Optically readable molecular memory obtained using carbon nanotubes, and method for storing information in said molecular memory
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsLuigi Occhipinti, Michele Portico Ambrosio
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Abstract
Described herein is an optically readable memory device comprising a molecular memory obtained using carbon nanotubes. In particular, the molecular memory uses, as memory element, a bundle of carbon nanotubes, for which it is possible to obtain at least two stable states by modifying their geometrical configuration and, consequently, their optical transmission properties.
Claims14
An optically readable memory device, the memory device comprising:
- a molecular memory obtained using carbon nanotubes, the geometrical configuration of which encodes information;
- and
- means for modifying the geometrical configuration of said carbon nanotubes, according to the information to be stored, wherein said modification means comprise a nanoactuator and driving means for driving said nanoactuator,
- characterized in that said driving means comprise addressing means for addressing a single memory cell to be written;
- micropositioning means for positioning said nanoactuator;
- and feedback control means for controlling said nanoactuator;
- said memory device further comprising optical reading means for reading the output data of said memory, and control means for controlling the input and output data of said memory.
A method for storing information in an optically readable memory device comprising a molecular memory obtained using carbon nanotubes, the method comprising:
- modifying the geometrical configuration of said carbon nanotubes by means of a nanoactuator according to the information to be stored;
- encoding said information by means of said geometrical configuration of said carbon nanotubes;
- addressing said nanoactuator on a single memory cell to be written;
- micropositioning said nanoactuator on said memory cell;
- feedback controlling said nanoactuator;
- optically reading the output data of said memory;
- and
- controlling the input and output feedback of said memory.
A memory, comprising:
- a memory cell comprising nanotubes and operable to store a data value related to the bandgap energy of the cell, wherein the bandgap energy of the cell is the bandgap energy of a majority of the nanotubes;
- a nanoactuator operable to write the data value to the memory cell;
- and
- an optical energy sensor operable to read the data value from the memory cell.
A memory, comprising:
- a memory cell comprising nanotubes and operable to store a data value related to the bandgap energy of the cell, wherein the bandgap energy of the cell is related to the shapes of the majority of the nanotubes;
- a nanoactuator operable to write the data value to the memory cell;
- and
- an optical energy sensor operable to read the data value from the memory cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.