIS field-effect transistor with a separate common gate over each section to enable the memory matrix to be selectively blanked in sections during storing or reading out of data. This allows for time sharing of addressing circuitry for storing and reading out data in a synaptic network, which may be under control of a microprocessor.

  18. Development of three-dimensional memory (3D-M)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Hong-Yu; Shen, Chen; Jiang, Lingli; Dong, Bin; Zhang, Guobiao

    2016-10-01

    Since the invention of 3-D ROM in 1996, three-dimensional memory (3D-M) has been under development for nearly two decades. In this presentation, we'll review the 3D-M history and compare different 3D-Ms (including 3D-OTP from Matrix Semiconductor, 3D-NAND from Samsung and 3D-XPoint from Intel/Micron).

  19. DIODE STEERED MANGETIC-CORE MEMORY

    DOEpatents

    Melmed, A.S.; Shevlin, R.T.; Laupheimer, R.

    1962-09-18

    A word-arranged magnetic-core memory is designed for use in a digital computer utilizing the reverse or back current property of the semi-conductor diodes to restore the information in the memory after read-out. In order to ob tain a read-out signal from a magnetic core storage unit, it is necessary to change the states of some of the magnetic cores. In order to retain the information in the memory after read-out it is then necessary to provide a means to return the switched cores to their states before read-out. A rewrite driver passes a pulse back through each row of cores in which some switching has taken place. This pulse combines with the reverse current pulses of diodes for each column in which a core is switched during read-out to cause the particular cores to be switched back into their states prior to read-out. (AEC)

  20. Semiconductor chips, genes, and stem cells: new wine for new bottles?

    PubMed

    Rose, Simone A

    2012-01-01

    This Article analogizes early semiconductor technology and its surrounding economics with isolated genes, stem cells, and related bioproducts, and their surrounding economics, to make the case for sui generis (of its own class) intellectual property protection for isolated bioproducts. Just as early semiconductors failed to meet the patent social bargain requiring novelty and non-obviousness in the 1980s, isolated genes and stem cells currently fail to meet the patent bargain requirements of non-obviousness and eligible subject matter that entitle them to traditional intellectual property protection. Like early semiconductor chip designs, nevertheless, the high cost of upstream bioproduct research and development, coupled with the need to sustain continued economic growth of the biotechnology industry, mandates that Congress provide some level of exclusive rights to ensure continued funding for this research. Sui generis intellectual property protection for isolated bioproducts would preserve the incentive to continue innovation in the field. As illustrated by the semiconductor industry, however, such sui generis protection for this technology must include limitations that address the need to provide an appropriate level of public access to facilitate downstream product development and enrich the public domain.

  1. Unitary lens semiconductor device

    DOEpatents

    Lear, K.L.

    1997-05-27

    A unitary lens semiconductor device and method are disclosed. The unitary lens semiconductor device is provided with at least one semiconductor layer having a composition varying in the growth direction for unitarily forming one or more lenses in the semiconductor layer. Unitary lens semiconductor devices may be formed as light-processing devices such as microlenses, and as light-active devices such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and resonant cavity photodetectors. 9 figs.

  2. CMOS Camera Array With Onboard Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gat, Nahum

    2009-01-01

    A compact CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) camera system has been developed with high resolution (1.3 Megapixels), a USB (universal serial bus) 2.0 interface, and an onboard memory. Exposure times, and other operating parameters, are sent from a control PC via the USB port. Data from the camera can be received via the USB port and the interface allows for simple control and data capture through a laptop computer.

  3. Conductors and semiconductors for advanced organic electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer-Friedrichsen, Timo; Elschner, Andreas; Keohan, Frank; Lövenich, Wilfried; Ponomarenko, Sergei A.

    2009-08-01

    The development of suitable materials for organic electronics is still one of the key points to access new application areas with this promising technology. Semiconductors based on thiophene chemistry show very high charge carrier mobilities. The functionalization with linker groups provided materials that built monomolecular layers of the semiconductors on the hydrolyzed oxide surface of a silicon-wafer. This approach lead to self-assembled mono-layer field-effect transistors (SAM-FETs) with mobilities of up to 0.04 cm2/Vs, which is comparable to the values of the respective bulk thin film. Transparent inorganic conductors like ITO are highly conductive but the costly processing and the brittleness hamper their use in cost-sensitive and/or flexible devices. Highly conductive PEDOT-grades have been developed with conductivities of up to 1000 S/cm which are easily applicable by printing techniques and can be used as ITO replacement in devices such as touch panels or organic photovoltaics.

  4. Air-stable memory array of bistable rectifying diodes based on ferroelectric-semiconductor polymer blends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Manasvi; Sharifi Dehsari, Hamed; Anwar, Saleem; Asadi, Kamal

    2018-03-01

    Organic bistable diodes based on phase-separated blends of ferroelectric and semiconducting polymers have emerged as promising candidates for non-volatile information storage for low-cost solution processable electronics. One of the bottlenecks impeding upscaling is stability and reliable operation of the array in air. Here, we present a memory array fabricated with an air-stable amine-based semiconducting polymer. Memory diode fabrication and full electrical characterizations were carried out in atmospheric conditions (23 °C and 45% relative humidity). The memory diodes showed on/off ratios greater than 100 and further exhibited robust and stable performance upon continuous write-read-erase-read cycles. Moreover, we demonstrate a 4-bit memory array that is free from cross-talk with a shelf-life of several months. Demonstration of the stability and reliable air operation further strengthens the feasibility of the resistance switching in ferroelectric memory diodes for low-cost applications.

  5. Review of optical memory technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, D.

    1972-01-01

    Optical technologies for meeting the demands of large capacity fast access time memory are discussed in terms of optical phenomena and laser applications. The magneto-optic and electro-optic approaches are considered to be the most promising memory approaches.

  6. Designing Semiconductor Heterostructures Using Digitally Accessible Electronic-Structure Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shapera, Ethan; Schleife, Andre

    Semiconductor sandwich structures, so-called heterojunctions, are at the heart of modern applications with tremendous societal impact: Light-emitting diodes shape the future of lighting and solar cells are promising for renewable energy. However, their computer-based design is hampered by the high cost of electronic structure techniques used to select materials based on alignment of valence and conduction bands and to evaluate excited state properties. We describe, validate, and demonstrate an open source Python framework which rapidly screens existing online databases and user-provided data to find combinations of suitable, previously fabricated materials for optoelectronic applications. The branch point energy aligns valence and conduction bands of different materials, requiring only the bulk density functional theory band structure. We train machine learning algorithms to predict the dielectric constant, electron mobility, and hole mobility with material descriptors available in online databases. Using CdSe and InP as emitting layers for LEDs and CH3NH3PbI3 and nanoparticle PbS as absorbers for solar cells, we demonstrate our broadly applicable, automated method.

  7. Radiation dosimetry using three-dimensional optical random access memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moscovitch, M.; Phillips, G. W.

    2001-01-01

    Three-dimensional optical random access memories (3D ORAMs) are a new generation of high-density data storage devices. Binary information is stored and retrieved via a light induced reversible transformation of an ensemble of bistable photochromic molecules embedded in a polymer matrix. This paper describes the application of 3D ORAM materials to radiation dosimetry. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally, that ionizing radiation in the form of heavy charged particles is capable of changing the information originally stored on the ORAM material. The magnitude and spatial distribution of these changes are used as a measure of the absorbed dose, particle type and energy. The effects of exposure on 3D ORAM materials have been investigated for a variety of particle types and energies, including protons, alpha particles and 12C ions. The exposed materials are observed to fluoresce when exposed to laser light. The intensity and the depth of the fluorescence is dependent on the type and energy of the particle to which the materials were exposed. It is shown that these effects can be modeled using Monte Carlo calculations. The model provides a better understanding of the properties of these materials. which should prove useful for developing systems for charged particle and neutron dosimetry/detector applications. c2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

  8. Analog Nonvolatile Computer Memory Circuits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd

    2007-01-01

    In nonvolatile random-access memory (RAM) circuits of a proposed type, digital data would be stored in analog form in ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FFETs). This type of memory circuit would offer advantages over prior volatile and nonvolatile types: In a conventional complementary metal oxide/semiconductor static RAM, six transistors must be used to store one bit, and storage is volatile in that data are lost when power is turned off. In a conventional dynamic RAM, three transistors must be used to store one bit, and the stored bit must be refreshed every few milliseconds. In contrast, in a RAM according to the proposal, data would be retained when power was turned off, each memory cell would contain only two FFETs, and the cell could store multiple bits (the exact number of bits depending on the specific design). Conventional flash memory circuits afford nonvolatile storage, but they operate at reading and writing times of the order of thousands of conventional computer memory reading and writing times and, hence, are suitable for use only as off-line storage devices. In addition, flash memories cease to function after limited numbers of writing cycles. The proposed memory circuits would not be subject to either of these limitations. Prior developmental nonvolatile ferroelectric memories are limited to one bit per cell, whereas, as stated above, the proposed memories would not be so limited. The design of a memory circuit according to the proposal must reflect the fact that FFET storage is only partly nonvolatile, in that the signal stored in an FFET decays gradually over time. (Retention times of some advanced FFETs exceed ten years.) Instead of storing a single bit of data as either a positively or negatively saturated state in a ferroelectric device, each memory cell according to the proposal would store two values. The two FFETs in each cell would be denoted the storage FFET and the control FFET. The storage FFET would store an analog signal value

  9. Simulation study on heat conduction of a nanoscale phase-change random access memory cell.

    PubMed

    Kim, Junho; Song, Ki-Bong

    2006-11-01

    We have investigated heat transfer characteristics of a nano-scale phase-change random access memory (PRAM) cell using finite element method (FEM) simulation. Our PRAM cell is based on ternary chalcogenide alloy, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), which is used as a recording layer. For contact area of 100 x 100 nm2, simulations of crystallization and amorphization processes were carried out. Physical quantities such as electric conductivity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat were treated as temperature-dependent parameters. Through many simulations, it is concluded that one can reduce set current by decreasing both electric conductivities of amorphous GST and crystalline GST, and in addition to these conditions by decreasing electric conductivity of molten GST one can also reduce reset current significantly.

  10. Frontal activations associated with accessing and evaluating information in working memory: an fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, John X; Leung, Hoi-Chung; Johnson, Marcia K

    2003-11-01

    To investigate the involvement of frontal cortex in accessing and evaluating information in working memory, we used a variant of a Sternberg paradigm and compared brain activations between positive and negative responses (known to differentially tax access/evaluation processes). Participants remembered two trigrams in each trial and were then cued to discard one of them and maintain the other one as the target set. After a delay, a probe letter was presented and participants made decisions about whether or not it was in the target set. Several frontal areas--anterior cingulate (BA32), middle frontal gyrus (bilateral BA9, right BA10, and right BA46), and left inferior frontal gyrus (BA44/45)--showed increased activity when participants made correct negative responses relative to when they made correct positive responses. No areas activated significantly more for the positive responses than for the negative responses. It is suggested that the multiple frontal areas involved in the test phase of this task may reflect several component processes that underlie more general frontal functions.

  11. Graphene-based hybrid structures combined with functional materials of ferroelectrics and semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Jie, Wenjing; Hao, Jianhua

    2014-06-21

    Fundamental studies and applications of 2-dimensional (2D) graphene may be deepened and broadened via combining graphene sheets with various functional materials, which have been extended from the traditional insulator of SiO2 to a versatile range of dielectrics, semiconductors and metals, as well as organic compounds. Among them, ferroelectric materials have received much attention due to their unique ferroelectric polarization. As a result, many attractive characteristics can be shown in graphene/ferroelectric hybrid systems. On the other hand, graphene can be integrated with conventional semiconductors and some newly-discovered 2D layered materials to form distinct Schottky junctions, yielding fascinating behaviours and exhibiting the potential for various applications in future functional devices. This review article is an attempt to illustrate the most recent progress in the fabrication, operation principle, characterization, and promising applications of graphene-based hybrid structures combined with various functional materials, ranging from ferroelectrics to semiconductors. We focus on mechanically exfoliated and chemical-vapor-deposited graphene sheets integrated in numerous advanced devices. Some typical hybrid structures have been highlighted, aiming at potential applications in non-volatile memories, transparent flexible electrodes, solar cells, photodetectors, and so on.

  12. Graphene-based hybrid structures combined with functional materials of ferroelectrics and semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jie, Wenjing; Hao, Jianhua

    2014-05-01

    Fundamental studies and applications of 2-dimensional (2D) graphene may be deepened and broadened via combining graphene sheets with various functional materials, which have been extended from the traditional insulator of SiO2 to a versatile range of dielectrics, semiconductors and metals, as well as organic compounds. Among them, ferroelectric materials have received much attention due to their unique ferroelectric polarization. As a result, many attractive characteristics can be shown in graphene/ferroelectric hybrid systems. On the other hand, graphene can be integrated with conventional semiconductors and some newly-discovered 2D layered materials to form distinct Schottky junctions, yielding fascinating behaviours and exhibiting the potential for various applications in future functional devices. This review article is an attempt to illustrate the most recent progress in the fabrication, operation principle, characterization, and promising applications of graphene-based hybrid structures combined with various functional materials, ranging from ferroelectrics to semiconductors. We focus on mechanically exfoliated and chemical-vapor-deposited graphene sheets integrated in numerous advanced devices. Some typical hybrid structures have been highlighted, aiming at potential applications in non-volatile memories, transparent flexible electrodes, solar cells, photodetectors, and so on.

  13. Retrieval practice enhances the accessibility but not the quality of memory.

    PubMed

    Sutterer, David W; Awh, Edward

    2016-06-01

    Numerous studies have demonstrated that retrieval from long-term memory (LTM) can enhance subsequent memory performance, a phenomenon labeled the retrieval practice effect. However, the almost exclusive reliance on categorical stimuli in this literature leaves open a basic question about the nature of this improvement in memory performance. It has not yet been determined whether retrieval practice improves the probability of successful memory retrieval or the quality of the retrieved representation. To answer this question, we conducted three experiments using a mixture modeling approach (Zhang & Luck, 2008) that provides a measure of both the probability of recall and the quality of the recalled memories. Subjects attempted to memorize the color of 400 unique shapes. After every 10 images were presented, subjects either recalled the last 10 colors (the retrieval practice condition) by clicking on a color wheel with each shape as a retrieval cue or they participated in a control condition that involved no further presentations (Experiment 1) or restudy of the 10 shape/color associations (Experiments 2 and 3). Performance in a subsequent delayed recall test revealed a robust retrieval practice effect. Subjects recalled a significantly higher proportion of items that they had previously retrieved relative to items that were untested or that they had restudied. Interestingly, retrieval practice did not elicit any improvement in the precision of the retrieved memories. The same empirical pattern also was observed following delays of greater than 24 hours. Thus, retrieval practice increases the probability of successful memory retrieval but does not improve memory quality.

  14. Electrical Evaluation of RCA MWS5001D Random Access Memory, Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    Electrical characterization and qualification tests were performed on the RCA MWS5001D, 1024 by 1-bit, CMOS, random access memory. Characterization tests were performed on five devices. The tests included functional tests, AC parametric worst case pattern selection test, determination of worst-case transition for setup and hold times and a series of schmoo plots. The qualification tests were performed on 32 devices and included a 2000 hour burn in with electrical tests performed at 0 hours and after 168, 1000, and 2000 hours of burn in. The tests performed included functional tests and AC and DC parametric tests. All of the tests in the characterization phase, with the exception of the worst-case transition test, were performed at ambient temperatures of 25, -55 and 125 C. The worst-case transition test was performed at 25 C. The preburn in electrical tests were performed at 25, -55, and 125 C. All burn in endpoint tests were performed at 25, -40, -55, 85, and 125 C.

  15. Implementing a bubble memory hierarchy system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Segura, R.; Nichols, C. D.

    1979-01-01

    This paper reports on implementation of a magnetic bubble memory in a two-level hierarchial system. The hierarchy used a major-minor loop device and RAM under microprocessor control. Dynamic memory addressing, dual bus primary memory, and hardware data modification detection are incorporated in the system to minimize access time. It is the objective of the system to incorporate the advantages of bipolar memory with that of bubble domain memory to provide a smart, optimal memory system which is easy to interface and independent of user's system.

  16. Application of phase-change materials in memory taxonomy.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lei; Tu, Liang; Wen, Jing

    2017-01-01

    Phase-change materials are suitable for data storage because they exhibit reversible transitions between crystalline and amorphous states that have distinguishable electrical and optical properties. Consequently, these materials find applications in diverse memory devices ranging from conventional optical discs to emerging nanophotonic devices. Current research efforts are mostly devoted to phase-change random access memory, whereas the applications of phase-change materials in other types of memory devices are rarely reported. Here we review the physical principles of phase-change materials and devices aiming to help researchers understand the concept of phase-change memory. We classify phase-change memory devices into phase-change optical disc, phase-change scanning probe memory, phase-change random access memory, and phase-change nanophotonic device, according to their locations in memory hierarchy. For each device type we discuss the physical principles in conjunction with merits and weakness for data storage applications. We also outline state-of-the-art technologies and future prospects.

  17. Application of phase-change materials in memory taxonomy

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Lei; Tu, Liang; Wen, Jing

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Phase-change materials are suitable for data storage because they exhibit reversible transitions between crystalline and amorphous states that have distinguishable electrical and optical properties. Consequently, these materials find applications in diverse memory devices ranging from conventional optical discs to emerging nanophotonic devices. Current research efforts are mostly devoted to phase-change random access memory, whereas the applications of phase-change materials in other types of memory devices are rarely reported. Here we review the physical principles of phase-change materials and devices aiming to help researchers understand the concept of phase-change memory. We classify phase-change memory devices into phase-change optical disc, phase-change scanning probe memory, phase-change random access memory, and phase-change nanophotonic device, according to their locations in memory hierarchy. For each device type we discuss the physical principles in conjunction with merits and weakness for data storage applications. We also outline state-of-the-art technologies and future prospects. PMID:28740557

  18. Staging memory for massively parallel processor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Batcher, Kenneth E. (Inventor)

    1988-01-01

    The invention herein relates to a computer organization capable of rapidly processing extremely large volumes of data. A staging memory is provided having a main stager portion consisting of a large number of memory banks which are accessed in parallel to receive, store, and transfer data words simultaneous with each other. Substager portions interconnect with the main stager portion to match input and output data formats with the data format of the main stager portion. An address generator is coded for accessing the data banks for receiving or transferring the appropriate words. Input and output permutation networks arrange the lineal order of data into and out of the memory banks.

  19. Context controls access to working and reference memory in the pigeon (Columba livia).

    PubMed

    Roberts, William A; Macpherson, Krista; Strang, Caroline

    2016-01-01

    The interaction between working and reference memory systems was examined under conditions in which salient contextual cues were presented during memory retrieval. Ambient colored lights (red or green) bathed the operant chamber during the presentation of comparison stimuli in delayed matching-to-sample training (working memory) and during the presentation of the comparison stimuli as S+ and S- cues in discrimination training (reference memory). Strong competition between memory systems appeared when the same contextual cue appeared during working and reference memory training. When different contextual cues were used, however, working memory was completely protected from reference memory interference. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  20. False Operation of Static Random Access Memory Cells under Alternating Current Power Supply Voltage Variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sawada, Takuya; Takata, Hidehiro; Nii, Koji; Nagata, Makoto

    2013-04-01

    Static random access memory (SRAM) cores exhibit susceptibility against power supply voltage variation. False operation is investigated among SRAM cells under sinusoidal voltage variation on power lines introduced by direct RF power injection. A standard SRAM core of 16 kbyte in a 90 nm 1.5 V technology is diagnosed with built-in self test and on-die noise monitor techniques. The sensitivity of bit error rate is shown to be high against the frequency of injected voltage variation, while it is not greatly influenced by the difference in frequency and phase against SRAM clocking. It is also observed that the distribution of false bits is substantially random in a cell array.

  1. Memory hierarchy using row-based compression

    DOEpatents

    Loh, Gabriel H.; O'Connor, James M.

