Sheet random access memory

A nonvolatile random access memory comprising:

• a substrate including a plurality of separate magnetically polarizable ferromagnetic domains at a corresponding plurality of distinguishable fixed locations;
• fixed drive means for selectively creating a fixed predetermined net magnetic polarization of at least some of said domains within said substrate at a randomnly accessed one of said distinguishable fixed locations by aligning at least some of said domains at said fixed location without propagation of a magnetic region within said substrate;
• and
• fixed sensing means for selectively sensing the direction of magnetic polarity of an arbitrarily selected one of said plurality of distinguishable ferromagnetic domains,
• wherein said substrate includes a plurality of fixed separate ferromagnetic core structures integrally formed in said substrate, each ferromagnetic core providing a polarized magnetic circuit through said core and across a magnetic gap in said substrate defined by said core for storing binary information within said core structure across said gap within said substrate, said sensing means for sensing the magnetic field established within said core across said gap,
• wherein said sensing means comprises a semiconductor disposed in said magnetic field across said gap and formed integrally in said substrate, said semiconductor device comprising a cathode semiconductor region, an adjacent cathode gate region electrically coupled thereto, an adjacent anode gate region electrically coupled thereto, and an adjacent anode region electrically coupled in turn to said anode gate region, said cathode gate region being disposed in part adjacent to and magnetically coupled to said magnetic domains of one of said fixed locations, said net magnetic polarity causing a predetermined redistribution of charge carriers in said cathode gate region, said predetermined redistribution of charge carriers setting up a bias voltage between said cathode region and said remaining other regions of said device to selectively control current flowing through said device corresponding to said direction of net magnetic polarity of said domains at said fixed location corresponding to each said device,
• whereby a true, random, nonvolatile mass memory is provided.

A nonvolatile random access memory comprising:

• a substrate including a plurality of separate fixed locations of magnetic domains arranged and configured in a two-dimensional array in said substrate, each fixed location of magnetic domains capable of assuming a first or second direction of net magnetic polarity;
• a corresponding plurality of semiconductor devices for sensing said magnetic polarity, each said semiconductor device comprising a cathode semiconductor region, an adjacent cathode gate region electrically coupled thereto, an adjacent anode gate region electrically coupled thereto, and an adjacent anode region electrically coupled in turn to said anode gate region, said cathode gate region being disposed in part adjacent to and magnetically coupled to said magnetic domains of one of said fixed locations, said net magnetic polarity causing a predetermined redistribution of charge carriers in said cathode gate region, said predetermined redistribution of charge carriers setting up a bias voltage between said cathode region and said remaining other regions of said device to selectively control current flowing through said device corresponding to said direction of net magnetic polarity of said domains at said fixed location corresponding to each said device, said devices arranged and configured into a two-dimensional array wherein one of said devices corresponds to one of said plurality of fixed locations of magnetic domains, each corresponding device disposed in the proximity of each corresponding fixed location of magnetic domains and electromagnetically coupled therewith, said plurality of devices divided into a set of subpluralities wherein each subplurality of devices comprises a row of devices, each row of devices being serially electrically connected with each other along a first current orientation of each device, each device within said row of devices being electrically connected with a corresponding device in another row of said devices along a second current orientation of each device, said second current orientation being substantially transverse to said first current orientation,
• whereby a row of said devices can be selectively biased by application of a byte/select signal across said serial connection along said first current orientation and wherein at least one of said columns of devices is selectively provided with a sensing current so that the device in said selected row and column generates a responsive indicative of the net polarity of the corresponding magnetic domains at said corresponding fixed location in said substrate.

A nonvolatile random access memory comprising:

• a substrate including a plurality of magnetic domains with a predetermined net magnetic polarity at each one of a plurality of separated fixed locations in said substrate;
• a plurality semiconductor devices for determining direction of magnetic polarity, one device corresponding to each one of said plurality of said fixed locations in said substrate, said plurality of devices being organized into a plurality of sets of said devices, each set comprising a predetermined number of said devices and said set denoted as a binary word, said devices in said word serially coupled in circuit with each other, each serially coupled device being coupled for flow of current along a first current orientation within each device, a substantially transverse current being provided along a second current orientation within each device, each said semiconductor device comprising a cathode semiconductor region, an adjacent cathode gate region electrically coupled thereto, an adjacent anode gate region electrically coupled thereto, and an adjacent anode region electrically coupled in turn to said anode gate region, said cathode gate region being disposed in part adjacent to and magnetically coupled to said magnetic domains of one of said fixed locations, said net magnetic polarity causing a predetermined redistribution of charge carriers in said cathode gate region, said predetermined redistribution of charge carriers setting up a bias voltage between said cathode region and said remaining other regions of said device to selectively control current flowing through said device corresponding to said direction of net magnetic polarity of said domains at said fixed location corresponding to each said device,
• whereby a pulse serially propagated along said devices comprising said word serially generates a response across said transverse current direction as said pulse propagates through said word, said serially generated responses corresponding to a serial reading of said magnetic domains corresponding to each of said devices within said word.