Nanoelectromechanical Logic and Memory Devices

Abstract

Electromechanical relays exhibit inherently zero leakage and sharp hysteresis, which are compelling for logic and memory applications. We present an overview of the nano-scale electromechanical logic and memory devices, investigate their performance, and make a comparison with state-of-the-art logic and memory technologies. We show that nanoelectromechanical logic relays and memory cells can provide significant benefit in terms of operating voltage and energy dissipation -beyond the capability of current technologies- if the technological challenges related to surface adhesion and contact reliability can be overcome.