    2016-10-25

    A system includes a first memory and a device coupleable to the first memory. The device includes a second memory to cache data from the first memory. The second memory includes a plurality of rows, each row including a corresponding set of compressed data blocks of non-uniform sizes and a corresponding set of tag blocks. Each tag block represents a corresponding compressed data block of the row. The device further includes decompression logic to decompress data blocks accessed from the second memory. The device further includes compression logic to compress data blocks to be stored in the second memory.

  2. 77 FR 11486 - Fresh Garlic From the People's Republic of China: Partial Final Results and Partial Final...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-27

    ... between grades are based on color, size, sheathing, and level of decay. The scope of the order does not... Less than Fair Value: Static Random Access Memory Semiconductors From Taiwan, 63 FR 8909, 8911...

  3. Solution-processed flexible NiO resistive random access memory device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Soo-Jung; Lee, Heon; Hong, Sung-Hoon

    2018-04-01

    Non-volatile memories (NVMs) using nanocrystals (NCs) as active materials can be applied to soft electronic devices requiring a low-temperature process because NCs do not require a heat treatment process for crystallization. In addition, memory devices can be implemented simply by using a patterning technique using a solution process. In this study, a flexible NiO ReRAM device was fabricated using a simple NC patterning method that controls the capillary force and dewetting of a NiO NC solution at low temperature. The switching behavior of a NiO NC based memory was clearly observed by conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM).

  4. Measuring autobiographical fluency in the self-memory system.

    PubMed

    Rathbone, Clare J; Moulin, Chris J A

    2014-01-01

    Autobiographical memory is widely considered to be fundamentally related to concepts of self and identity. However, few studies have sought to test models of self and memory directly using experimental designs. Using a novel autobiographical fluency paradigm, the present study investigated memory accessibility for different levels of self-related knowledge. Forty participants generated 20 "I am" statements about themselves, from which the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th were used as cues in a two-minute autobiographical fluency task. The most salient aspects of the self, measured by both serial position and ratings of personal significance, were associated with more accessible sets of autobiographical memories. This finding supports theories that view the self as a powerful organizational structure in memory. Results are discussed with reference to models of self and memory.

  5. Organic semiconductor crystals.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chengliang; Dong, Huanli; Jiang, Lang; Hu, Wenping

    2018-01-22

    Organic semiconductors have attracted a lot of attention since the discovery of highly doped conductive polymers, due to the potential application in field-effect transistors (OFETs), light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and photovoltaic cells (OPVs). Single crystals of organic semiconductors are particularly intriguing because they are free of grain boundaries and have long-range periodic order as well as minimal traps and defects. Hence, organic semiconductor crystals provide a powerful tool for revealing the intrinsic properties, examining the structure-property relationships, demonstrating the important factors for high performance devices and uncovering fundamental physics in organic semiconductors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular packing, morphology and charge transport features of organic semiconductor crystals, the control of crystallization for achieving high quality crystals and the device physics in the three main applications. We hope that this comprehensive summary can give a clear picture of the state-of-art status and guide future work in this area.

  6. Abnormal Multiple Charge Memory States in Exfoliated Few-Layer WSe2 Transistors.

    PubMed

    Chen, Mikai; Wang, Yifan; Shepherd, Nathan; Huard, Chad; Zhou, Jiantao; Guo, L J; Lu, Wei; Liang, Xiaogan

    2017-01-24

    To construct reliable nanoelectronic devices based on emerging 2D layered semiconductors, we need to understand the charge-trapping processes in such devices. Additionally, the identified charge-trapping schemes in such layered materials could be further exploited to make multibit (or highly desirable analog-tunable) memory devices. Here, we present a study on the abnormal charge-trapping or memory characteristics of few-layer WSe 2 transistors. This work shows that multiple charge-trapping states with large extrema spacing, long retention time, and analog tunability can be excited in the transistors made from mechanically exfoliated few-layer WSe 2 flakes, whereas they cannot be generated in widely studied few-layer MoS 2 transistors. Such charge-trapping characteristics of WSe 2 transistors are attributed to the exfoliation-induced interlayer deformation on the cleaved surfaces of few-layer WSe 2 flakes, which can spontaneously form ambipolar charge-trapping sites. Our additional results from surface characterization, charge-retention characterization at different temperatures, and density functional theory computation strongly support this explanation. Furthermore, our research also demonstrates that the charge-trapping states excited in multiple transistors can be calibrated into consistent multibit data storage levels. This work advances the understanding of the charge memory mechanisms in layered semiconductors, and the observed charge-trapping states could be further studied for enabling ultralow-cost multibit analog memory devices.

  7. Oscillatory mechanisms of process binding in memory.

    PubMed

    Klimesch, Wolfgang; Freunberger, Roman; Sauseng, Paul

    2010-06-01

    A central topic in cognitive neuroscience is the question, which processes underlie large scale communication within and between different neural networks. The basic assumption is that oscillatory phase synchronization plays an important role for process binding--the transient linking of different cognitive processes--which may be considered a special type of large scale communication. We investigate this question for memory processes on the basis of different types of oscillatory synchronization mechanisms. The reviewed findings suggest that theta and alpha phase coupling (and phase reorganization) reflect control processes in two large memory systems, a working memory and a complex knowledge system that comprises semantic long-term memory. It is suggested that alpha phase synchronization may be interpreted in terms of processes that coordinate top-down control (a process guided by expectancy to focus on relevant search areas) and access to memory traces (a process leading to the activation of a memory trace). An analogous interpretation is suggested for theta oscillations and the controlled access to episodic memories. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Calendar Savant with Episodic Memory Impairments

    PubMed Central

    Olson, Ingrid R.; Berryhill, Marian E.; Drowos, David B.; Brown, Lawrence; Chatterjee, Anjan

    2010-01-01

    Patients with memory disorders have severely restricted learning and memory. For instance, patients with anterograde amnesia can learn motor procedures as well as retaining some restricted ability to learn new words and factual information. However, such learning is inflexible and frequently inaccessible to conscious awareness. Here we present a case of patient AC596, a 25-year old male with severe episodic memory impairments, presumably due to anoxia during a preterm birth. In contrast to his poor episodic memory, he exhibits savant-like memory for calendar information that can be flexibly accessed by day, month, and year cues. He also has the ability to recollect the exact date of a wide range of personal experiences over the past 20 years. The patient appears to supplement his generally poor episodic memory by using memorized calendar information as a retrieval cue for autobiographical events. These findings indicate that islands of preserved memory functioning, such as a highly developed semantic memory system, can exist in individuals with severely impaired episodic memory systems. In this particular case, our patient’s memory for dates far outstripped that of normal individuals and served as a keen retrieval cue, allowing him to access information that was otherwise unavailable. PMID:20104390

  9. Oxide Structure Dependence of SiO2/SiOx/3C-SiC/n-Type Si Nonvolatile Resistive Memory on Memory Operation Characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaguchi, Yuichiro; Shouji, Masatsugu; Suda, Yoshiyuki

    2012-11-01

    We have investigated the dependence of the oxide layer structure of our previously proposed metal/SiO2/SiOx/3C-SiC/n-Si/metal metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) resistive memory device on the memory operation characteristics. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results suggest that SiOx defect states mainly caused by the oxidation of 3C-SiC at temperatures below 1000 °C are related to the hysteresis memory behavior in the I-V curve. By restricting the SiOx interface region, the number of switching cycles and the on/off current ratio are more enhanced. Compared with a memory device formed by one-step or two-step oxidation of 3C-SiC, a memory device formed by one-step oxidation of Si/3C-SiC exhibits a more restrictive SiOx interface with a more definitive SiO2 layer and higher memory performances for both the endurance switching cycle and on/off current ratio.

  10. A Concept of Corporate Memory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-05-17

    34 social memory", in the broader context of society. This paper explores some of the possibilities of creating a computer based corporate memory...NUMBER 79-04-03 2. COVT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER «. TITLE f«n<* SubfU/.; A CONCEPT OF- CORPORATE MEMORY S. TYPE OF...It. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES • IJ. KEY WORDS fCon<Jnu» on r»r»r»» mid* It nmcammmrj and Idmntltr bf block numbmr) corporate memory, office

  11. A spin transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory-based high-density and ultralow-power associative memory for fully data-adaptive nearest neighbor search with current-mode similarity evaluation and time-domain minimum searching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yitao; Miura, Sadahiko; Honjo, Hiroaki; Ikeda, Shoji; Hanyu, Takahiro; Ohno, Hideo; Endoh, Tetsuo

    2017-04-01

    A high-density nonvolatile associative memory (NV-AM) based on spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM), which achieves highly concurrent and ultralow-power nearest neighbor search with full adaptivity of the template data format, has been proposed and fabricated using the 90 nm CMOS/70 nm perpendicular-magnetic-tunnel-junction hybrid process. A truly compact current-mode circuitry is developed to realize flexibly controllable and high-parallel similarity evaluation, which makes the NV-AM adaptable to any dimensionality and component-bit of template data. A compact dual-stage time-domain minimum searching circuit is also developed, which can freely extend the system for more template data by connecting multiple NM-AM cores without additional circuits for integrated processing. Both the embedded STT-MRAM module and the computing circuit modules in this NV-AM chip are synchronously power-gated to completely eliminate standby power and maximally reduce operation power by only activating the currently accessed circuit blocks. The operations of a prototype chip at 40 MHz are demonstrated by measurement. The average operation power is only 130 µW, and the circuit density is less than 11 µm2/bit. Compared with the latest conventional works in both volatile and nonvolatile approaches, more than 31.3% circuit area reductions and 99.2% power improvements are achieved, respectively. Further power performance analyses are discussed, which verify the special superiority of the proposed NV-AM in low-power and large-memory-based VLSIs.

  12. a-SiNx:H-based ultra-low power resistive random access memory with tunable Si dangling bond conduction paths.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Xu, Jun; Chen, Kunji; Xu, Ling; Li, Wei; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

    2015-10-28

    The realization of ultra-low power Si-based resistive switching memory technology will be a milestone in the development of next generation non-volatile memory. Here we show that a high performance and ultra-low power resistive random access memory (RRAM) based on an Al/a-SiNx:H/p(+)-Si structure can be achieved by tuning the Si dangling bond conduction paths. We reveal the intrinsic relationship between the Si dangling bonds and the N/Si ratio x for the a-SiNx:H films, which ensures that the programming current can be reduced to less than 1 μA by increasing the value of x. Theoretically calculated current-voltage (I-V) curves combined with the temperature dependence of the I-V characteristics confirm that, for the low-resistance state (LRS), the Si dangling bond conduction paths obey the trap-assisted tunneling model. In the high-resistance state (HRS), conduction is dominated by either hopping or Poole-Frenkel (P-F) processes. Our introduction of hydrogen in the a-SiNx:H layer provides a new way to control the Si dangling bond conduction paths, and thus opens up a research field for ultra-low power Si-based RRAM.

  13. Method of doping a semiconductor

    DOEpatents

    Yang, Chiang Y.; Rapp, Robert A.

    1983-01-01

    A method for doping semiconductor material. An interface is established between a solid electrolyte and a semiconductor to be doped. The electrolyte is chosen to be an ionic conductor of the selected impurity and the semiconductor material and electrolyte are jointly chosen so that any compound formed from the impurity and the semiconductor will have a free energy no lower than the electrolyte. A potential is then established across the interface so as to allow the impurity ions to diffuse into the semiconductor. In one embodiment the semiconductor and electrolyte may be heated so as to increase the diffusion coefficient.

  14. Ion beam synthesis of indium-oxide nanocrystals for improvement of oxide resistive random-access memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonafos, C.; Benassayag, G.; Cours, R.; Pécassou, B.; Guenery, P. V.; Baboux, N.; Militaru, L.; Souifi, A.; Cossec, E.; Hamga, K.; Ecoffey, S.; Drouin, D.

    2018-01-01

    We report on the direct ion beam synthesis of a delta-layer of indium oxide nanocrystals (In2O3-NCs) in silica matrices by using ultra-low energy ion implantation. The formation of the indium oxide phase can be explained by (i) the affinity of indium with oxygen, (ii) the generation of a high excess of oxygen recoils generated by the implantation process in the region where the nanocrystals are formed and (iii) the proximity of the indium-based nanoparticles with the free surface and oxidation from the air. Taking advantage of the selective diffusivity of implanted indium in SiO2 with respect to Si3N4, In2O3-NCs have been inserted in the SiO2 switching oxide of micrometric planar oxide-based resistive random access memory (OxRAM) devices fabricated using the nanodamascene process. Preliminary electrical measurements show switch voltage from high to low resistance state. The devices with In2O3-NCs have been cycled 5 times with identical operating voltages and RESET current meanwhile no switch has been observed for non implanted devices. This first measurement of switching is very promising for the concept of In2O3-NCs based OxRAM memories.

  15. Memory Benchmarks for SMP-Based High Performance Parallel Computers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yoo, A B; de Supinski, B; Mueller, F

    2001-11-20

    As the speed gap between CPU and main memory continues to grow, memory accesses increasingly dominates the performance of many applications. The problem is particularly acute for symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) systems, where the shared memory may be accessed concurrently by a group of threads running on separate CPUs. Unfortunately, several key issues governing memory system performance in current systems are not well understood. Complex interactions between the levels of the memory hierarchy, buses or switches, DRAM back-ends, system software, and application access patterns can make it difficult to pinpoint bottlenecks and determine appropriate optimizations, and the situation is even moremore » complex for SMP systems. To partially address this problem, we formulated a set of multi-threaded microbenchmarks for characterizing and measuring the performance of the underlying memory system in SMP-based high-performance computers. We report our use of these microbenchmarks on two important SMP-based machines. This paper has four primary contributions. First, we introduce a microbenchmark suite to systematically assess and compare the performance of different levels in SMP memory hierarchies. Second, we present a new tool based on hardware performance monitors to determine a wide array of memory system characteristics, such as cache sizes, quickly and easily; by using this tool, memory performance studies can be targeted to the full spectrum of performance regimes with many fewer data points than is otherwise required. Third, we present experimental results indicating that the performance of applications with large memory footprints remains largely constrained by memory. Fourth, we demonstrate that thread-level parallelism further degrades memory performance, even for the latest SMPs with hardware prefetching and switch-based memory interconnects.« less

  16. A study of selenium nanoparticles as charge storage element for flexible semi-transparent memory devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alotaibi, Sattam; Nama Manjunatha, Krishna; Paul, Shashi

    2017-12-01

    Flexible Semi-Transparent electronic memory would be useful in coming years for integrated flexible transparent electronic devices. However, attaining such flexibility and semi-transparency leads to the boundaries in material composition. Thus, impeding processing speed and device performance. In this work, we present the use of inorganic stable selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) as a storage element and hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) as an insulating layer in two terminal non-volatile physically flexible and semi-transparent capacitive memory devices (2T-NMDs). Furthermore, a-C:H films can be deposited at very low temperature (<40° C) on a variety of substrates (including many kinds of plastic substrates) by an industrial technique called Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) which is available in many existing fabrication labs. Self-assembled Se-NPs has several unique features including deposition at room temperature by simple vacuum thermal evaporation process without the need for further optimisation. This facilitates the fabrication of memory on a flexible substrate. Moreover, the memory behaviour of the Se-NPs was found to be more distinct than those of the semiconductor and metal nanostructures due to higher work function compared to the commonly used semiconductor and metal species. The memory behaviour was observed from the hysteresis of current-voltage (I-V) measurements while the two distinguishable electrical conductivity states (;0; and "1") were studied by current-time (I-t) measurements.

  17. Individual differences in susceptibility to false memories: The effect of memory specificity.

    PubMed

    Dewhurst, Stephen A; Anderson, Rachel J; Berry, Donna M; Garner, Sarah R

    2017-06-25

    Previous research has highlighted the wide individual variability in susceptibility to the false memories produced by the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) procedure [Deese, J. (1959). On the prediction of occurrence of particular verbal intrusions in immediate recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 17-22; Roediger, H. L., III, & McDermott, K. B. (1995). Creating false memories: Remembering words not presented in lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 21, 803-814]. The current study investigated whether susceptibility to false memories is influenced by individual differences in the specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval. Memory specificity was measured using the Sentence Completion for Events from the Past Test (SCEPT) [Raes, F., Hermans, D., Williams, J. M. G., & Eelen, P. (2007). A sentence completion procedure as an alternative to the Autobiographical Memory Test for assessing overgeneral memory in non-clinical populations. Memory, 15, 495-507]. Memory specificity did not correlate with correct recognition, but a specific retrieval style was positively correlated with levels of false recognition. It is proposed that the contextual details that frequently accompany false memories of nonstudied lures are more accessible in individuals with specific retrieval styles.

  18. All-optical XNOR/NOT logic gates and LATCH based on a reflective vertical cavity semiconductor saturable absorber.

    PubMed

    Pradhan, Rajib

    2014-06-10

    This work proposes a scheme of all-optical XNOR/NOT logic gates based on a reflective vertical cavity semiconductor (quantum wells, QWs) saturable absorber (VCSSA). In a semiconductor Fabry-Perot cavity operated with a low-intensity resonance wavelength, both intensity-dependent saturating phase-shift and thermal phase-shift occur, which are considered in the proposed logic operations. The VCSSA-based logics are possible using the saturable behavior of reflectivity under the typical operating conditions. The low-intensity saturable reflectivity is reported for all-optical logic operations where all possible nonlinear phase-shifts are ignored. Here, saturable absorption (SA) and the nonlinear phase-shift-based all-optical XNOR/NOT gates and one-bit memory or LATCH are proposed under new operating conditions. All operations are demonstrated for a VCSSA based on InGaAs/InP QWs. These types of SA-based logic devices can be comfortably used for a signal bit rate of about 10 GHz corresponding to the carrier recovery time of the semiconductor material.

  19. A new era of semiconductor genetics using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors: the gene-sensitive integrated cell.

    PubMed

    Toumazou, Christofer; Thay, Tan Sri Lim Kok; Georgiou, Pantelis

    2014-03-28

    Semiconductor genetics is now disrupting the field of healthcare owing to the rapid parallelization and scaling of DNA sensing using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) fabricated using commercial complementary metal -oxide semiconductor technology. The enabling concept of DNA reaction monitoring introduced by Toumazou has made this a reality and we are now seeing relentless scaling with Moore's law ultimately achieving the $100 genome. In this paper, we present the next evolution of this technology through the creation of the gene-sensitive integrated cell (GSIC) for label-free real-time analysis based on ISFETs. This device is derived from the traditional metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and has electrical performance identical to that of a MOSFET in a standard semiconductor process, yet is capable of incorporating DNA reaction chemistries for applications in single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays and DNA sequencing. Just as application-specific integrated circuits, which are developed in much the same way, have shaped our consumer electronics industry and modern communications and memory technology, so, too, do GSICs based on a single underlying technology principle have the capacity to transform the life science and healthcare industries.

  20. Apparatus For Linewidth Reduction in Distributed Feedback or Distributed Bragg Reflector Semiconductor Lasers Using Vertical Emission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cook, Anthony L. (Inventor); Hendricks, Herbert D. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    The linewidth of a distributed feedback semiconductor laser or a distributed Bragg reflector laser having one or more second order gratings is reduced by using an external cavity to couple the vertical emission back into the laser. This method and device prevent disturbance of the main laser beam, provide unobstructed access to laser emission for the formation of the external cavity, and do not require a very narrow heat sink. Any distributed Bragg reflector semiconductor laser or distributed feedback semiconductor laser that can produce a vertical emission through the epitaxial material and through a window in the top metallization can be used. The external cavity can be formed with an optical fiber or with a lens and a mirror or grating.

  1. Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition

    DOEpatents

    Li, X.; Sheldon, P.

    1998-01-27

    A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate is disclosed. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.

  2. Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition

    DOEpatents

    Li, Xiaonan; Sheldon, Peter

    1998-01-01

    A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.

  3. Integrated Vertical Bloch Line (VBL) memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, R. R.; Wu, J. C.; Stadler, H. L.

