Abstract:
The dimensional scaling of microelectronics to increase the ability of central process unit (CPU) is facing fundamental and physical challenges. The integration of high-performance non-volatile memory as the local memory in CPU will have a transformative impact on mobile electronics and portable systems. This dissertation proposes replacing the static random-access memory (SRAM) which is currently used as the local cache memory in CPU with high-performance Flash-like non-volatile memory for the consideration of memory density and power consumption. I have fabricated, fully characterized and compared different kinds of Flash-like charge-trapping non-volatile memory devices, including high-k dielectric charge-trapping devices, multi-stack discrete memory devices and molecular memory devices. The devices containing redox-active molecules exhibit excellent Program/Erase (P/E) speed, good retention and excellent P/E endurance for more than 109 cycles. The charge storage in these molecule-containing memory devices is naturally derived from the intrinsic redox processes of the molecules under a voltage bias. This is very different with other charge storage mediums in which the charge is stored in the trap centers or as a carrier. The intrinsic redox properties and the naturally derived, stable molecular structure make this memory very robust and reliable.
