Mechanical memory

Patent · Tue Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:908282

Gilkey, Jeffrey C ^[1]; Duesterhaus, Michelle A ^[1]; Peter, Frank J ^[1]; Renn, Rosemarie A ^[2]; Baker, Michael S ^[1]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Alburquerque, NM

A first-in-first-out (FIFO) microelectromechanical memory apparatus (also termed a mechanical memory) is disclosed. The mechanical memory utilizes a plurality of memory cells, with each memory cell having a beam which can be bowed in either of two directions of curvature to indicate two different logic states for that memory cell. The memory cells can be arranged around a wheel which operates as a clocking actuator to serially shift data from one memory cell to the next. The mechanical memory can be formed using conventional surface micromachining, and can be formed as either a nonvolatile memory or as a volatile memory.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): 7,092,272
• OSTI ID: 908282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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