    1991-01-01

    Vertical Bloch Line (VBL) Memory is a recently conceived, integrated, solid state, block access, VLSI memory which offers the potential of 1 Gbit/sq cm areal storage density, data rates of hundreds of megabits/sec, and submillisecond average access time simultaneously at relatively low mass, volume, and power values when compared to alternative technologies. VBLs are micromagnetic structures within magnetic domain walls which can be manipulated using magnetic fields from integrated conductors. The presence or absence of BVL pairs are used to store binary information. At present, efforts are being directed at developing a single chip memory using 25 Mbit/sq cm technology in magnetic garnet material which integrates, at a single operating point, the writing, storage, reading, and amplification functions needed in a memory. The current design architecture, functional elements, and supercomputer simulation results are described which are used to assist the design process.

  4. Enhancing Memory in Your Students: COMPOSE Yourself!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rotter, Kathleen M.

    2009-01-01

    The essence of teaching is, in fact, creating new memories for your students. The teacher's role is to help students store the correct information (memories) in ways that make recall and future access and use likely. Therefore, choosing techniques to enhance memory is possibly the most critical aspect of instructional design. COMPOSE is an acronym…

  5. Back-side readout semiconductor photomultiplier

    DOEpatents

    Choong, Woon-Seng; Holland, Stephen E

    2014-05-20

    This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to semiconductor photomultipliers. In one aspect, a device includes a p-type semiconductor substrate, the p-type semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side, the first side of the p-type semiconductor substrate defining a recess, and the second side of the p-type semiconductor substrate being doped with n-type ions. A conductive material is disposed in the recess. A p-type epitaxial layer is disposed on the second side of the p-type semiconductor substrate. The p-type epitaxial layer includes a first region proximate the p-type semiconductor substrate, the first region being implanted with p-type ions at a higher doping level than the p-type epitaxial layer, and a second region disposed on the first region, the second region being doped with p-type ions at a higher doping level than the first region.

  6. A hybrid ferroelectric-flash memory cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Jae Hyo; Byun, Chang Woo; Seok, Ki Hwan; Kim, Hyung Yoon; Chae, Hee Jae; Lee, Sol Kyu; Son, Se Wan; Ahn, Donghwan; Joo, Seung Ki

    2014-09-01

    A ferroelectric-flash (F-flash) memory cells having a metal-ferroelectric-nitride-oxynitride-silicon structure are demonstrated, and the ferroelectric materials were perovskite-dominated Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) crystallized by Pt gate electrode. The PZT thin-film as a blocking layer improves electrical and memorial performance where programming and erasing mechanism are different from the metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor device or the conventional silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon device. F-flash cells exhibit not only the excellent electrical transistor performance, having 442.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 of field-effect mobility, 190 mV dec-1 of substhreshold slope, and 8 × 105 on/off drain current ratio, but also a high reliable memory characteristics, having a large memory window (6.5 V), low-operating voltage (0 to -5 V), faster P/E switching speed (50/500 μs), long retention time (>10 years), and excellent fatigue P/E cycle (>105) due to the boosting effect, amplification effect, and energy band distortion of nitride from the large polarization. All these characteristics correspond to the best performances among conventional flash cells reported so far.

  7. Accessing global data from accelerator devices

    DOEpatents

    Bertolli, Carlo; O'Brien, John K.; Sallenave, Olivier H.; Sura, Zehra N.

    2016-12-06

    An aspect includes a table of contents (TOC) that was generated by a compiler being received at an accelerator device. The TOC includes an address of global data in a host memory space. The global data is copied from the address in the host memory space to an address in the device memory space. The address in the host memory space is obtained from the received TOC. The received TOC is updated to indicate that global data is stored at the address in the device memory space. A kernel that accesses the global data from the address in the device memory space is executed. The address in the device memory space is obtained based on contents of the updated TOC. When the executing is completed, the global data from the address in the device memory space is copied to the address in the host memory space.

  8. Accessing global data from accelerator devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bertolli, Carlo; O'Brien, John K.; Sallenave, Olivier H.

    2016-12-06

    An aspect includes a table of contents (TOC) that was generated by a compiler being received at an accelerator device. The TOC includes an address of global data in a host memory space. The global data is copied from the address in the host memory space to an address in the device memory space. The address in the host memory space is obtained from the received TOC. The received TOC is updated to indicate that global data is stored at the address in the device memory space. A kernel that accesses the global data from the address in the devicemore » memory space is executed. The address in the device memory space is obtained based on contents of the updated TOC. When the executing is completed, the global data from the address in the device memory space is copied to the address in the host memory space.« less

  9. Nanoscale chemical state analysis of resistance random access memory device reacting with Ti

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shima, Hisashi; Nakano, Takashi; Akinaga, Hiro

    2010-05-01

    The thermal stability of the resistance random access memory material in the reducing atmosphere at the elevated temperature was improved by the addition of Ti. The unipolar resistance switching before and after the postdeposition annealing (PDA) process at 400 °C was confirmed in Pt/CoO/Ti(5 nm)/Pt device, while the severe degradation of the initial resistance occurs in the Pt/CoO/Pt and Pt/CoO/Ti(50 nm)/Pt devices. By investigating the chemical bonding states of Co, O, and Ti using electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with transmission electron microscopy, it was revealed that excess Ti induces the formation of metallic Co, while the thermal stability was improved by trace Ti. Moreover, it was indicated that the filamentary conduction path can be thermally induced after PDA in the oxide layer by analyzing electrical properties of the degraded devices. The adjustment of the reducing elements is quite essential in order to participate in their profits.

  10. Plated wire memory subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carpenter, K. H.

    1974-01-01

    The design, construction, and test history of a 4096 word by 18 bit random access NDRO Plated Wire Memory for use in conjunction with a spacecraft input/output and central processing unit is reported. A technical and functional description is given along with diagrams illustrating layout and systems operation. Test data is shown on the procedures and results of system level and memory stack testing, and hybrid circuit screening. A comparison of the most significant physical and performance characteristics of the memory unit versus the specified requirements is also included.

  11. Method for determining the composition and orientation of III-V {001} semiconductor surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sung, M. M.; Kim, C.; Rabalais, J. W.

    1996-09-01

    A method for determining the composition and orientation of III-V {001} semiconductor surfaces is presented and applications are described. The information is obtained from the techniques of time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS), using the composition from azimuth-specific elemental accessibilities (CASEA) method, and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The azimuth-specific elemental accessibilities (ASEA) are measured experimentally and calculated from the number of accessible atoms in the unit cell and from three-dimensional trajectory simulations using the SARIC program. The in situ analyses identify the 1st-layer elemental species and determine the orientation of the reconstructed surface symmetry elements with respect to the bulk crystallographic directions. This is demonstrated for the III-V {001} compound semiconductor surfaces of GaAs and InAs in the (4 × 2) and (4 × 2) phases and InP in the (4 × 2) phase. The analyses confirm the missing-row-dimer (MRD) structure for GaAs and InAs in which the missing row direction is parallel to the direction of the 1st-layer multimers (dimers) and the missing-row-trimer-dimer (MRTD) structure for InP in which the missing row direction is perpendicular to the direction of the 1st-layer multimers (trimers).

  12. Magnetic-field-controlled reconfigurable semiconductor logic.

    PubMed

    Joo, Sungjung; Kim, Taeyueb; Shin, Sang Hoon; Lim, Ju Young; Hong, Jinki; Song, Jin Dong; Chang, Joonyeon; Lee, Hyun-Woo; Rhie, Kungwon; Han, Suk Hee; Shin, Kyung-Ho; Johnson, Mark

    2013-02-07

    Logic devices based on magnetism show promise for increasing computational efficiency while decreasing consumed power. They offer zero quiescent power and yet combine novel functions such as programmable logic operation and non-volatile built-in memory. However, practical efforts to adapt a magnetic device to logic suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio and other performance attributes that are not adequate for logic gates. Rather than exploiting magnetoresistive effects that result from spin-dependent transport of carriers, we have approached the development of a magnetic logic device in a different way: we use the phenomenon of large magnetoresistance found in non-magnetic semiconductors in high electric fields. Here we report a device showing a strong diode characteristic that is highly sensitive to both the sign and the magnitude of an external magnetic field, offering a reversible change between two different characteristic states by the application of a magnetic field. This feature results from magnetic control of carrier generation and recombination in an InSb p-n bilayer channel. Simple circuits combining such elementary devices are fabricated and tested, and Boolean logic functions including AND, OR, NAND and NOR are performed. They are programmed dynamically by external electric or magnetic signals, demonstrating magnetic-field-controlled semiconductor reconfigurable logic at room temperature. This magnetic technology permits a new kind of spintronic device, characterized as a current switch rather than a voltage switch, and provides a simple and compact platform for non-volatile reconfigurable logic devices.

  13. Semiconductor bridge (SCB) detonator

    DOEpatents

    Bickes, Jr., Robert W.; Grubelich, Mark C.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention is a low-energy detonator for high-density secondary-explosive materials initiated by a semiconductor bridge igniter that comprises a pair of electrically conductive lands connected by a semiconductor bridge. The semiconductor bridge is in operational or direct contact with the explosive material, whereby current flowing through the semiconductor bridge causes initiation of the explosive material. Header wires connected to the electrically-conductive lands and electrical feed-throughs of the header posts of explosive devices, are substantially coaxial to the direction of current flow through the SCB, i.e., substantially coaxial to the SCB length.

  14. Semiconductor bridge (SCB) detonator

    DOEpatents

    Bickes, R.W. Jr.; Grubelich, M.C.

    1999-01-19

    The present invention is a low-energy detonator for high-density secondary-explosive materials initiated by a semiconductor bridge (SCB) igniter that comprises a pair of electrically conductive lands connected by a semiconductor bridge. The semiconductor bridge is in operational or direct contact with the explosive material, whereby current flowing through the semiconductor bridge causes initiation of the explosive material. Header wires connected to the electrically-conductive lands and electrical feed-throughs of the header posts of explosive devices, are substantially coaxial to the direction of current flow through the SCB, i.e., substantially coaxial to the SCB length. 3 figs.

  15. Plated wire memory subsystem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reynolds, L.; Tweed, H.

    1972-01-01

    The work performed entailed the design, development, construction and testing of a 4000 word by 18 bit random access, NDRO plated wire memory for use in conjunction with a spacecraft imput/output unit and central processing unit. The primary design parameters, in order of importance, were high reliability, low power, volume and weight. A single memory unit, referred to as a qualification model, was delivered.

  16. Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Edwin Y.; James, Ralph B.

    2002-01-01

    Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector useful for gamma-ray and x-ray spectrometers and imaging systems. The detector is fabricated using wafer fusion to insert an electrically conductive grid, typically comprising a metal, between two solid semiconductor pieces, one having a cathode (negative electrode) and the other having an anode (positive electrode). The wafer fused semiconductor radiation detector functions like the commonly used Frisch grid radiation detector, in which an electrically conductive grid is inserted in high vacuum between the cathode and the anode. The wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector can be fabricated using the same or two different semiconductor materials of different sizes and of the same or different thicknesses; and it may utilize a wide range of metals, or other electrically conducting materials, to form the grid, to optimize the detector performance, without being constrained by structural dissimilarity of the individual parts. The wafer-fused detector is basically formed, for example, by etching spaced grooves across one end of one of two pieces of semiconductor materials, partially filling the grooves with a selected electrical conductor which forms a grid electrode, and then fusing the grooved end of the one semiconductor piece to an end of the other semiconductor piece with a cathode and an anode being formed on opposite ends of the semiconductor pieces.

  17. Capital investment in semiconductors: The lifeblood of the US semiconductor industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finan, William F.

    1990-09-01

    An analysis is given of four proposals designed to improve capital formation for U.S. industry in general, and the semiconductor industry in particular. The National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors recommendations were to make the current research and experimentation (R and E) tax credit more effective, to reduce taxes on capital gains, to increase personal savings incentives, and to improve semiconductor manufacturing equipment depreciation rules. The results of the qualitative analysis of the proposals as well as a description of the methodology employed are given.

  18. Single-Cell Semiconductor Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Kohn, Andrea B.; Moroz, Tatiana P.; Barnes, Jeffrey P.; Netherton, Mandy; Moroz, Leonid L.

    2014-01-01

    RNA-seq or transcriptome analysis of individual cells and small-cell populations is essential for virtually any biomedical field. It is especially critical for developmental, aging, and cancer biology as well as neuroscience where the enormous heterogeneity of cells present a significant methodological and conceptual challenge. Here we present two methods that allow for fast and cost-efficient transcriptome sequencing from ultra-small amounts of tissue or even from individual cells using semiconductor sequencing technology (Ion Torrent, Life Technologies). The first method is a reduced representation sequencing which maximizes capture of RNAs and preserves transcripts’ directionality. The second, a template-switch protocol, is designed for small mammalian neurons. Both protocols, from cell/tissue isolation to final sequence data, take up to 4 days. The efficiency of these protocols has been validated with single hippocampal neurons and various invertebrate tissues including individually identified neurons within a simpler memory-forming circuit of Aplysia californica and early (1-, 2-, 4-, 8-cells) embryonic and developmental stages from basal metazoans. PMID:23929110

  19. Asymmetrical access to color and location in visual working memory.

    PubMed

    Rajsic, Jason; Wilson, Daryl E

    2014-10-01

    Models of visual working memory (VWM) have benefitted greatly from the use of the delayed-matching paradigm. However, in this task, the ability to recall a probed feature is confounded with the ability to maintain the proper binding between the feature that is to be reported and the feature (typically location) that is used to cue a particular item for report. Given that location is typically used as a cue-feature, we used the delayed-estimation paradigm to compare memory for location to memory for color, rotating which feature was used as a cue and which was reported. Our results revealed several novel findings: 1) the likelihood of reporting a probed object's feature was superior when reporting location with a color cue than when reporting color with a location cue; 2) location report errors were composed entirely of swap errors, with little to no random location reports; and 3) both colour and location reports greatly benefitted from the presence of nonprobed items at test. This last finding suggests that it is uncertainty over the bindings between locations and colors at memory retrieval that drive swap errors, not at encoding. We interpret our findings as consistent with a representational architecture that nests remembered object features within remembered locations.

  20. Blanket Gate Would Address Blocks Of Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lambe, John; Moopenn, Alexander; Thakoor, Anilkumar P.

    1988-01-01

    Circuit-chip area used more efficiently. Proposed gate structure selectively allows and restricts access to blocks of memory in electronic neural-type network. By breaking memory into independent blocks, gate greatly simplifies problem of reading from and writing to memory. Since blocks not used simultaneously, share operational amplifiers that prompt and read information stored in memory cells. Fewer operational amplifiers needed, and chip area occupied reduced correspondingly. Cost per bit drops as result.

  1. a-SiNx:H-based ultra-low power resistive random access memory with tunable Si dangling bond conduction paths

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Xu, Jun; Chen, Kunji; Xu, Ling; Li, Wei; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

    2015-01-01

    The realization of ultra-low power Si-based resistive switching memory technology will be a milestone in the development of next generation non-volatile memory. Here we show that a high performance and ultra-low power resistive random access memory (RRAM) based on an Al/a-SiNx:H/p+-Si structure can be achieved by tuning the Si dangling bond conduction paths. We reveal the intrinsic relationship between the Si dangling bonds and the N/Si ratio x for the a-SiNx:H films, which ensures that the programming current can be reduced to less than 1 μA by increasing the value of x. Theoretically calculated current-voltage (I–V ) curves combined with the temperature dependence of the I–V characteristics confirm that, for the low-resistance state (LRS), the Si dangling bond conduction paths obey the trap-assisted tunneling model. In the high-resistance state (HRS), conduction is dominated by either hopping or Poole–Frenkel (P–F) processes. Our introduction of hydrogen in the a-SiNx:H layer provides a new way to control the Si dangling bond conduction paths, and thus opens up a research field for ultra-low power Si-based RRAM. PMID:26508086

  2. Hafnia-based resistive switching devices for non-volatile memory applications and effects of gamma irradiation on device performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arun, N.; Kumar, K. Vinod; Pathak, A. P.; Avasthi, D. K.; Nageswara Rao, S. V. S.

    2018-04-01

    Non-volatile memory (NVM) devices were fabricated as a Metal- Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures by sandwiching Hafnium dioxide (HfO2) thin film in between two metal electrodes. The top and bottom metal electrodes were deposited by using the thermal evaporation, and the oxide layer was deposited by using the RF magnetron sputtering technique. The Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) device structures such as Ag/HfO2/Au/Si were fabricated and I-V characteristics for the pristine and gamma-irradiated devices with a dose 24 kGy were measured. Further we have studied the thermal annealing effects, in the range of 100°-400°C in a tubular furnace for the HfO2/Au/Si samples. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis measurements were performed to determine the thickness, crystallinity and stoichiometry of these films. The electrical characteristics such as resistive switching, endurance, retention time and switching speed were measured by a semiconductor device analyser. The effects of gamma irradiation on the switching properties of these RRAM devices have been studied.

  3. Physical principles and current status of emerging non-volatile solid state memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, L.; Yang, C.-H.; Wen, J.

    2015-07-01

    Today the influence of non-volatile solid-state memories on persons' lives has become more prominent because of their non-volatility, low data latency, and high robustness. As a pioneering technology that is representative of non-volatile solidstate memories, flash memory has recently seen widespread application in many areas ranging from electronic appliances, such as cell phones and digital cameras, to external storage devices such as universal serial bus (USB) memory. Moreover, owing to its large storage capacity, it is expected that in the near future, flash memory will replace hard-disk drives as a dominant technology in the mass storage market, especially because of recently emerging solid-state drives. However, the rapid growth of the global digital data has led to the need for flash memories to have larger storage capacity, thus requiring a further downscaling of the cell size. Such a miniaturization is expected to be extremely difficult because of the well-known scaling limit of flash memories. It is therefore necessary to either explore innovative technologies that can extend the areal density of flash memories beyond the scaling limits, or to vigorously develop alternative non-volatile solid-state memories including ferroelectric random-access memory, magnetoresistive random-access memory, phase-change random-access memory, and resistive random-access memory. In this paper, we review the physical principles of flash memories and their technical challenges that affect our ability to enhance the storage capacity. We then present a detailed discussion of novel technologies that can extend the storage density of flash memories beyond the commonly accepted limits. In each case, we subsequently discuss the physical principles of these new types of non-volatile solid-state memories as well as their respective merits and weakness when utilized for data storage applications. Finally, we predict the future prospects for the aforementioned solid-state memories for

  4. Active non-volatile memory post-processing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kannan, Sudarsun; Milojicic, Dejan S.; Talwar, Vanish

    A computing node includes an active Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) component which includes memory and a sub-processor component. The memory is to store data chunks received from a processor core, the data chunks comprising metadata indicating a type of post-processing to be performed on data within the data chunks. The sub-processor component is to perform post-processing of said data chunks based on said metadata.

  5. {100}<100> or 45.degree.-rotated {100}<100>, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    DOEpatents

    Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

    2012-05-15

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, {100}<100> or 45.degree.-rotated {100}<100> oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  6. Magnetic vortex racetrack memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geng, Liwei D.; Jin, Yongmei M.

    2017-02-01

    We report a new type of racetrack memory based on current-controlled movement of magnetic vortices in magnetic nanowires with rectangular cross-section and weak perpendicular anisotropy. Data are stored through the core polarity of vortices and each vortex carries a data bit. Besides high density, non-volatility, fast data access, and low power as offered by domain wall racetrack memory, magnetic vortex racetrack memory has additional advantages of no need for constrictions to define data bits, changeable information density, adjustable current magnitude for data propagation, and versatile means of ultrafast vortex core switching. By using micromagnetic simulations, current-controlled motion of magnetic vortices in cobalt nanowire is demonstrated for racetrack memory applications.

  7. Influence of Thermal Annealing Treatment on Bipolar Switching Properties of Vanadium Oxide Thin-Film Resistance Random-Access Memory Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Kai-Huang; Cheng, Chien-Min; Kao, Ming-Cheng; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Chang, Ting-Chang; Tsai, Tsung-Ming; Wu, Sean; Su, Feng-Yi

    2017-04-01

    The bipolar switching properties and electrical conduction mechanism of vanadium oxide thin-film resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices obtained using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process have been investigated in high-resistive status/low-resistive status (HRS/LRS) and are discussed herein. In addition, the resistance switching properties and quality improvement of the vanadium oxide thin-film RRAM devices were measured by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, x-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and current-voltage ( I- V) measurements. The activation energy of the hopping conduction mechanism in the devices was investigated based on Arrhenius plots in HRS and LRS. The hopping conduction distance and activation energy barrier were obtained as 12 nm and 45 meV, respectively. The thermal annealing process is recognized as a candidate method for fabrication of thin-film RRAM devices, being compatible with integrated circuit technology for nonvolatile memory devices.

