Nanomechanical non-volatile memory for computing at extreme

A computing platform that works under extreme conditions (> 250 °C and at radiation > 1 Mrad) can be attractive in a number of important application areas, including automotive, space and avionics. Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) switches have emerged as promising candidates for computing in harsh environment. Designing reliable memory specifically non-volatile memory is a major challenge for these computing systems. In this paper, we propose a novel non-volatile memory (NVM) design for reliable operation in extreme environment using NEMS structure. It exploits a common failure mode in these devices, namely stiction. Unlike traditional charge-based memories, it relies on the mechanical state of a NEMS switch as information carrier. We analyze device and circuit-level design issues to enable robust NVM array implementation with NEMS devices.