Materials Science and Technology for Nonvolatile Memories

Nonvolatile memories are becoming an increasingly important electronic component, due to the ever-increasing need for data storage in multimedia and other mobile applications where electronic components are replacing magnetic hard drives. Today, Flash is the main nonvolatile memory technology, but further scaling of this technology will likely be restricted by important physical and material limitations. This explains recent increased research on new concepts for nonvolatile memories, for which new developments in materials science and technology, the focus of this book, are key. Chapters include Advanced Flash Memory which deals with solutions for scaled Flash memory, including the use of new high-k layers and nanocrystals. Resistive switching concepts are discussed in the Oxide Resistive Switching Memory and Organic Resistive Switching Memory chapters. More research on polymer memories are detailed in Nanoparticle-Based Organic Memory and Organic Ferroelectric Memory. Two chapters deal with New Phase Change Memory and Deposition Methods and Future Explorative Memory Concepts, including piezoelectric, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic concepts.