  8. Floating-Gate Manipulated Graphene-Black Phosphorus Heterojunction for Nonvolatile Ambipolar Schottky Junction Memories, Memory Inverter Circuits, and Logic Rectifiers.

    PubMed

    Li, Dong; Chen, Mingyuan; Zong, Qijun; Zhang, Zengxing

    2017-10-11

    The Schottky junction is an important unit in electronics and optoelectronics. However, its properties greatly degrade with device miniaturization. The fast development of circuits has fueled a rapid growth in the study of two-dimensional (2D) crystals, which may lead to breakthroughs in the semiconductor industry. Here we report a floating-gate manipulated nonvolatile ambipolar Schottky junction memory from stacked all-2D layers of graphene-BP/h-BN/graphene (BP, black phosphorus; h-BN, hexagonal boron nitride) in a designed floating-gate field-effect Schottky barrier transistor configuration. By manipulating the voltage pulse applied to the control gate, the device exhibits ambipolar characteristics and can be tuned to act as graphene-p-BP or graphene-n-BP junctions with reverse rectification behavior. Moreover, the junction exhibits good storability properties of more than 10 years and is also programmable. On the basis of these characteristics, we further demonstrate the application of the device to dual-mode nonvolatile Schottky junction memories, memory inverter circuits, and logic rectifiers.

  9. Age, memory type, and the phenomenology of autobiographical memory: findings from an Italian sample.

    PubMed

    Montebarocci, Ornella; Luchetti, Martina; Sutin, Angelina R

    2014-01-01

    The present research explored differences in phenomenology between two types of memories, a general self-defining memory and an earliest childhood memory. A sample of 76 Italian participants were selected and categorised into two age groups: 20-30 years and 31-40 years. The Memory Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) was administered, taking note of latency and duration times of the narratives. Consistent with the literature, the self-defining memory differed significantly from the earliest childhood memory in terms of phenomenology, with the recency of the memory associated with more intense phenomenological experience. The self-defining memory took longer to retrieve and narrate than the earliest childhood memory. Meaningful differences also emerged between the two age groups: Participants in their 30s rated their self-defining memory as more vivid, coherent, and accessible than participants in their 20s. According to latency findings, these differences suggest an expanded period of identity consolidation for younger adults. Further applications of the MEQ should be carried out to replicate these results with other samples of young adults.

  10. Logical Access Control Mechanisms in Computer Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsiao, David K.

    The subject of access control mechanisms in computer systems is concerned with effective means to protect the anonymity of private information on the one hand, and to regulate the access to shareable information on the other hand. Effective means for access control may be considered on three levels: memory, process and logical. This report is a…

  11. Optical orientation in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korenev, V. L.

    2008-11-01

    The physics of optical pumping of semiconductor electrons in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids is discussed. Optically oriented semiconductor electrons detect the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic film. In turn, the ferromagnetism of the hybrid can be controlled optically with the help of a semiconductor. Spin-spin interactions near the ferromagnet/semiconductor interface play a crucial role in the optical readout and the manipulation of ferromagnetism.

  12. EDITORIAL The 23rd Nordic Semiconductor Meeting The 23rd Nordic Semiconductor Meeting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ólafsson, Sveinn; Sveinbjörnsson, Einar

    2010-12-01

    A Nordic Semiconductor Meeting is held every other year with the venue rotating amongst the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The focus of these meetings remains 'original research and science being carried out on semiconductor materials, devices and systems'. Reports on industrial activity have usually featured. The topics have ranged from fundamental research on point defects in a semiconductor to system architecture of semiconductor electronic devices. Proceedings from these events are regularly published as a topical issue of Physica Scripta. All of the papers in this topical issue have undergone critical peer review and we wish to thank the reviewers and the authors for their cooperation, which has been instrumental in meeting the high scientific standards and quality of the series. This meeting of the 23rd Nordic Semiconductor community, NSM 2009, was held at Háskólatorg at the campus of the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland, 14-17 June 2009. Support was provided by the University of Iceland. Almost 50 participants presented a broad range of topics covering semiconductor materials and devices as well as related material science interests. The conference provided a forum for Nordic and international scientists to present and discuss new results and ideas concerning the fundamentals and applications of semiconductor materials. The meeting aim was to advance the progress of Nordic science and thus aid in future worldwide technological advances concerning technology, education, energy and the environment. Topics Theory and fundamental physics of semiconductors Emerging semiconductor technologies (for example III-V integration on Si, novel Si devices, graphene) Energy and semiconductors Optical phenomena and optical devices MEMS and sensors Program 14 June Registration 13:00-17:00 15 June Meeting program 09:30-17:00 and Poster Session I 16 June Meeting program 09:30-17:00 and Poster Session II 17 June Excursion and dinner

  13. Plasmonic doped semiconductor nanocrystals: Properties, fabrication, applications and perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kriegel, Ilka; Scotognella, Francesco; Manna, Liberato

    2017-02-01

    Degenerately doped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are of recent interest to the NC community due to their tunable localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in the near infrared (NIR). The high level of doping in such materials with carrier densities in the range of 1021cm-3 leads to degeneracy of the doping levels and intense plasmonic absorption in the NIR. The lower carrier density in degenerately doped semiconductor NCs compared to noble metals enables LSPR tuning over a wide spectral range, since even a minor change of the carrier density strongly affects the spectral position of the LSPR. Two classes of degenerate semiconductors are most relevant in this respect: impurity doped semiconductors, such as metal oxides, and vacancy doped semiconductors, such as copper chalcogenides. In the latter it is the density of copper vacancies that controls the carrier concentration, while in the former the introduction of impurity atoms adds carriers to the system. LSPR tuning in vacancy doped semiconductor NCs such as copper chalcogenides occurs by chemically controlling the copper vacancy density. This goes in hand with complex structural modifications of the copper chalcogenide crystal lattice. In contrast the LSPR of degenerately doped metal oxide NCs is modified by varying the doping concentration or by the choice of host and dopant atoms, but also through the addition of capacitive charge carriers to the conduction band of the metal oxide upon post-synthetic treatments, such as by electrochemical- or photodoping. The NIR LSPRs and the option of their spectral fine-tuning make accessible important new features, such as the controlled coupling of the LSPR to other physical signatures or the enhancement of optical signals in the NIR, sensing application by LSPR tracking, energy production from the NIR plasmon resonance or bio-medical applications in the biological window. In this review we highlight the recent advances in the synthesis of various different plasmonic

  14. Providing the Public with Online Access to Large Bibliographic Data Bases.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Firschein, Oscar; Summit, Roger K.

    DIALOG, an interactive, computer-based information retrieval language, consists of a series of computer programs designed to make use of direct access memory devices in order to provide the user with a rapid means of identifying records within a specific memory bank. Using the system, a library user can be provided access to sixteen distinct and…

  15. Semiconductor nanocrystal-based phagokinetic tracking

    DOEpatents

    Alivisatos, A Paul; Larabell, Carolyn A; Parak, Wolfgang J; Le Gros, Mark; Boudreau, Rosanne

    2014-11-18

    Methods for determining metabolic properties of living cells through the uptake of semiconductor nanocrystals by cells. Generally the methods require a layer of neutral or hydrophilic semiconductor nanocrystals and a layer of cells seeded onto a culture surface and changes in the layer of semiconductor nanocrystals are detected. The observed changes made to the layer of semiconductor nanocrystals can be correlated to such metabolic properties as metastatic potential, cell motility or migration.

  16. Novel organic semiconductors and a high capacitance gate dielectric for organic thin film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Xiuyu

    2007-12-01

    Organic semiconductors are attracting more and more interest as a promising set of materials in the field of electronics research. This thesis focused on several new organic semiconductors and a novel high-kappa dielectric thin film (SrTiO3), which are two essential parts in Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs). Structure and morphology of thin films of tricyanovinyl capped oligothiophenes were studied using atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Thin film transistors of one compound exhibited a reasonable electron mobility of 0.02 cm2/Vs. Temperature dependent measurements on the thin film transistor based on this compound revealed shallow trap states that were interpreted in terms of a multiple trap and release model. Moreover, inversion of the majority charge carrier type from electrons to holes was observed when the number of oligothiophene rings increased to six and ambipolar transport behavior was observed for tricyanovinyl sexithiophene. Another interesting organic semiconductor compound is the fluoalkylquarterthiophene, which showed ambipolar transport and large hysteresis in the transfer curve. Due to the bistable state at floating gate, the thin film transistor was exploited to study non-volatile floating gate memory effects. The temperature dependence of the retention time for this memory device revealed that the electron trapping was an activated process. Following the earlier work on hybrid acene-thiophene organic semiconductors, new compounds with similar structure were studied to reveal the mechanism of the air-stability exhibited by some compounds. They all formed highly crystalline thin films and showed reasonable device performances which are well correlated with the molecular structures, thin film microstructures, and solid state packing. The most air-stable compound had no observable degradation with exposure to air for 15 months. SrTiO3 was developed to be employed in OTFTs. Optimization of thin film growth was performed using reactive

  17. MemAxes: Visualization and Analytics for Characterizing Complex Memory Performance Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Gimenez, Alfredo; Gamblin, Todd; Jusufi, Ilir; Bhatele, Abhinav; Schulz, Martin; Bremer, Peer-Timo; Hamann, Bernd

    2018-07-01

    Memory performance is often a major bottleneck for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Deepening memory hierarchies, complex memory management, and non-uniform access times have made memory performance behavior difficult to characterize, and users require novel, sophisticated tools to analyze and optimize this aspect of their codes. Existing tools target only specific factors of memory performance, such as hardware layout, allocations, or access instructions. However, today's tools do not suffice to characterize the complex relationships between these factors. Further, they require advanced expertise to be used effectively. We present MemAxes, a tool based on a novel approach for analytic-driven visualization of memory performance data. MemAxes uniquely allows users to analyze the different aspects related to memory performance by providing multiple visual contexts for a centralized dataset. We define mappings of sampled memory access data to new and existing visual metaphors, each of which enabling a user to perform different analysis tasks. We present methods to guide user interaction by scoring subsets of the data based on known performance problems. This scoring is used to provide visual cues and automatically extract clusters of interest. We designed MemAxes in collaboration with experts in HPC and demonstrate its effectiveness in case studies.

  18. Synthesis of Perylene Imide Diones as Platforms for the Development of Pyrazine Based Organic Semiconductors.

    PubMed

    de Echegaray, Paula; Mancheño, María J; Arrechea-Marcos, Iratxe; Juárez, Rafael; López-Espejo, Guzmán; López Navarrete, J Teodomiro; Ramos, María Mar; Seoane, Carlos; Ortiz, Rocío Ponce; Segura, José L

    2016-11-18

    There is a great interest in peryleneimide (PI)-containing compounds given their unique combination of good electron accepting ability, high abosorption in the visible region, and outstanding chemical, thermal, and photochemical stabilities. Thus, herein we report the synthesis of perylene imide derivatives endowed with a 1,2-diketone functionality (PIDs) as efficient intermediates to easily access peryleneimide (PI)-containing organic semiconductors with enhanced absorption cross-section for the design of tunable semiconductor organic materials. Three processable organic molecular semiconductors containing thiophene and terthiophene moieties, PITa, PITb, and PITT, have been prepared from the novel PIDs. The tendency of these semiconductors for molecular aggregation have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy and supported by quantum chemical calculations. 2D NMR experiments and theoretical calculations point to an antiparallel π-stacking interaction as the most stable conformation in the aggregates. Investigation of the optical and electrochemical properties of the materials is also reported and analyzed in combination with DFT calculations. Although the derivatives presented here show modest electron mobilities of ∼10 -4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , these preliminary studies of their performance in organic field effect transistors (OFETs) indicate the potential of these new building blocks as n-type semiconductors.

  19. Quantifying data retention of perpendicular spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory chips using an effective thermal stability factor method

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomas, Luc, E-mail: luc.thomas@headway.com; Jan, Guenole; Le, Son

    The thermal stability of perpendicular Spin-Transfer-Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) devices is investigated at chip level. Experimental data are analyzed in the framework of the Néel-Brown model including distributions of the thermal stability factor Δ. We show that in the low error rate regime important for applications, the effect of distributions of Δ can be described by a single quantity, the effective thermal stability factor Δ{sub eff}, which encompasses both the median and the standard deviation of the distributions. Data retention of memory chips can be assessed accurately by measuring Δ{sub eff} as a function of device diameter andmore » temperature. We apply this method to show that 54 nm devices based on our perpendicular STT-MRAM design meet our 10 year data retention target up to 120 °C.« less

  20. Reducing leakage current in semiconductor devices

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Bin; Matioli, Elison de Nazareth; Palacios, Tomas Apostol

    2018-03-06

    A semiconductor device includes a first region having a first semiconductor material and a second region having a second semiconductor material. The second region is formed over the first region. The semiconductor device also includes a current blocking structure formed in the first region between first and second terminals of the semiconductor device. The current blocking structure is configured to reduce current flow in the first region between the first and second terminals.

  1. Accessing the dark exciton spin in deterministic quantum-dot microlenses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heindel, Tobias; Thoma, Alexander; Schwartz, Ido; Schmidgall, Emma R.; Gantz, Liron; Cogan, Dan; Strauß, Max; Schnauber, Peter; Gschrey, Manuel; Schulze, Jan-Hindrik; Strittmatter, Andre; Rodt, Sven; Gershoni, David; Reitzenstein, Stephan

    2017-12-01

    The dark exciton state in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) constitutes a long-lived solid-state qubit which has the potential to play an important role in implementations of solid-state-based quantum information architectures. In this work, we exploit deterministically fabricated QD microlenses which promise enhanced photon extraction, to optically prepare and read out the dark exciton spin and observe its coherent precession. The optical access to the dark exciton is provided via spin-blockaded metastable biexciton states acting as heralding states, which are identified by deploying polarization-sensitive spectroscopy as well as time-resolved photon cross-correlation experiments. Our experiments reveal a spin-precession period of the dark exciton of (0.82 ± 0.01) ns corresponding to a fine-structure splitting of (5.0 ± 0.7) μeV between its eigenstates |↑ ⇑ ±↓ ⇓ ⟩. By exploiting microlenses deterministically fabricated above pre-selected QDs, our work demonstrates the possibility to scale up implementations of quantum information processing schemes using the QD-confined dark exciton spin qubit, such as the generation of photonic cluster states or the realization of a solid-state-based quantum memory.

  2. Monitoring oxygen movement by Raman spectroscopy of resistive random access memory with a graphene-inserted electrode.

    PubMed

    Tian, He; Chen, Hong-Yu; Gao, Bin; Yu, Shimeng; Liang, Jiale; Yang, Yi; Xie, Dan; Kang, Jinfeng; Ren, Tian-Ling; Zhang, Yuegang; Wong, H-S Philip

    2013-02-13

    In this paper, we employed Ramen spectroscopy to monitor oxygen movement at the electrode/oxide interface by inserting single-layer graphene (SLG). Raman area mapping and single-point measurements show noticeable changes in the D-band, G-band, and 2D-band signals of the SLG during consecutive electrical programming repeated for nine cycles. In addition, the inserted SLG enables the reduction of RESET current by 22 times and programming power consumption by 47 times. Collectively, our results show that monitoring the oxygen movement by Raman spectroscopy for a resistive random access memory (RRAM) is made possible by inserting a single-layer graphene at electrode/oxide interface. This may open up an important analysis tool for investigation of switching mechanism of RRAM.

  3. Long-term memory following transient global amnesia: an investigation of episodic and semantic memory.

    PubMed

    Guillery-Girard, B; Quinette, P; Desgranges, B; Piolino, P; Viader, F; de la Sayette, V; Eustache, F

    2006-11-01

    Several studies noted persistence of memory impairment following an episode of transient global amnesia (TGA) with standard tests. To specify long-term memory impairments in a group of patients selected with stringent criteria. Both retrograde and anterograde memory were investigated in 32 patients 13-67 months after a TGA episode with original tasks encompassing retrograde semantic memory (academic, public and personal knowledge), retrograde episodic memory (autobiographical events) and anterograde episodic memory. Patients had preserved academic and public knowledge. Pathological scores were obtained in personal verbal fluency for the two most recent periods, and patients produced less autobiographical events than controls. However, when they were provided time to detail, memories were as episodic as in controls regardless of their remoteness. Anterograde episodic tasks revealed a mild but significant impairment of the capacity of re-living the condition of encoding, i.e. the moment at which words were presented. Patients who have suffered from an episode of TGA manifest deficits of memory focused on the retrieval of both recent semantic information and episodic memories and especially the capacity of re-living. These deficits may not result from a deterioration of memory per se but rather from difficulties in accessing memories.

  4. Saying what’s on your mind: Working memory effects on sentence production

    PubMed Central

    Slevc, L. Robert

    2011-01-01

    The role of working memory (WM) in sentence comprehension has received considerable interest, but little work has investigated how sentence production relies on memory mechanisms. These three experiments investigated speakers’ tendency to produce syntactic structures that allow for early production of material that is accessible in memory. In Experiment 1, speakers produced accessible information early less often when under a verbal WM load than when under no load. Experiment 2 found the same pattern for given-new ordering, i.e., when accessibility was manipulated by making information given. Experiment 3 addressed the possibility that these effects do not reflect WM mechanisms but rather increased task difficulty by relying on the distinction between verbal and spatial WM: Speakers’ tendency to produce sentences respecting given-new ordering was reduced more by a verbal than by a spatial WM load. These patterns show that accessibility effects do in fact reflect accessibility in verbal WM, and that representations in sentence production are vulnerable to interference from other information in memory. PMID:21767058

  5. Chromatin accessibility prediction via convolutional long short-term memory networks with k-mer embedding

    PubMed Central

    Min, Xu; Zeng, Wanwen; Chen, Ning; Chen, Ting; Jiang, Rui

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Motivation: Experimental techniques for measuring chromatin accessibility are expensive and time consuming, appealing for the development of computational approaches to predict open chromatin regions from DNA sequences. Along this direction, existing methods fall into two classes: one based on handcrafted k-mer features and the other based on convolutional neural networks. Although both categories have shown good performance in specific applications thus far, there still lacks a comprehensive framework to integrate useful k-mer co-occurrence information with recent advances in deep learning. Results: We fill this gap by addressing the problem of chromatin accessibility prediction with a convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network with k-mer embedding. We first split DNA sequences into k-mers and pre-train k-mer embedding vectors based on the co-occurrence matrix of k-mers by using an unsupervised representation learning approach. We then construct a supervised deep learning architecture comprised of an embedding layer, three convolutional layers and a Bidirectional LSTM (BLSTM) layer for feature learning and classification. We demonstrate that our method gains high-quality fixed-length features from variable-length sequences and consistently outperforms baseline methods. We show that k-mer embedding can effectively enhance model performance by exploring different embedding strategies. We also prove the efficacy of both the convolution and the BLSTM layers by comparing two variations of the network architecture. We confirm the robustness of our model to hyper-parameters by performing sensitivity analysis. We hope our method can eventually reinforce our understanding of employing deep learning in genomic studies and shed light on research regarding mechanisms of chromatin accessibility. Availability and implementation: The source code can be downloaded from https://github.com/minxueric/ismb2017_lstm. Contact: tingchen@tsinghua.edu.cn or ruijiang

  6. Non-Volatile Memory Technology Symposium 2001: Proceedings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aranki, Nazeeh; Daud, Taher; Strauss, Karl

    2001-01-01

    This publication contains the proceedings for the Non-Volatile Memory Technology Symposium 2001 that was held on November 7-8, 2001 in San Diego, CA. The proceedings contains a a wide range of papers that cover current and new memory technologies including Flash memories, Magnetic Random Access Memories (MRAM and GMRAM), Ferro-electric RAM (FeRAM), and Chalcogenide RAM (CRAM). The papers presented in the proceedings address the use of these technologies for space applications as well as radiation effects and packaging issues.

