Casimir effect memory cell

A digital data storage device, comprising:

• plurality of digital memory devices connected together in an array, wherein at least one digital memory device comprises:
• a moveable element configured to move between a first stable position and a second stable position, wherein a position of the moveable element represents a state of a particular digital memory device, and wherein the moveable element comprises a first conducting area;
• and
• a second conducting area on the surface of a substrate;
• wherein at the first stable position of the moveable element, a first gap exists between the first conducting area and the second conducting area,
• wherein at the second stable position of the moveable element, a second gap that is smaller than the first gap exists between the first conducting area and the second conducting area, and
• wherein in at least the second stable position, an attractive Casimir force between the moveable element and the substrate holds the moveable element in the stable position;
• and
• a memory addressing mechanism comprising:
• a memory reading mechanism configured to read a state of one or more digital memory devices of the array;
• and
• a memory writing mechanism configured to change the state of the one or more digital memory devices of the array,
• wherein the array is a two-dimensional array, and the addressing mechanism is a two-dimensional addressing mechanism.

A digital data storage device, comprising:

• a plurality of digital memory devices connected together in an array, wherein at least one digital memory device comprises:
• a moveable element configured to move between a first stable position and a second stable position, wherein a position of the moveable element represents a state of a particular digital memory device, and wherein the moveable element comprises a first conducting area and
• a second conducting area on the surface of a substrate;
• wherein at the first stable position of the moveable element, a first gap exists between the first conducting area and the second conducting area,
• wherein at the second stable position of the moveable element, a second gap that is smaller than the first gap exists between the first conducting area and the second conducting area, and
• wherein in at least the second stable position, an attractive Casimir force between the moveable element and the substrate holds the moveable element in the stable position;
• and
• a memory addressing mechanism comprising:
• a memory reading mechanism configured to read a state of one or more digital memory devices of the array;
• and
• a memory writing mechanism configured to change the state of the one or more digital memory devices of the array;
• wherein the addressing mechanism is a single-point addressing mechanism.