  7. An Ultrasensitive Organic Semiconductor NO2 Sensor Based on Crystalline TIPS-Pentacene Films.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zi; Huang, Lizhen; Zhu, Xiaofei; Zhou, Xu; Chi, Lifeng

    2017-10-01

    Organic semiconductor gas sensor is one of the promising candidates of room temperature operated gas sensors with high selectivity. However, for a long time the performance of organic semiconductor sensors, especially for the detection of oxidizing gases, is far behind that of the traditional metal oxide gas sensors. Although intensive attempts have been made to address the problem, the performance and the understanding of the sensing mechanism are still far from sufficient. Herein, an ultrasensitive organic semiconductor NO 2 sensor based on 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene (TIPS-petacene) is reported. The device achieves a sensitivity over 1000%/ppm and fast response/recovery, together with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 20 ppb, all of which reach the level of metal oxide sensors. After a comprehensive analysis on the morphology and electrical properties of the organic films, it is revealed that the ultrahigh performance is largely related to the film charge transport ability, which was less concerned in the studies previously. And the combination of efficient charge transport and low original charge carrier concentration is demonstrated to be an effective access to obtain high performance organic semiconductor gas sensors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Full-switching FSF-type superconducting spin-triplet magnetic random access memory element

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lenk, D.; Morari, R.; Zdravkov, V. I.; Ullrich, A.; Khaydukov, Yu.; Obermeier, G.; Müller, C.; Sidorenko, A. S.; von Nidda, H.-A. Krug; Horn, S.; Tagirov, L. R.; Tidecks, R.

    2017-11-01

    In the present work a superconducting Co/CoOx/Cu41Ni59 /Nb/Cu41Ni59 nanoscale thin film heterostructure is investigated, which exhibits a superconducting transition temperature, Tc, depending on the history of magnetic field applied parallel to the film plane. In more detail, around zero applied field, Tc is lower when the field is changed from negative to positive polarity (with respect to the cooling field), compared to the opposite case. We interpret this finding as the result of the generation of the odd-in-frequency triplet component of superconductivity arising at noncollinear orientation of the magnetizations in the Cu41Ni59 layer adjacent to the CoOx layer. This interpretation is supported by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, which revealed a correlation between details of the magnetic structure and the observed superconducting spin-valve effects. Readout of information is possible at zero applied field and, thus, no permanent field is required to stabilize both states. Consequently, this system represents a superconducting magnetic random access memory element for superconducting electronics. By applying increased transport currents, the system can be driven to the full switching mode between the completely superconducting and the normal state.

  9. Method and Apparatus for Linewidth Reduction in Distributed Feedback or Distributed Bragg Reflector Semiconductor Lasers using Vertical Emission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cook, Anthony L. (Inventor); Hendricks, Herbert D. (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    The linewidth of a distributed feedback semiconductor laser or a distributed Bragg reflector laser having one or more second order gratings is reduced by using an external cavity to couple the vertical emission back into the laser. This method and device prevent disturbance of the main laser beam. provide unobstructed access to laser emission for the formation of the external cavity. and do not require a very narrow heat sink. Any distributed Bragg reflector semiconductor laser or distributed feedback semiconductor laser that can produce a vertical emission through the epitaxial material and through a window in the top metallization can be used. The external cavity can be formed with an optical fiber or with a lens and a mirror of grating.

  10. Optical computing, optical memory, and SBIRs at Foster-Miller

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Domash, Lawrence H.

    1994-03-01

    A desktop design and manufacturing system for binary diffractive elements, MacBEEP, was developed with the optical researcher in mind. Optical processing systems for specialized tasks such as cellular automation computation and fractal measurement were constructed. A new family of switchable holograms has enabled several applications for control of laser beams in optical memories. New spatial light modulators and optical logic elements have been demonstrated based on a more manufacturable semiconductor technology. Novel synthetic and polymeric nonlinear materials for optical storage are under development in an integrated memory architecture. SBIR programs enable creative contributions from smaller companies, both product oriented and technology oriented, and support advances that might not otherwise be developed.

  11. Electrodes for Semiconductor Gas Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Sung Pil

    2017-01-01

    The electrodes of semiconductor gas sensors are important in characterizing sensors based on their sensitivity, selectivity, reversibility, response time, and long-term stability. The types and materials of electrodes used for semiconductor gas sensors are analyzed. In addition, the effect of interfacial zones and surface states of electrode–semiconductor interfaces on their characteristics is studied. This study describes that the gas interaction mechanism of the electrode–semiconductor interfaces should take into account the interfacial zone, surface states, image force, and tunneling effect. PMID:28346349

  12. 32-Bit-Wide Memory Tolerates Failures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buskirk, Glenn A.

    1990-01-01

    Electronic memory system of 32-bit words corrects bit errors caused by some common type of failures - even failure of entire 4-bit-wide random-access-memory (RAM) chip. Detects failure of two such chips, so user warned that ouput of memory may contain errors. Includes eight 4-bit-wide DRAM's configured so each bit of each DRAM assigned to different one of four parallel 8-bit words. Each DRAM contributes only 1 bit to each 8-bit word.

  13. Comparison and statistical analysis of four write stability metrics in bulk CMOS static random access memory cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, Hao; Mizutani, Tomoko; Saraya, Takuya; Hiramoto, Toshiro

    2015-04-01

    The commonly used four metrics for write stability were measured and compared based on the same set of 2048 (2k) six-transistor (6T) static random access memory (SRAM) cells by the 65 nm bulk technology. The preferred one should be effective for yield estimation and help predict edge of stability. Results have demonstrated that all metrics share the same worst SRAM cell. On the other hand, compared to butterfly curve with non-normality and write N-curve where no cell state flip happens, bit-line and word-line margins have good normality as well as almost perfect correlation. As a result, both bit line method and word line method prove themselves preferred write stability metrics.

  14. Advanced development of double-injection, deep-impurity semiconductor switches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanes, M. H.

    1987-01-01

    Deep-impurity, double-injection devices, commonly refered to as (DI) squared devices, represent a class of semiconductor switches possessing a very high degree of tolerance to electron and neutron irradiation and to elevated temperature operation. These properties have caused them to be considered as attractive candidates for space power applications. The design, fabrication, and testing of several varieties of (DI) squared devices intended for power switching are described. All of these designs were based upon gold-doped silicon material. Test results, along with results of computer simulations of device operation, other calculations based upon the assumed mode of operation of (DI) squared devices, and empirical information regarding power semiconductor device operation and limitations, have led to the conculsion that these devices are not well suited to high-power applications. When operated in power circuitry configurations, they exhibit high-power losses in both the off-state and on-state modes. These losses are caused by phenomena inherent to the physics and material of the devices and cannot be much reduced by device design optimizations. The (DI) squared technology may, however, find application in low-power functions such as sensing, logic, and memory, when tolerance to radiation and temperature are desirable (especially is device performance is improved by incorporation of deep-level impurities other than gold.

  15. Library API for Z-Order Memory Layout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bethel, E. Wes

    This library provides a simple-to-use API for implementing an altnerative to traditional row-major order in-memory layout, one based on a Morton- order space filling curve (SFC) , specifically, a Z-order variant of the Morton order curve. The library enables programmers to, after a simple initialization step, to convert a multidimensional array from row-major to Z- order layouts, then use a single, generic API call to access data from any arbitrary (i,j,k) location from within the array, whether it it be stored in row- major or z-order format. The motivation for using a SFC in-memory layout is for improved spatial locality,more » which results in increased use of local high speed cache memory. The basic idea is that with row-major order layouts, a data access to some location that is nearby in index space is likely far away in physical memory, resulting in poor spatial locality and slow runtime. On the other hand, with a SFC-based layout, accesses that are nearby in index space are much more likely to also be nearby in physical memory, resulting in much better spatial locality, and better runtime performance. Numerous studies over the years have shown significant runtime performance gains are realized by using a SFC-based memory layout compared to a row-major layout, sometimes by as much as 50%, which result from the better use of the memory and cache hierarchy that are attendant with a SFC-based layout (see, for example, [Beth2012]). This library implementation is intended for use with codes that work with structured, array-based data in 2 or 3 dimensions. It is not appropriate for use with unstructured or point-based data.« less

  16. Deviation from the law of energy equipartition in a small dynamic-random-access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carles, Pierre-Alix; Nishiguchi, Katsuhiko; Fujiwara, Akira

    2015-06-01

    A small dynamic-random-access memory (DRAM) coupled with a high charge sensitivity electrometer based on a silicon field-effect transistor is used to study the law of equipartition of energy. By statistically analyzing the movement of single electrons in the DRAM at various temperature and voltage conditions in thermal equilibrium, we are able to observe a behavior that differs from what is predicted by the law of equipartition energy: when the charging energy of the capacitor of the DRAM is comparable to or smaller than the thermal energy kBT/2, random electron motion is ruled perfectly by thermal energy; on the other hand, when the charging energy becomes higher in relation to the thermal energy kBT/2, random electron motion is suppressed which indicates a deviation from the law of equipartition of energy. Since the law of equipartition is analyzed using the DRAM, one of the most familiar devices, we believe that our results are perfectly universal among all electronic devices.

  17. Method of passivating semiconductor surfaces

    DOEpatents

    Wanlass, Mark W.

    1990-01-01

    A method of passivating Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces. The method includes selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of the semiconductor compound. The passivating material is then grown as an ultrathin layer of passivating material on the surface of the Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound. The passivating material is grown to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between the ultrathin passivating material and the semiconductor compound. In addition, a device formed from such method is also disclosed.

  18. Semiconductor structure and recess formation etch technique

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lu, Bin; Sun, Min; Palacios, Tomas Apostol

    2017-02-14

    A semiconductor structure has a first layer that includes a first semiconductor material and a second layer that includes a second semiconductor material. The first semiconductor material is selectively etchable over the second semiconductor material using a first etching process. The first layer is disposed over the second layer. A recess is disposed at least in the first layer. Also described is a method of forming a semiconductor structure that includes a recess. The method includes etching a region in a first layer using a first etching process. The first layer includes a first semiconductor material. The first etching processmore » stops at a second layer beneath the first layer. The second layer includes a second semiconductor material.« less

  19. Performance of Compiler-Assisted Memory Safety Checking

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    software developer has in mind a particular object to which the pointer should point, the intended referent. A memory access error occurs when an ac...Performance of Compiler-Assisted Memory Safety Checking David Keaton Robert C. Seacord August 2014 TECHNICAL NOTE CMU/SEI-2014-TN...based memory safety checking tool and the performance that can be achieved with two such tools whose source code is freely available. The note then

  20. The influence of training and experience on memory strategy.

    PubMed

    Patrick, John; Morgan, Phillip L; Smy, Victoria; Tiley, Leyanne; Seeby, Helen; Patrick, Tanya; Evans, Jonathan

    2015-07-01

    This paper investigates whether, and if so how much, prior training and experience overwrite the influence of the constraints of the task environment on strategy deployment. This evidence is relevant to the theory of soft constraints that focuses on the role of constraints in the task environment (Gray, Simms, Fu, & Schoelles, Psychological Review, 113: 461-482, 2006). The theory explains how an increase in the cost of accessing information induces a more memory-based strategy involving more encoding and planning. Experiments 1 and 3 adopt a traditional training and transfer design using the Blocks World Task in which participants were exposed to training trials involving a 2.5-s delay in accessing goal-state information before encountering transfer trials in which there was no access delay. The effect of prior training was assessed by the degree of memory-based strategy adopted in the transfer trials. Training with an access delay had a substantial carry-over effect and increased the subsequent degree of memory-based strategy adopted in the transfer environment. However, such effects do not necessarily occur if goal-state access cost in training is less costly than in transfer trials (Experiment 2). Experiment 4 used a fine-grained intra-trial design to examine the effect of experiencing access cost on one, two, or three occasions within the same trial and found that such experience on two consecutive occasions was sufficient to induce a more memory-based strategy. This paper establishes some effects of training that are relevant to the soft constraints theory and also discusses practical implications.

  1. Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Photodetectors

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Chu-Hsuan; Liu, Chee Wee

    2010-01-01

    The major radiation of the Sun can be roughly divided into three regions: ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. Detection in these three regions is important to human beings. The metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetector, with a simpler process than the pn-junction photodetector and a lower dark current than the MSM photodetector, has been developed for light detection in these three regions. Ideal UV photodetectors with high UV-to-visible rejection ratio could be demonstrated with III–V metal-insulator-semiconductor UV photodetectors. The visible-light detection and near-infrared optical communications have been implemented with Si and Ge metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetectors. For mid- and long-wavelength infrared detection, metal-insulator-semiconductor SiGe/Si quantum dot infrared photodetectors have been developed, and the detection spectrum covers atmospheric transmission windows. PMID:22163382

  2. Semiconductor devices incorporating multilayer interference regions

    DOEpatents

    Biefeld, Robert M.; Drummond, Timothy J.; Gourley, Paul L.; Zipperian, Thomas E.

    1990-01-01

    A semiconductor high reflector comprising a number of thin alternating layers of semiconductor materials is electrically tunable and may be used as a temperature insensitive semiconductor laser in a Fabry-Perot configuration.

  3. Infrared spectroscopy of organic semiconductors modified by self-assembled monolayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khatib, O.; Lee, B.; Podzorov, V.; Yuen, J.; Heeger, A. J.; Li, Z. Q.; di Ventra, M.; Basov, D. N.

    2009-03-01

    Recently, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were used to modify electronic surface properties of organic single crystals, leading to several orders of magnitude increase in the electrical conductivity^1. Motivated by this discovery, the same technique was applied to polymers. Here we present a thorough spectroscopic investigation of organic semiconductors based on poly(3-hexlthiophene) (P3HT) that have been treated with a fluorinated trichlorosilane SAM. Infrared spectroscopy offers access to details of charge injection, electrostatic doping, and the electronic structure that are not always available from transport measurements, which can be dominated by defects and contact effects. In polymer films, the SAM molecules penetrate into the bulk, leading to a rich spectrum of electronic excitations in the mid-infrared energy range. ^1 M. F. Calhoun, J. Sanchez, D. Olaya, M. E. Gershenson, V. Podzorov, Electronic functionalization of the surface of organic semiconductors with self-assembled monolayers, Nature Mater. 7, 84--89 (2008)

  4. Electrical characteristics of paraelectric lead lanthanum zirconium titanate thin films for dynamic random access memory applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, R. E., Jr.; Maniar, P. D.; Olowolafe, J. O.; Campbell, A. C.; Mogab, C. J.

    1992-02-01

    Paraelectric lead lanthanum zirconium titanate (PLZT) films, 150 nm thick, were deposited using a spin-coat, sol-gel process followed by a 650 °C oxygen anneal. X-ray diffraction indicated complete conversion to the perovskite phase. Sputter-deposited platinum electrodes were employed with the PLZT films to form thin-film capacitors with the best combination of high charge storage density (26.1 μC/cm2 at 3 V and 36.4 μC/cm2 at 5 V) and leakage current density (0.2 μA/cm2 at 3 V and 0.5 μA/cm2 at 5 V ) reported to date. The electrical characteristics of these thin-film capacitors meet the requirements for a planar bit cell capacitor for 64-Mbit dynamic random access memories.

  5. Semiconductor electrode with improved photostability characteristics

    DOEpatents

    Frank, A.J.

    1985-02-19

    An electrode is described for use in photoelectrochemical cells having an electrolyte which includes an aqueous constituent. The electrode consists of a semiconductor and a hydrophobic film disposed between the semiconductor and the aqueous constituent. The hydrophobic film is adapted to permit charges to pass therethrough while substantially decreasing the activity of the aqueous constituent at the semiconductor surface thereby decreasing the photodegradation of the semiconductor electrode.

  6. Semiconductor electrode with improved photostability characteristics

    DOEpatents

    Frank, Arthur J.

    1987-01-01

    An electrode is disclosed for use in photoelectrochemical cells having an electrolyte which includes an aqueous constituent. The electrode includes a semiconductor and a hydrophobic film disposed between the semiconductor and the aqueous constituent. The hydrophobic film is adapted to permit charges to pass therethrough while substantially decreasing the activity of the aqueous constituent at the semiconductor surface thereby decreasing the photodegradation of the semiconductor electrode.

  7. Method of passivating semiconductor surfaces

    DOEpatents

    Wanlass, M.W.

    1990-06-19

    A method is described for passivating Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces. The method includes selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of the semiconductor compound. The passivating material is then grown as an ultrathin layer of passivating material on the surface of the Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound. The passivating material is grown to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between the ultrathin passivating material and the semiconductor compound. In addition, a device formed from such method is also disclosed.

  8. Highly-Ordered 3D Vertical Resistive Switching Memory Arrays with Ultralow Power Consumption and Ultrahigh Density.

    PubMed

    Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Wang, Chengliang; Qi, Haoyuan; Grote, Fabian; Wen, Liaoyong; Bernhard, Jörg; Vellacheri, Ranjith; Tarish, Samar; Nabi, Ghulam; Kaiser, Ute; Lei, Yong

    2016-09-07

    Resistive switching random access memories (RRAM) have attracted great scientific and industrial attention for next generation data storage because of their advantages of nonvolatile properties, high density, low power consumption, fast writing/erasing speed, good endurance, and simple and small operation system. Here, by using a template-assisted technique, we demonstrate a three-dimensional highly ordered vertical RRAM device array with density as high as that of the nanopores of the template (10(8)-10(9) cm(-2)), which can also be fabricated in large area. The high crystallinity of the materials, the large contact area and the intimate semiconductor/electrode interface (3 nm interfacial layer) make the ultralow voltage operation (millivolt magnitude) and ultralow power consumption (picowatt) possible. Our procedure for fabrication of the nanodevice arrays in large area can be used for producing many other different materials and such three-dimensional electronic device arrays with the capability to adjust the device densities can be extended to other applications of the next generation nanodevice technology.

  9. Semiconductor devices incorporating multilayer interference regions

    DOEpatents

    Biefeld, R.M.; Drummond, T.J.; Gourley, P.L.; Zipperian, T.E.

    1987-08-31

    A semiconductor high reflector comprising a number of thin alternating layers of semiconductor materials is electrically tunable and may be used as a temperature insensitive semiconductor laser in a Fabry-Perot configuration. 8 figs.

  10. Improving the effectiveness of an interruption lag by inducing a memory-based strategy.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Phillip L; Patrick, John; Tiley, Leyanne

    2013-01-01

    The memory for goals model (Altmann & Trafton, 2002) posits the importance of a short delay (the 'interruption lag') before an interrupting task to encode suspended goals for retrieval post-interruption. Two experiments used the theory of soft constraints (Gray, Simms, Fu & Schoelles, 2006) to investigate whether the efficacy of an interruption lag could be improved by increasing goal-state access cost to induce a more memory-based encoding strategy. Both experiments used a copying task with three access cost conditions (Low, Medium, and High) and a 5-s interruption lag with a no lag control condition. Experiment 1 found that the participants in the High access cost condition resumed more interrupted trials and executed more actions correctly from memory when coupled with an interruption lag. Experiment 2 used a prospective memory test post-interruption and an eyetracker recorded gaze activity during the interruption lag. The participants in the High access cost condition with an interruption lag were best at encoding target information during the interruption lag, evidenced by higher scores on the prospective memory measure and more gaze activity on the goal-state during the interruption lag. Theoretical and practical issues regarding the use of goal-state access cost and an interruption lag are discussed. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Single event upset in avionics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Taber, A.; Normand, E.

    1993-04-01

    Data from military/experimental flights and laboratory testing indicate that typical non radiation-hardened 64K and 256K static random access memories (SRAMs) can experience a significant soft upset rate at aircraft altitudes due to energetic neutrons created by cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere. It is suggested that error detection and correction (EDAC) circuitry be considered for all avionics designs containing large amounts of semi-conductor memory.

  12. Determination of Insulator-to-Semiconductor Transition in Sol-Gel Oxide Semiconductors Using Derivative Spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Lee, Woobin; Choi, Seungbeom; Kim, Kyung Tae; Kang, Jingu; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

    2015-12-23

    We report a derivative spectroscopic method for determining insulator-to-semiconductor transition during sol-gel metal-oxide semiconductor formation. When an as-spun sol-gel precursor film is photochemically activated and changes to semiconducting state, the light absorption characteristics of the metal-oxide film is considerable changed particularly in the ultraviolet region. As a result, a peak is generated in the first-order derivatives of light absorption ( A' ) vs. wavelength (λ) plots, and by tracing the peak center shift and peak intensity, transition from insulating-to-semiconducting state of the film can be monitored. The peak generation and peak center shift are described based on photon-energy-dependent absorption coefficient of metal-oxide films. We discuss detailed analysis method for metal-oxide semiconductor films and its application in thin-film transistor fabrication. We believe this derivative spectroscopy based determination can be beneficial for a non-destructive and a rapid monitoring of the insulator-to-semiconductor transition in sol-gel oxide semiconductor formation.

  13. Columbia Crew added to Astronaut Memorial Mirror

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-07-15

    Workers add to the Astronaut Memorial Mirror the names of the Columbia crew who died in the STS-107 accident. Dedicated May 9, 1991, the Astronaut Memorial honors U.S. astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration. The "Space Mirror," 42 1/2 feet high by 50 feet wide, illuminates the names of the fallen astronauts cut through the monument's black granite surface. The Memorial Mirror is accessible through the KSC Visitor Complex.

  14. Radiation evaluation study of LSI RAM technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dinger, G. L.; Knoll, M. G.

    1980-01-01

    Five commercial LSI static random access memory technologies having a 1 kilobit capacity were radiation characterized. Arrays from the transistor-transistor-logic (TTL), Schottky TTL, n-channel metal oxide semiconductor, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and CMOS/silicon on sapphire families were evaluated. Radiation failure thresholds for gamma doserate logic upset, total gamma dose survivability, and neutron fluence survivability were determined. A brief analysis of the radiation failure mechanism for each of the logic families tested is included.

  15. Combinatorial Investigation of ZrO2-Based Dielectric Materials for Dynamic Random-Access Memory Capacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiyota, Yuji; Itaka, Kenji; Iwashita, Yuta; Adachi, Tetsuya; Chikyow, Toyohiro; Ogura, Atsushi

    2011-06-01

    We investigated zirconia (ZrO2)-based material libraries in search of new dielectric materials for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) by combinatorial-pulsed laser deposition (combi-PLD). We found that the substitution of yttrium (Y) to Zr sites in the ZrO2 system suppressed the leakage current effectively. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor property of this system showed a leakage current density of less than 5×10-7 A/cm2 and the dielectric constant was 20. Moreover, the addition of titanium (Ti) or tantalum (Ta) to this system caused the dielectric constant to increase to ˜25 within the allowed leakage level of 5×10-7 A/cm2. Therefore, Zr-Y-Ti-O and Zr-Y-Ta-O systems have good potentials for use as new materials with high dielectric constants of DRAM capacitors instead of silicon dioxides (SiO2).

  16. 45 CFR 2490.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 2490.150 Section 2490.150 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) JAMES MADISON... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION § 2490.150 Program accessibility...

  17. 45 CFR 2490.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 2490.150 Section 2490.150 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) JAMES MADISON... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION § 2490.150 Program accessibility...

  18. 45 CFR 2490.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 2490.150 Section 2490.150 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) JAMES MADISON... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION § 2490.150 Program accessibility...

  19. 45 CFR 2490.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 2490.150 Section 2490.150 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) JAMES MADISON... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION § 2490.150 Program accessibility...

  20. A review of emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies and applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, An

    2016-11-01

    This paper will review emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies, with the focus on phase change memory (PCM), spin-transfer-torque random-access-memory (STTRAM), resistive random-access-memory (RRAM), and ferroelectric field-effect-transistor (FeFET) memory. These promising NVM devices are evaluated in terms of their advantages, challenges, and applications. Their performance is compared based on reported parameters of major industrial test chips. Memory selector devices and cell structures are discussed. Changing market trends toward low power (e.g., mobile, IoT) and data-centric applications create opportunities for emerging NVMs. High-performance and low-cost emerging NVMs may simplify memory hierarchy, introduce non-volatility in logic gates and circuits, reduce system power, and enable novel architectures. Storage-class memory (SCM) based on high-density NVMs could fill the performance and density gap between memory and storage. Some unique characteristics of emerging NVMs can be utilized for novel applications beyond the memory space, e.g., neuromorphic computing, hardware security, etc. In the beyond-CMOS era, emerging NVMs have the potential to fulfill more important functions and enable more efficient, intelligent, and secure computing systems.

  1. Lowering data retention voltage in static random access memory array by post fabrication self-improvement of cell stability by multiple stress application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mizutani, Tomoko; Takeuchi, Kiyoshi; Saraya, Takuya; Kobayashi, Masaharu; Hiramoto, Toshiro

    2018-04-01

    We propose a new version of the post fabrication static random access memory (SRAM) self-improvement technique, which utilizes multiple stress application. It is demonstrated that, using a device matrix array (DMA) test element group (TEG) with intrinsic channel fully depleted (FD) silicon-on-thin-buried-oxide (SOTB) six-transistor (6T) SRAM cells fabricated by the 65 nm technology, the lowering of data retention voltage (DRV) is more effectively achieved than using the previously proposed single stress technique.

  2. Improved characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-based resistive random access memory using hydrogen post-annealing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kang, Dae Yun; Lee, Tae-Ho; Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.kr

    The authors report an improvement in resistive switching (RS) characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO)-based resistive random access memory devices using hydrogen post-annealing. Because this a-IGZO thin film has oxygen off-stoichiometry in the form of deficient and excessive oxygen sites, the film properties can be improved by introducing hydrogen atoms through the annealing process. After hydrogen post-annealing, the device exhibited a stable bipolar RS, low-voltage set and reset operation, long retention (>10{sup 5 }s), good endurance (>10{sup 6} cycles), and a narrow distribution in each current state. The effect of hydrogen post-annealing is also investigated by analyzing the sample surface using X-raymore » photon spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy.« less

  3. An energy efficient and high speed architecture for convolution computing based on binary resistive random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Chen; Han, Runze; Zhou, Zheng; Huang, Peng; Liu, Lifeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; Kang, Jinfeng

    2018-04-01

    In this work we present a novel convolution computing architecture based on metal oxide resistive random access memory (RRAM) to process the image data stored in the RRAM arrays. The proposed image storage architecture shows performances of better speed-device consumption efficiency compared with the previous kernel storage architecture. Further we improve the architecture for a high accuracy and low power computing by utilizing the binary storage and the series resistor. For a 28 × 28 image and 10 kernels with a size of 3 × 3, compared with the previous kernel storage approach, the newly proposed architecture shows excellent performances including: 1) almost 100% accuracy within 20% LRS variation and 90% HRS variation; 2) more than 67 times speed boost; 3) 71.4% energy saving.

  4. Recollection Rejection: How Children Edit Their False Memories.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brainerd, C. J.; Reyna, V. F.

    2002-01-01

    Presents new measure of children's use of an editing operation that suppresses false memories by accessing verbatim traces of true events. Application of the methodology showed that false-memory editing increased dramatically between early and middle childhood. Measure reacted appropriately to experimental manipulations. Developmental reductions…

  5. Retracing Memories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, David L.

    2005-01-01

    There are plenty of paths to poetry but few are as accessible as retracing ones own memories. When students are asked to write about something they remember, they are given them the gift of choosing from events that are important enough to recall. They remember because what happened was funny or scary or embarrassing or heartbreaking or silly.…

  6. Effect of Atomic Layer Depositions (ALD)-Deposited Titanium Oxide (TiO2) Thickness on the Performance of Zr40Cu35Al15Ni10 (ZCAN)/TiO2/Indium (In)-Based Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) Structures

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-01

    metal structures, memristors, resistive random access memory, RRAM, titanium dioxide, Zr40Cu35Al15Ni10, ZCAN, resistive memory, tunnel junction 16...TiO2 thickness ........................6 1 1. Introduction Resistive-switching memory elements based on metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes ...have attracted great interest due to their potential as components for simple, inexpensive, and high-density non-volatile storage devices. MIM diodes

  7. The aftermath of memory retrieval for recycling visual working memory representations.

    PubMed

    Park, Hyung-Bum; Zhang, Weiwei; Hyun, Joo-Seok

    2017-07-01

    We examined the aftermath of accessing and retrieving a subset of information stored in visual working memory (VWM)-namely, whether detection of a mismatch between memory and perception can impair the original memory of an item while triggering recognition-induced forgetting for the remaining, untested items. For this purpose, we devised a consecutive-change detection task wherein two successive testing probes were displayed after a single set of memory items. Across two experiments utilizing different memory-testing methods (whole vs. single probe), we observed a reliable pattern of poor performance in change detection for the second test when the first test had exhibited a color change. The impairment after a color change was evident even when the same memory item was repeatedly probed; this suggests that an attention-driven, salient visual change made it difficult to reinstate the previously remembered item. The second change detection, for memory items untested during the first change detection, was also found to be inaccurate, indicating that recognition-induced forgetting had occurred for the unprobed items in VWM. In a third experiment, we conducted a task that involved change detection plus continuous recall, wherein a memory recall task was presented after the change detection task. The analyses of the distributions of recall errors with a probabilistic mixture model revealed that the memory impairments from both visual changes and recognition-induced forgetting are explained better by the stochastic loss of memory items than by their degraded resolution. These results indicate that attention-driven visual change and recognition-induced forgetting jointly influence the "recycling" of VWM representations.

  8. Development and characterization of a ferroelectric non-volatile memory for flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Duo

    Flexible electronics have received significant attention recently because of the potential applications in displays, sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and other integrated circuits. Electrically addressable non-volatile memory is a key component for these applications. The major challenges are to fabricate the memory at a low temperature compatible with plastic substrates while maintaining good device reliability, by being compatible with process as needed to integrate with other electronic components for system-on-chip applications. In this work, ferroelectric capacitors fabricated at low temperature were developed. Based on that, a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) for flexible electronics was developed and characterized. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer was used as a ferroelectric material and a photolithographic process was developed to fabricate ferroelectric capacitors. Different characterization methods including atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy were used to study the material properties of the P(VDF-TrFE) film. The material properties were correlated with the electrical characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitors. To understand the polarization switching behavior of the P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric capacitors, a Nucleation-Limited-Switching (NLS) model was used to study the switching kinetics. The switching kinetics were characterized over the temperature range from -60 °C to 100 °C. Fatigue characteristics were studied at different electrical stress voltages and frequencies to evaluate the reliability of the ferroelectric capacitor. The degradation mechanism is attributed to the increase of the activation field and the suppression of the switchable polarization. To develop a FRAM circuit for flexible electronics, an n-channel thin film transistor (TFT) based on CdS as the semiconductor was integrated with a P

  9. Stable surface passivation process for compound semiconductors

    DOEpatents

    Ashby, Carol I. H.

    2001-01-01

    A passivation process for a previously sulfided, selenided or tellurated III-V compound semiconductor surface. The concentration of undesired mid-gap surface states on a compound semiconductor surface is reduced by the formation of a near-monolayer of metal-(sulfur and/or selenium and/or tellurium)-semiconductor that is effective for long term passivation of the underlying semiconductor surface. Starting with the III-V compound semiconductor surface, any oxidation present thereon is substantially removed and the surface is then treated with sulfur, selenium or tellurium to form a near-monolayer of chalcogen-semiconductor of the surface in an oxygen-free atmosphere. This chalcogenated surface is then contacted with a solution of a metal that will form a low solubility chalcogenide to form a near-monolayer of metal-chalcogen-semiconductor. The resulting passivating layer provides long term protection for the underlying surface at or above the level achieved by a freshly chalcogenated compound semiconductor surface in an oxygen free atmosphere.

  10. 45 CFR 2490.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION § 2490.150 Program accessibility: Existing facilities. (a) General. The agency shall operate each program or activity so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps...

  11. Application of nanomaterials in two-terminal resistive-switching memory devices

    PubMed Central

    Ouyang, Jianyong

    2010-01-01

    Nanometer materials have been attracting strong attention due to their interesting structure and properties. Many important practical applications have been demonstrated for nanometer materials based on their unique properties. This article provides a review on the fabrication, electrical characterization, and memory application of two-terminal resistive-switching devices using nanomaterials as the active components, including metal and semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs), nanotubes, nanowires, and graphenes. There are mainly two types of device architectures for the two-terminal devices with NPs. One has a triple-layer structure with a metal film sandwiched between two organic semiconductor layers, and the other has a single polymer film blended with NPs. These devices can be electrically switched between two states with significant different resistances, i.e. the ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ states. These render the devices important application as two-terminal non-volatile memory devices. The electrical behavior of these devices can be affected by the materials in the active layer and the electrodes. Though the mechanism for the electrical switches has been in argument, it is generally believed that the resistive switches are related to charge storage on the NPs. Resistive switches were also observed on crossbars formed by nanotubes, nanowires, and graphene ribbons. The resistive switches are due to nanoelectromechanical behavior of the materials. The Coulombic interaction of transient charges on the nanomaterials affects the configurable gap of the crossbars, which results into significant change in current through the crossbars. These nanoelectromechanical devices can be used as fast-response and high-density memory devices as well. PMID:22110862

  12. Optical response from lenslike semiconductor nipple arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, H.-M.; Lai, C.-M.; Peng, L.-H.

    2008-11-01

    The authors reported the use of recessive size reduction in self-assembled polystyrene sphere mask with anisotropic etching to form lenslike nipple arrays onto the surface of silicon and gallium nitride. These devices are shown to exhibit a filling factor near to an ideal close-packed condition and paraboloidlike etch profile with slope increased proportionally to the device aspect ratio. Specular reflectivity of less than 3% was observed over the visible spectral range for the 0.35-μm-period nipple-lens arrays. Using two-dimensional rigorous coupled-wave analysis, the latter phenomenon can be ascribed to a gradual index matching mechanism accessed by a high surface-coverage semiconductor nipple array structure.

  13. Physics Notes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    School Science Review, 1979

    1979-01-01

    Included is information regarding: fabrication of light emitting diodes, their operation as semiconductors, and an experiment demonstrating electroluminescence; experimenting with Random Access Memory (RAM) circuits; demonstrating Coriolis effect; measuring the diameter of an electron beam, E.H.T. meters; launching a trolley by catapult; a "random…

  14. Criticality of Low-Energy Protons in Single-Event Effects Testing of Highly-Scaled Technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pellish, Jonathan Allen; Marshall, Paul W.; Rodbell, K. P.; Gordon, M. S.; LaBel, K. A.; Schwank, J. R.; Dodds, N. A.; Castaneda, C. M.; Berg, M. D.; Kim, H. S.; hide

    2014-01-01

    We report low-energy proton and alpha particle SEE data on a 32 nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) static random access memory (SRAM) that demonstrates the criticality of understanding and using low-energy protons for SEE testing of highly-scaled technologies

  15. Event memory and moving in a well-known environment.

    PubMed

    Tamplin, Andrea K; Krawietz, Sabine A; Radvansky, Gabriel A; Copeland, David E

    2013-11-01

    Research in narrative comprehension has repeatedly shown that when people read about characters moving in well-known environments, the accessibility of object information follows a spatial gradient. That is, the accessibility of objects is best when they are in the same room as the protagonist, and it becomes worse the farther away they are see, e.g., Morrow, Greenspan, & Bower, (Journal of Memory and Language, 26, 165-187, 1987). In the present study, we assessed this finding using an interactive environment in which we had people memorize a map and navigate a virtual simulation of the area. During navigation, people were probed with pairs of object names and indicated whether both objects were in the same room. In contrast to the narrative studies described above, several experiments showed no evidence of a clear spatial gradient. Instead, memory for objects in currently occupied locations (e.g., the location room) was more accessible, especially after a small delay, but no clear decline was evident in the accessibility of information in memory with increased distance. Also, memory for objects along the pathway of movement (i.e., rooms that a person only passed through) showed a transitory suppression effect that was present immediately after movement, but attenuated over time. These results were interpreted in light of the event horizon model of event cognition.

  16. Experimental Study of Floating-Gate-Type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Capacitors with Nanosize Triangular Cross-Sectional Tunnel Areas for Low Operating Voltage Flash Memory Application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yongxun; Guo, Ruofeng; Kamei, Takahiro; Matsukawa, Takashi; Endo, Kazuhiko; O'uchi, Shinichi; Tsukada, Junichi; Yamauchi, Hiromi; Ishikawa, Yuki; Hayashida, Tetsuro; Sakamoto, Kunihiro; Ogura, Atsushi; Masahara, Meishoku

    2012-06-01

    The floating-gate (FG)-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with planar (planar-MOS) and three-dimensional (3D) nanosize triangular cross-sectional tunnel areas (3D-MOS) have successfully been fabricated by introducing rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) and postdeposition annealing (PDA), and their electrical characteristics between the control gate (CG) and FG have been systematically compared. It was experimentally found in both planar- and 3D-MOS capacitors that the uniform and higher breakdown voltages are obtained by introducing RTO owing to the high-quality thermal oxide formation on the surface and etched edge regions of the n+ polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) FG, and the leakage current is highly suppressed after PDA owing to the improved quality of the tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) silicon dioxide (SiO2) between CG and FG. Moreover, a lower breakdown voltage between CG and FG was obtained in the fabricated 3D-MOS capacitors as compared with that of planar-MOS capacitors thanks to the enhanced local electric field at the tips of triangular tunnel areas. The developed nanosize triangular cross-sectional tunnel area is useful for the fabrication of low operating voltage flash memories.

  17. The relationships of 'ecstasy' (MDMA) and cannabis use to impaired executive inhibition and access to semantic long-term memory.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Philip N; Erwin, Philip G; Maciver, Linda; Fisk, John E; Larkin, Derek; Wareing, Michelle; Montgomery, Catharine; Hilton, Joanne; Tames, Frank J; Bradley, Belinda; Yanulevitch, Kate; Ralley, Richard

    2011-10-01

    This study aimed to examine the relationship between the consumption of ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) and cannabis, and performance on the random letter generation task which generates dependent variables drawing upon executive inhibition and access to semantic long-term memory (LTM). The participant group was a between-participant independent variable with users of both ecstasy and cannabis (E/C group, n = 15), users of cannabis but not ecstasy (CA group, n = 13) and controls with no exposure to these drugs (CO group, n = 12). Dependent variables measured violations of randomness: number of repeat sequences, number of alphabetical sequences (both drawing upon inhibition) and redundancy (drawing upon access to semantic LTM). E/C participants showed significantly higher redundancy than CO participants but did not differ from CA participants. There were no significant effects for the other dependent variables. A regression model comprising intelligence measures and estimates of ecstasy and cannabis consumption predicted redundancy scores, but only cannabis consumption contributed significantly to this prediction. Impaired access to semantic LTM may be related to cannabis consumption, although the involvement of ecstasy and other stimulant drugs cannot be excluded here. Executive inhibitory functioning, as measured by the random letter generation task, is unrelated to ecstasy and cannabis consumption. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Reducing dynamic disorder in small-molecule organic semiconductors by suppressing large-amplitude thermal motions

    PubMed Central

    Illig, Steffen; Eggeman, Alexander S.; Troisi, Alessandro; Jiang, Lang; Warwick, Chris; Nikolka, Mark; Schweicher, Guillaume; Yeates, Stephen G.; Henri Geerts, Yves; Anthony, John E.; Sirringhaus, Henning

    2016-01-01

    Thermal vibrations and the dynamic disorder they create can detrimentally affect the transport properties of van der Waals bonded molecular semiconductors. The low-energy nature of these vibrations makes it difficult to access them experimentally, which is why we still lack clear molecular design rules to control and reduce dynamic disorder. In this study we discuss the promising organic semiconductors rubrene, 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothio-phene and 2,9-di-decyl-dinaphtho-[2,3-b:20,30-f]-thieno-[3,2-b]-thiophene in terms of an exceptionally low degree of dynamic disorder. In particular, we analyse diffuse scattering in transmission electron microscopy, to show that small molecules that have their side chains attached along the long axis of their conjugated core are better encapsulated in their crystal structure, which helps reduce large-amplitude thermal motions. Our work provides a general strategy for the design of new classes of very high mobility organic semiconductors with a low degree of dynamic disorder. PMID:26898754

  19. Room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductor.

    PubMed

    Shi, Xun; Chen, Hongyi; Hao, Feng; Liu, Ruiheng; Wang, Tuo; Qiu, Pengfei; Burkhardt, Ulrich; Grin, Yuri; Chen, Lidong

    2018-05-01

    Ductility is common in metals and metal-based alloys, but is rarely observed in inorganic semiconductors and ceramic insulators. In particular, room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductors were not known until now. Here, we report an inorganic α-Ag 2 S semiconductor that exhibits extraordinary metal-like ductility with high plastic deformation strains at room temperature. Analysis of the chemical bonding reveals systems of planes with relatively weak atomic interactions in the crystal structure. In combination with irregularly distributed silver-silver and sulfur-silver bonds due to the silver diffusion, they suppress the cleavage of the material, and thus result in unprecedented ductility. This work opens up the possibility of searching for ductile inorganic semiconductors/ceramics for flexible electronic devices.

  20. Room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Xun; Chen, Hongyi; Hao, Feng; Liu, Ruiheng; Wang, Tuo; Qiu, Pengfei; Burkhardt, Ulrich; Grin, Yuri; Chen, Lidong

    2018-05-01

    Ductility is common in metals and metal-based alloys, but is rarely observed in inorganic semiconductors and ceramic insulators. In particular, room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductors were not known until now. Here, we report an inorganic α-Ag2S semiconductor that exhibits extraordinary metal-like ductility with high plastic deformation strains at room temperature. Analysis of the chemical bonding reveals systems of planes with relatively weak atomic interactions in the crystal structure. In combination with irregularly distributed silver-silver and sulfur-silver bonds due to the silver diffusion, they suppress the cleavage of the material, and thus result in unprecedented ductility. This work opens up the possibility of searching for ductile inorganic semiconductors/ceramics for flexible electronic devices.

  1. Novel room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gupta, Amita

    2004-06-01

    Today's information world, bits of data are processed by semiconductor chips, and stored in the magnetic disk drives. But tomorrow's information technology may see magnetism (spin) and semiconductivity (charge) combined in one 'spintronic' device that exploits both charge and 'spin' to carry data (the best of two worlds). Spintronic devices such as spin valve transistors, spin light emitting diodes, non-volatile memory, logic devices, optical isolators and ultra-fast optical switches are some of the areas of interest for introducing the ferromagnetic properties at room temperature in a semiconductor to make it multifunctional. The potential advantages of such spintronic devices will bemore » higher speed, greater efficiency, and better stability at a reduced power consumption. This Thesis contains two main topics: In-depth understanding of magnetism in Mn doped ZnO, and our search and identification of at least six new above room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors. Both complex doped ZnO based new materials, as well as a number of nonoxides like phosphides, and sulfides suitably doped with Mn or Cu are shown to give rise to ferromagnetism above room temperature. Some of the highlights of this work are discovery of room temperature ferromagnetism in: (1) ZnO:Mn (paper in Nature Materials, Oct issue, 2003); (2) ZnO doped with Cu (containing no magnetic elements in it); (3) GaP doped with Cu (again containing no magnetic elements in it); (4) Enhancement of Magnetization by Cu co-doping in ZnO:Mn; (5) CdS doped with Mn, and a few others not reported in this thesis. We discuss in detail the first observation of ferromagnetism above room temperature in the form of powder, bulk pellets, in 2-3 mu-m thick transparent pulsed laser deposited films of the Mn (<4 at. percent) doped ZnO. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectra recorded from 2 to 200nm areas showed homogeneous distribution of Mn

  2. Doped polymer semiconductors with ultrahigh and ultralow work functions for ohmic contacts.

    PubMed

    Tang, Cindy G; Ang, Mervin C Y; Choo, Kim-Kian; Keerthi, Venu; Tan, Jun-Kai; Syafiqah, Mazlan Nur; Kugler, Thomas; Burroughes, Jeremy H; Png, Rui-Qi; Chua, Lay-Lay; Ho, Peter K H

    2016-11-24

    To make high-performance semiconductor devices, a good ohmic contact between the electrode and the semiconductor layer is required to inject the maximum current density across the contact. Achieving ohmic contacts requires electrodes with high and low work functions to inject holes and electrons respectively, where the work function is the minimum energy required to remove an electron from the Fermi level of the electrode to the vacuum level. However, it is challenging to produce electrically conducting films with sufficiently high or low work functions, especially for solution-processed semiconductor devices. Hole-doped polymer organic semiconductors are available in a limited work-function range, but hole-doped materials with ultrahigh work functions and, especially, electron-doped materials with low to ultralow work functions are not yet available. The key challenges are stabilizing the thin films against de-doping and suppressing dopant migration. Here we report a general strategy to overcome these limitations and achieve solution-processed doped films over a wide range of work functions (3.0-5.8 electronvolts), by charge-doping of conjugated polyelectrolytes and then internal ion-exchange to give self-compensated heavily doped polymers. Mobile carriers on the polymer backbone in these materials are compensated by covalently bonded counter-ions. Although our self-compensated doped polymers superficially resemble self-doped polymers, they are generated by separate charge-carrier doping and compensation steps, which enables the use of strong dopants to access extreme work functions. We demonstrate solution-processed ohmic contacts for high-performance organic light-emitting diodes, solar cells, photodiodes and transistors, including ohmic injection of both carrier types into polyfluorene-the benchmark wide-bandgap blue-light-emitting polymer organic semiconductor. We also show that metal electrodes can be transformed into highly efficient hole- and electron

  3. Chromatin accessibility prediction via convolutional long short-term memory networks with k-mer embedding.

    PubMed

    Min, Xu; Zeng, Wanwen; Chen, Ning; Chen, Ting; Jiang, Rui

    2017-07-15

    Experimental techniques for measuring chromatin accessibility are expensive and time consuming, appealing for the development of computational approaches to predict open chromatin regions from DNA sequences. Along this direction, existing methods fall into two classes: one based on handcrafted k -mer features and the other based on convolutional neural networks. Although both categories have shown good performance in specific applications thus far, there still lacks a comprehensive framework to integrate useful k -mer co-occurrence information with recent advances in deep learning. We fill this gap by addressing the problem of chromatin accessibility prediction with a convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network with k -mer embedding. We first split DNA sequences into k -mers and pre-train k -mer embedding vectors based on the co-occurrence matrix of k -mers by using an unsupervised representation learning approach. We then construct a supervised deep learning architecture comprised of an embedding layer, three convolutional layers and a Bidirectional LSTM (BLSTM) layer for feature learning and classification. We demonstrate that our method gains high-quality fixed-length features from variable-length sequences and consistently outperforms baseline methods. We show that k -mer embedding can effectively enhance model performance by exploring different embedding strategies. We also prove the efficacy of both the convolution and the BLSTM layers by comparing two variations of the network architecture. We confirm the robustness of our model to hyper-parameters by performing sensitivity analysis. We hope our method can eventually reinforce our understanding of employing deep learning in genomic studies and shed light on research regarding mechanisms of chromatin accessibility. The source code can be downloaded from https://github.com/minxueric/ismb2017_lstm . tingchen@tsinghua.edu.cn or ruijiang@tsinghua.edu.cn. Supplementary materials are available at

  4. Breaking the current density threshold in spin-orbit-torque magnetic random access memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yin; Yuan, H. Y.; Wang, X. S.; Wang, X. R.

    2018-04-01

    Spin-orbit-torque magnetic random access memory (SOT-MRAM) is a promising technology for the next generation of data storage devices. The main bottleneck of this technology is the high reversal current density threshold. This outstanding problem is now solved by a new strategy in which the magnitude of the driven current density is fixed while the current direction varies with time. The theoretical limit of minimal reversal current density is only a fraction (the Gilbert damping coefficient) of the threshold current density of the conventional strategy. The Euler-Lagrange equation for the fastest magnetization reversal path and the optimal current pulse is derived for an arbitrary magnetic cell and arbitrary spin-orbit torque. The theoretical limit of minimal reversal current density and current density for a GHz switching rate of the new reversal strategy for CoFeB/Ta SOT-MRAMs are, respectively, of the order of 105 A/cm 2 and 106 A/cm 2 far below 107 A/cm 2 and 108 A/cm 2 in the conventional strategy. Furthermore, no external magnetic field is needed for a deterministic reversal in the new strategy.

  5. Cerebellar models of associative memory: Three papers from IEEE COMPCON spring 1989

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Raugh, Michael R. (Editor)

    1989-01-01

    Three papers are presented on the following topics: (1) a cerebellar-model associative memory as a generalized random-access memory; (2) theories of the cerebellum - two early models of associative memory; and (3) intelligent network management and functional cerebellum synthesis.

  6. Roadmap on semiconductor-cell biointerfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Bozhi; Xu, Shuai; Rogers, John A.; Cestellos-Blanco, Stefano; Yang, Peidong; Carvalho-de-Souza, João L.; Bezanilla, Francisco; Liu, Jia; Bao, Zhenan; Hjort, Martin; Cao, Yuhong; Melosh, Nicholas; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Benfenati, Fabio; Galli, Giulia; Gygi, Francois; Kautz, Rylan; Gorodetsky, Alon A.; Kim, Samuel S.; Lu, Timothy K.; Anikeeva, Polina; Cifra, Michal; Krivosudský, Ondrej; Havelka, Daniel; Jiang, Yuanwen

    2018-05-01

    This roadmap outlines the role semiconductor-based materials play in understanding the complex biophysical dynamics at multiple length scales, as well as the design and implementation of next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and mechanical devices for biointerfaces. The roadmap emphasizes the advantages of semiconductor building blocks in interfacing, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, and discusses the possibility of using active semiconductor-cell interfaces for discovering new signaling processes in the biological world.

  7. SRAM As An Array Of Energetic-Ion Detectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buehler, Martin G.; Blaes, Brent R.; Lieneweg, Udo; Nixon, Robert H.

    1993-01-01

    Static random-access memory (SRAM) designed for use as array of energetic-ion detectors. Exploits well-known tendency of incident energetic ions to cause bit flips in cells of electronic memories. Design of ion-detector SRAM involves modifications of standard SRAM design to increase sensitivity to ions. Device fabricated by use of conventional complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Potential uses include gas densimetry, position sensing, and measurement of cosmic-ray spectrum.

  8. Trend of tunnel magnetoresistance and variation in threshold voltage for keeping data load robustness of metal–oxide–semiconductor/magnetic tunnel junction hybrid latches

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ohsawa, T.; Ikeda, S.; Hanyu, T.

    The robustness of data load of metal–oxide–semiconductor/magnetic tunnel junction (MOS/MTJ) hybrid latches at power-on is examined by using Monte Carlo simulation with the variations in magnetoresistances for MTJs and in threshold voltages for MOSFETs involved in 90 nm technology node. Three differential pair type spin-transfer-torque-magnetic random access memory cells (4T2MTJ, 6T2MTJ, and 8T2MTJ) are compared for their successful data load at power-on. It is found that the 4T2MTJ cell has the largest pass area in the shmoo plot in TMR ratio (tunnel magnetoresistance ratio) and V{sub dd} in which a whole 256 kb cell array can be powered-on successfully. The minimum TMRmore » ratio for the 4T2MTJ in 0.9 V < V{sub dd} < 1.9 V is 140%, while the 6T2MTJ and the 8T2MTJ cells require TMR ratio larger than 170%.« less

  9. Electrical Characterization of the RCA CDP1822SD Random Access Memory, Volume 1, Appendix a

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klute, A.

    1979-01-01

    Electrical characteristization tests were performed on 35 RCA CDP1822SD, 256-by-4-bit, CMOS, random access memories. The tests included three functional tests, AC and DC parametric tests, a series of schmoo plots, rise/fall time screening, and a data retention test. All tests were performed on an automated IC test system with temperatures controlled by a thermal airstream unit. All the functional tests, the data retention test, and the AC and DC parametric tests were performed at ambient temperatures of 25 C, -20 C, -55 C, 85 C, and 125 C. The schmoo plots were performed at ambient temperatures of 25 C, -55 C, and 125 C. The data retention test was performed at 25 C. Five devices failed one or more functional tests and four of these devices failed to meet the expected limits of a number of AC parametric tests. Some of the schmoo plots indicated a small degree of interaction between parameters.

  10. Remote-seeded WDM-PON upgrade using linear semiconductor opticalamplifiers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez, J. J.; Merayo, N.; Villafranca, A.; Garcés, I.

    2013-05-01

    In this work we have assessed the capacity of a linear (gain-clamped) semiconductor optical amplifier to enhance the budget of WDM PON network links for their evolution from FTTC to FTTH access. A wavelength-seeded network architecture has been considered, evaluating the performance improvement obtained by the use of an amplifier for the cases of link reach extension and optical splitting to reach end users. The evaluation measurements have shown that the extra budget is enough to compensate for the losses of a passive splitter up to atleast 1:16 division rate or to highly increment reach of the network.

  11. Working Memory Underpins Cognitive Development, Learning, and Education

    PubMed Central

    Cowan, Nelson

    2014-01-01

    Working memory is the retention of a small amount of information in a readily accessible form. It facilitates planning, comprehension, reasoning, and problem-solving. I examine the historical roots and conceptual development of the concept and the theoretical and practical implications of current debates about working memory mechanisms. Then I explore the nature of cognitive developmental improvements in working memory, the role of working memory in learning, and some potential implications of working memory and its development for the education of children and adults. The use of working memory is quite ubiquitous in human thought, but the best way to improve education using what we know about working memory is still controversial. I hope to provide some directions for research and educational practice. PMID:25346585

  12. Introduction to Semiconductor Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brennan, Kevin F.

    2005-03-01

    This volume offers a solid foundation for understanding the most important devices used in the hottest areas of electronic engineering today, from semiconductor fundamentals to state-of-the-art semiconductor devices in the telecommunications and computing industries. Kevin Brennan describes future approaches to computing hardware and RF power amplifiers, and explains how emerging trends and system demands of computing and telecommunications systems influence the choice, design and operation of semiconductor devices. In addition, he covers MODFETs and MOSFETs, short channel effects, and the challenges faced by continuing miniaturization. His book is both an excellent senior/graduate text and a valuable reference for practicing engineers and researchers.

  13. 76 FR 66903 - Steel Wire Garment Hangers From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-28

    ..., Philippines, Peru, Ukraine and Thailand are countries comparable to the PRC in terms of economic development... Random Access Memory Semiconductors from Taiwan, 63 FR 8909, 8932 (February 23, 1998). \\43\\ See, e.g....S. sales of subject merchandise made during the POR, the material terms of sale were established...

  14. New developments in power semiconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sundberg, G. R.

    1983-01-01

    This paper represents an overview of some recent power semiconductor developments and spotlights new technologies that may have significant impact for aircraft electric secondary power. Primary emphasis will be on NASA-Lewis-supported developments in transistors, diodes, a new family of semiconductors, and solid-state remote power controllers. Several semiconductor companies that are moving into the power arena with devices rated at 400 V and 50 A and above are listed, with a brief look at a few devices.

  15. Unstructured Adaptive Meshes: Bad for Your Memory?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Biswas, Rupak; Feng, Hui-Yu; VanderWijngaart, Rob

    2003-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation explores the need for a NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) parallel benchmark for problems with irregular dynamical memory access. This benchmark is important and necessary because: 1) Problems with localized error source benefit from adaptive nonuniform meshes; 2) Certain machines perform poorly on such problems; 3) Parallel implementation may provide further performance improvement but is difficult. Some examples of problems which use irregular dynamical memory access include: 1) Heat transfer problem; 2) Heat source term; 3) Spectral element method; 4) Base functions; 5) Elemental discrete equations; 6) Global discrete equations. Nonconforming Mesh and Mortar Element Method are covered in greater detail in this presentation.

  16. Working Memory Underpins Cognitive Development, Learning, and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowan, Nelson

    2014-01-01

    Working memory is the retention of a small amount of information in a readily accessible form. It facilitates planning, comprehension, reasoning, and problem solving. I examine the historical roots and conceptual development of the concept and the theoretical and practical implications of current debates about working memory mechanisms. Then, I…

  17. Sparse distributed memory: Principles and operation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flynn, M. J.; Kanerva, P.; Bhadkamkar, N.

    1989-01-01

    Sparse distributed memory is a generalized random access memory (RAM) for long (1000 bit) binary words. Such words can be written into and read from the memory, and they can also be used to address the memory. The main attribute of the memory is sensitivity to similarity, meaning that a word can be read back not only by giving the original write address but also by giving one close to it as measured by the Hamming distance between addresses. Large memories of this kind are expected to have wide use in speech recognition and scene analysis, in signal detection and verification, and in adaptive control of automated equipment, in general, in dealing with real world information in real time. The memory can be realized as a simple, massively parallel computer. Digital technology has reached a point where building large memories is becoming practical. Major design issues were resolved which were faced in building the memories. The design is described of a prototype memory with 256 bit addresses and from 8 to 128 K locations for 256 bit words. A key aspect of the design is extensive use of dynamic RAM and other standard components.

  18. Entanglement distribution schemes employing coherent photon-to-spin conversion in semiconductor quantum dot circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaudreau, Louis; Bogan, Alex; Korkusinski, Marek; Studenikin, Sergei; Austing, D. Guy; Sachrajda, Andrew S.

    2017-09-01

    Long distance entanglement distribution is an important problem for quantum information technologies to solve. Current optical schemes are known to have fundamental limitations. A coherent photon-to-spin interface built with quantum dots (QDs) in a direct bandgap semiconductor can provide a solution for efficient entanglement distribution. QD circuits offer integrated spin processing for full Bell state measurement (BSM) analysis and spin quantum memory. Crucially the photo-generated spins can be heralded by non-destructive charge detection techniques. We review current schemes to transfer a polarization-encoded state or a time-bin-encoded state of a photon to the state of a spin in a QD. The spin may be that of an electron or that of a hole. We describe adaptations of the original schemes to employ heavy holes which have a number of attractive properties including a g-factor that is tunable to zero for QDs in an appropriately oriented external magnetic field. We also introduce simple throughput scaling models to demonstrate the potential performance advantage of full BSM capability in a QD scheme, even when the quantum memory is imperfect, over optical schemes relying on linear optical elements and ensemble quantum memories.

  19. Collective input/output under memory constraints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lu, Yin; Chen, Yong; Zhuang, Yu

    2014-12-18

    Compared with current high-performance computing (HPC) systems, exascale systems are expected to have much less memory per node, which can significantly reduce necessary collective input/output (I/O) performance. In this study, we introduce a memory-conscious collective I/O strategy that takes into account memory capacity and bandwidth constraints. The new strategy restricts aggregation data traffic within disjointed subgroups, coordinates I/O accesses in intranode and internode layers, and determines I/O aggregators at run time considering memory consumption among processes. We have prototyped the design and evaluated it with commonly used benchmarks to verify its potential. The evaluation results demonstrate that this strategy holdsmore » promise in mitigating the memory pressure, alleviating the contention for memory bandwidth, and improving the I/O performance for projected extreme-scale systems. Given the importance of supporting increasingly data-intensive workloads and projected memory constraints on increasingly larger scale HPC systems, this new memory-conscious collective I/O can have a significant positive impact on scientific discovery productivity.« less

  20. Semiconductor films on flexible iridium substrates

    DOEpatents

    Goyal, Amit

    2005-03-29

    A laminate semiconductor article includes a flexible substrate, an optional biaxially textured oxide buffer system on the flexible substrate, a biaxially textured Ir-based buffer layer on the substrate or the buffer system, and an epitaxial layer of a semiconductor. Ir can serve as a substrate with an epitaxial layer of a semiconductor thereon.

  1. Crystal growth of hexaferrite architecture for magnetoelectrically tunable microwave semiconductor integrated devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Bolin

    Hexaferrites (i.e., hexagonal ferrites), discovered in 1950s, exist as any one of six crystallographic structural variants (i.e., M-, X-, Y-, W-, U-, and Z-type). Over the past six decades, the hexaferrites have received much attention owing to their important properties that lend use as permanent magnets, magnetic data storage materials, as well as components in electrical devices, particularly those operating at RF frequencies. Moreover, there has been increasing interest in hexaferrites for new fundamental and emerging applications. Among those, electronic components for mobile and wireless communications especially incorporated with semiconductor integrated circuits at microwave frequencies, electromagnetic wave absorbers for electromagnetic compatibility, random-access memory (RAM) and low observable technology, and as composite materials having low dimensions. However, of particular interest is the magnetoelectric (ME) effect discovered recently in the hexaferrites such as SrScxFe12-xO19 (SrScM), Ba2--xSrxZn 2Fe12O22 (Zn2Y), Sr4Co2Fe 36O60 (Co2U) and Sr3Co2Fe 24O41 (Co2Z), demonstrating ferroelectricity induced by the complex internal alignment of magnetic moments. Further, both Co 2Z and Co2U have revealed observable magnetoelectric effects at room temperature, representing a step toward practical applications using the ME effect. These materials hold great potential for applications, since strong magnetoelectric coupling allows switching of the FE polarization with a magnetic field (H) and vice versa. These features could lead to a new type of storage devices, such as an electric field-controlled magnetic memory. A nanoscale-driven crystal growth of magnetic hexaferrites was successfully demonstrated at low growth temperatures (25--40% lower than the temperatures required often for crystal growth). This outcome exhibits thermodynamic processes of crystal growth, allowing ease in fabrication of advanced multifunctional materials. Most importantly, the

  2. Synergistic High Charge-Storage Capacity for Multi-level Flexible Organic Flash Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Minji; Khim, Dongyoon; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Jihong; Kim, Juhwan; Noh, Yong-Young; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Kim, Dong-Yu

    2015-07-01

    Electret and organic floating-gate memories are next-generation flash storage mediums for printed organic complementary circuits. While each flash memory can be easily fabricated using solution processes on flexible plastic substrates, promising their potential for on-chip memory organization is limited by unreliable bit operation and high write loads. We here report that new architecture could improve the overall performance of organic memory, and especially meet high storage for multi-level operation. Our concept depends on synergistic effect of electrical characterization in combination with a polymer electret (poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN)) and metal nanoparticles (Copper). It is distinguished from mostly organic nano-floating-gate memories by using the electret dielectric instead of general tunneling dielectric for additional charge storage. The uniform stacking of organic layers including various dielectrics and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an organic semiconductor, followed by thin-film coating using orthogonal solvents, greatly improve device precision despite easy and fast manufacture. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] as high-k blocking dielectric also allows reduction of programming voltage. The reported synergistic organic memory devices represent low power consumption, high cycle endurance, high thermal stability and suitable retention time, compared to electret and organic nano-floating-gate memory devices.

  3. Synergistic High Charge-Storage Capacity for Multi-level Flexible Organic Flash Memory.

    PubMed

    Kang, Minji; Khim, Dongyoon; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Jihong; Kim, Juhwan; Noh, Yong-Young; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Kim, Dong-Yu

    2015-07-23

    Electret and organic floating-gate memories are next-generation flash storage mediums for printed organic complementary circuits. While each flash memory can be easily fabricated using solution processes on flexible plastic substrates, promising their potential for on-chip memory organization is limited by unreliable bit operation and high write loads. We here report that new architecture could improve the overall performance of organic memory, and especially meet high storage for multi-level operation. Our concept depends on synergistic effect of electrical characterization in combination with a polymer electret (poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN)) and metal nanoparticles (Copper). It is distinguished from mostly organic nano-floating-gate memories by using the electret dielectric instead of general tunneling dielectric for additional charge storage. The uniform stacking of organic layers including various dielectrics and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an organic semiconductor, followed by thin-film coating using orthogonal solvents, greatly improve device precision despite easy and fast manufacture. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] as high-k blocking dielectric also allows reduction of programming voltage. The reported synergistic organic memory devices represent low power consumption, high cycle endurance, high thermal stability and suitable retention time, compared to electret and organic nano-floating-gate memory devices.

  4. Material Engineering for Phase Change Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cabrera, David M.

    As semiconductor devices continue to scale downward, and portable consumer electronics become more prevalent there is a need to develop memory technology that will scale with devices and use less energy, while maintaining performance. One of the leading prototypical memories that is being investigated is phase change memory. Phase change memory (PCM) is a non-volatile memory composed of 1 transistor and 1 resistor. The resistive structure includes a memory material alloy which can change between amorphous and crystalline states repeatedly using current/voltage pulses of different lengths and magnitudes. The most widely studied PCM materials are chalcogenides - Germanium-Antimony-Tellerium (GST) with Ge2Sb2Te3 and Germanium-Tellerium (GeTe) being some of the most popular stochiometries. As these cells are scaled downward, the current/voltage needed to switch these materials becomes comparable to the voltage needed to sense the cell's state. The International Roadmap for Semiconductors aims to raise the threshold field of these devices from 66.6 V/mum to be at least 375 V/mum for the year 2024. These cells are also prone to resistance drift between states, leading to bit corruption and memory loss. Phase change material properties are known to influence PCM device performance such as crystallization temperature having an effect on data retention and litetime, while resistivity values in the amorphous and crystalline phases have an effect on the current/voltage needed to write/erase the cell. Addition of dopants is also known to modify the phase change material parameters. The materials G2S2T5, GeTe, with dopants - nitrogen, silicon, titanium, and aluminum oxide and undoped Gallium-Antimonide (GaSb) are studied for these desired characteristics. Thin films of these compositions are deposited via physical vapor deposition at IBM Watson Research Center. Crystallization temperatures are investigated using time resolved x-ray diffraction at Brookhaven National Laboratory

  5. Charge regulation at semiconductor-electrolyte interfaces.

    PubMed

    Fleharty, Mark E; van Swol, Frank; Petsev, Dimiter N

    2015-07-01

    The interface between a semiconductor material and an electrolyte solution has interesting and complex electrostatic properties. Its behavior will depend on the density of mobile charge carriers that are present in both phases as well as on the surface chemistry at the interface through local charge regulation. The latter is driven by chemical equilibria involving the immobile surface groups and the potential determining ions in the electrolyte solution. All these lead to an electrostatic potential distribution that propagate such that the electrolyte and the semiconductor are dependent on each other. Hence, any variation in the charge density in one phase will lead to a response in the other. This has significant implications on the physical properties of single semiconductor-electrolyte interfaces and on the electrostatic interactions between semiconductor particles suspended in electrolyte solutions. The present paper expands on our previous publication (Fleharty et al., 2014) and offers new results on the electrostatics of single semiconductor interfaces as well as on the interaction of charged semiconductor colloids suspended in electrolyte solution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Reed Solomon codes for error control in byte organized computer memory systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, S.; Costello, D. J., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    A problem in designing semiconductor memories is to provide some measure of error control without requiring excessive coding overhead or decoding time. In LSI and VLSI technology, memories are often organized on a multiple bit (or byte) per chip basis. For example, some 256K-bit DRAM's are organized in 32Kx8 bit-bytes. Byte oriented codes such as Reed Solomon (RS) codes can provide efficient low overhead error control for such memories. However, the standard iterative algorithm for decoding RS codes is too slow for these applications. Some special decoding techniques for extended single-and-double-error-correcting RS codes which are capable of high speed operation are presented. These techniques are designed to find the error locations and the error values directly from the syndrome without having to use the iterative algorithm to find the error locator polynomial.

  7. Hydrogen Sensors Using Nitride-Based Semiconductor Diodes: The Role of Metal/Semiconductor Interfaces

    PubMed Central

    Irokawa, Yoshihiro

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, I review my recent results in investigating hydrogen sensors using nitride-based semiconductor diodes, focusing on the interaction mechanism of hydrogen with the devices. Firstly, effects of interfacial modification in the devices on hydrogen detection sensitivity are discussed. Surface defects of GaN under Schottky electrodes do not play a critical role in hydrogen sensing characteristics. However, dielectric layers inserted in metal/semiconductor interfaces are found to cause dramatic changes in hydrogen sensing performance, implying that chemical selectivity to hydrogen could be realized. The capacitance-voltage (C–V) characteristics reveal that the work function change in the Schottky metal is not responsible mechanism for hydrogen sensitivity. The interface between the metal and the semiconductor plays a critical role in the interaction of hydrogen with semiconductor devises. Secondly, low-frequency C–V characterization is employed to investigate the interaction mechanism of hydrogen with diodes. As a result, it is suggested that the formation of a metal/semiconductor interfacial polarization could be attributed to hydrogen-related dipoles. In addition, using low-frequency C–V characterization leads to clear detection of 100 ppm hydrogen even at room temperature where it is hard to detect hydrogen by using conventional current-voltage (I–V) characterization, suggesting that low-frequency C–V method would be effective in detecting very low hydrogen concentrations. PMID:22346597

  8. Method for removing semiconductor layers from salt substrates

    DOEpatents

    Shuskus, Alexander J.; Cowher, Melvyn E.

    1985-08-27

    A method is described for removing a CVD semiconductor layer from an alkali halide salt substrate following the deposition of the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor-substrate combination is supported on a material such as tungsten which is readily wet by the molten alkali halide. The temperature of the semiconductor-substrate combination is raised to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the substrate but less than the temperature of the semiconductor and the substrate is melted and removed from the semiconductor by capillary action of the wettable support.

  9. Multiple Memory Stores and Operant Conditioning: A Rationale for Memory's Complexity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meeter, Martijn; Veldkamp, Rob; Jin, Yaochu

    2009-01-01

    Why does the brain contain more than one memory system? Genetic algorithms can play a role in elucidating this question. Here, model animals were constructed containing a dorsal striatal layer that controlled actions, and a ventral striatal layer that controlled a dopaminergic learning signal. Both layers could gain access to three modeled memory…

  10. Spin relaxation in semiconductor quantum rings and dots--a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Zipper, Elżbieta; Kurpas, Marcin; Sadowski, Janusz; Maśka, Maciej M

    2011-03-23

    We calculate spin relaxation times due to spin-orbit-mediated electron-phonon interactions for experimentally accessible semiconductor quantum ring and dot architectures. We elucidate the differences between the two systems due to different confinement. The estimated relaxation times (at B = 1 T) are in the range between a few milliseconds to a few seconds. This high stability of spin in a quantum ring allows us to test it as a spin qubit. A brief discussion of quantum state manipulations with such a qubit is presented.

  11. Thiophene-Based Organic Semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Turkoglu, Gulsen; Cinar, M Emin; Ozturk, Turan

    2017-10-24

    Thiophene-based π-conjugated organic small molecules and polymers are the research subject of significant current interest owing to their potential use as organic semiconductors in material chemistry. Despite simple and similar molecular structures, the hitherto reported properties of thiophene-based organic semiconductors are rather diverse. Design of high performance organic semiconducting materials requires a thorough understanding of inter- and intra-molecular interactions, solid-state packing, and the influence of both factors on the charge carrier transport. In this chapter, thiophene-based organic semiconductors, which are classified in terms of their chemical structures and their structure-property relationships, are addressed for the potential applications as organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

  12. Are There Multiple Visual Short-Term Memory Stores?

    PubMed Central

    Sligte, Ilja G.; Scholte, H. Steven; Lamme, Victor A. F.

    2008-01-01

    Background Classic work on visual short-term memory (VSTM) suggests that people store a limited amount of items for subsequent report. However, when human observers are cued to shift attention to one item in VSTM during retention, it seems as if there is a much larger representation, which keeps additional items in a more fragile VSTM store. Thus far, it is not clear whether the capacity of this fragile VSTM store indeed exceeds the traditional capacity limits of VSTM. The current experiments address this issue and explore the capacity, stability, and duration of fragile VSTM representations. Methodology/Principal Findings We presented cues in a change-detection task either just after off-set of the memory array (iconic-cue), 1,000 ms after off-set of the memory array (retro-cue) or after on-set of the probe array (post-cue). We observed three stages in visual information processing 1) iconic memory with unlimited capacity, 2) a four seconds lasting fragile VSTM store with a capacity that is at least a factor of two higher than 3) the robust and capacity-limited form of VSTM. Iconic memory seemed to depend on the strength of the positive after-image resulting from the memory display and was virtually absent under conditions of isoluminance or when intervening light masks were presented. This suggests that iconic memory is driven by prolonged retinal activation beyond stimulus duration. Fragile VSTM representations were not affected by light masks, but were completely overwritten by irrelevant pattern masks that spatially overlapped the memory array. Conclusions/Significance We find that immediately after a stimulus has disappeared from view, subjects can still access information from iconic memory because they can see an after-image of the display. After that period, human observers can still access a substantial, but somewhat more limited amount of information from a high-capacity, but fragile VSTM that is overwritten when new items are presented to the eyes. What

  13. Are there multiple visual short-term memory stores?

    PubMed

    Sligte, Ilja G; Scholte, H Steven; Lamme, Victor A F

    2008-02-27

    Classic work on visual short-term memory (VSTM) suggests that people store a limited amount of items for subsequent report. However, when human observers are cued to shift attention to one item in VSTM during retention, it seems as if there is a much larger representation, which keeps additional items in a more fragile VSTM store. Thus far, it is not clear whether the capacity of this fragile VSTM store indeed exceeds the traditional capacity limits of VSTM. The current experiments address this issue and explore the capacity, stability, and duration of fragile VSTM representations. We presented cues in a change-detection task either just after off-set of the memory array (iconic-cue), 1,000 ms after off-set of the memory array (retro-cue) or after on-set of the probe array (post-cue). We observed three stages in visual information processing 1) iconic memory with unlimited capacity, 2) a four seconds lasting fragile VSTM store with a capacity that is at least a factor of two higher than 3) the robust and capacity-limited form of VSTM. Iconic memory seemed to depend on the strength of the positive after-image resulting from the memory display and was virtually absent under conditions of isoluminance or when intervening light masks were presented. This suggests that iconic memory is driven by prolonged retinal activation beyond stimulus duration. Fragile VSTM representations were not affected by light masks, but were completely overwritten by irrelevant pattern masks that spatially overlapped the memory array. We find that immediately after a stimulus has disappeared from view, subjects can still access information from iconic memory because they can see an after-image of the display. After that period, human observers can still access a substantial, but somewhat more limited amount of information from a high-capacity, but fragile VSTM that is overwritten when new items are presented to the eyes. What is left after that is the traditional VSTM store, with a limit of

  14. Direct memory access transfer completion notification

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J [Rochester, MN; Blocksome, Michael A [Rochester, MN; Parker, Jeffrey J [Rochester, MN

    2011-02-15

    DMA transfer completion notification includes: inserting, by an origin DMA engine on an origin node in an injection first-in-first-out (`FIFO`) buffer, a data descriptor for an application message to be transferred to a target node on behalf of an application on the origin node; inserting, by the origin DMA engine, a completion notification descriptor in the injection FIFO buffer after the data descriptor for the message, the completion notification descriptor specifying a packet header for a completion notification packet; transferring, by the origin DMA engine to the target node, the message in dependence upon the data descriptor; sending, by the origin DMA engine, the completion notification packet to a local reception FIFO buffer using a local memory FIFO transfer operation; and notifying, by the origin DMA engine, the application that transfer of the message is complete in response to receiving the completion notification packet in the local reception FIFO buffer.

  15. Highly stable, extremely high-temperature, nonvolatile memory based on resistance switching in polycrystalline Pt nanogaps

    PubMed Central

    Suga, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Hiroya; Shinomura, Yuma; Kashiwabara, Shota; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Shimizu, Tetsuo; Naitoh, Yasuhisa

    2016-01-01

    Highly stable, nonvolatile, high-temperature memory based on resistance switching was realized using a polycrystalline platinum (Pt) nanogap. The operating temperature of the memory can be drastically increased by the presence of a sharp-edged Pt crystal facet in the nanogap. A short distance between the facet edges maintains the nanogap shape at high temperature, and the sharp shape of the nanogap densifies the electric field to maintain a stable current flow due to field migration. Even at 873 K, which is a significantly higher temperature than feasible for conventional semiconductor memory, the nonvolatility of the proposed memory allows stable ON and OFF currents, with fluctuations of less than or equal to 10%, to be maintained for longer than eight hours. An advantage of this nanogap scheme for high-temperature memory is its secure operation achieved through the assembly and disassembly of a Pt needle in a high electric field. PMID:27725705

  16. Manipulating semiconductor colloidal stability through doping.

    PubMed

    Fleharty, Mark E; van Swol, Frank; Petsev, Dimiter N

    2014-10-10

    The interface between a doped semiconductor material and electrolyte solution is of considerable fundamental interest, and is relevant to systems of practical importance. Both adjacent domains contain mobile charges, which respond to potential variations. This is exploited to design electronic and optoelectronic sensors, and other enabling semiconductor colloidal materials. We show that the charge mobility in both phases leads to a new type of interaction between semiconductor colloids suspended in aqueous electrolyte solutions. This interaction is due to the electrostatic response of the semiconductor interior to disturbances in the external field upon the approach of two particles. The electrostatic repulsion between two charged colloids is reduced from the one governed by the charged groups present at the particles surfaces. This type of interaction is unique to semiconductor particles and may have a substantial effect on the suspension dynamics and stability.

  17. Semiconductor Laser Low Frequency Noise Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maleki, Lute; Logan, Ronald T.

    1996-01-01

    This work summarizes the efforts in identifying the fundamental noise limit in semiconductor optical sources (lasers) to determine the source of 1/F noise and it's associated behavior. In addition, the study also addresses the effects of this 1/F noise on RF phased arrays. The study showed that the 1/F noise in semiconductor lasers has an ultimate physical limit based upon similar factors to fundamental noise generated in other semiconductor and solid state devices. The study also showed that both additive and multiplicative noise can be a significant detriment to the performance of RF phased arrays especially in regard to very low sidelobe performance and ultimate beam steering accuracy. The final result is that a noise power related term must be included in a complete analysis of the noise spectrum of any semiconductor device including semiconductor lasers.

  18. Semiconductor devices having a recessed electrode structure

    DOEpatents

    Palacios, Tomas Apostol; Lu, Bin; Matioli, Elison de Nazareth

    2015-05-26

    An electrode structure is described in which conductive regions are recessed into a semiconductor region. Trenches may be formed in a semiconductor region, such that conductive regions can be formed in the trenches. The electrode structure may be used in semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors or diodes. Nitride-based power semiconductor devices are described including such an electrode structure, which can reduce leakage current and otherwise improve performance.

  19. Diode having trenches in a semiconductor region

    DOEpatents

    Palacios, Tomas Apostol; Lu, Bin; Matioli, Elison de Nazareth

    2016-03-22

    An electrode structure is described in which conductive regions are recessed into a semiconductor region. Trenches may be formed in a semiconductor region, such that conductive regions can be formed in the trenches. The electrode structure may be used in semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors or diodes. Nitride-based power semiconductor devices are described including such an electrode structure, which can reduce leakage current and otherwise improve performance.

  20. Operation mode switchable charge-trap memory based on few-layer MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Xiang; Yan, Xiao; Liu, Chunsen; Ding, Shijin; Zhang, David Wei; Zhou, Peng

    2018-03-01

    Ultrathin layered two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors like MoS2 and WSe2 have received a lot of attention because of their excellent electrical properties and potential applications in electronic devices. We demonstrate a charge-trap memory with two different tunable operation modes based on a few-layer MoS2 channel and an Al2O3/HfO2/Al2O3 charge storage stack. Our device shows excellent memory properties under the traditional three-terminal operation mode. More importantly, unlike conventional charge-trap devices, this device can also realize the memory performance with just two terminals (drain and source) because of the unique atomic crystal electrical characteristics. Under the two-terminal operation mode, the erase/program current ratio can reach up to 104 with a stable retention property. Our study indicates that the conventional charge-trap memory cell can also realize the memory performance without the gate terminal based on novel two dimensional materials, which is meaningful for low power consumption and high integration density applications.