Project 10
MEMS Memory
(Prof. Shamus mcnamara, ECE - DREAM LAB)
Flash memory is commonly used in smart phones and tablets, but it is not an ideal memory. The major problems with Flash-based memory are the high power consumption and the slow write speeds. Our lab is developing an alternative type of memory based on MEMS technology. The bit is stored by actuating a beam into one of two stable positions. The beam position can be read capacitively, and the beam position can be written to using electrostatics. Most importantly, the power consumption will be orders of magnitude smaller than in flash memory and the write times will be orders of magnitude faster.
Below, the figure on the left shows an SEM image of a MEMS beam that is buckled in the upwards direction. This MEMS device was fabricated in the Micro/Nano Technology Cleanroom at the University of Louisville. The figure on the right is a measurement showing the shape of the beam. In this project, the student will learn to how to design, test, and fabricate MEMS devices.
SEM Image of a Buckled MEMS Beam
Shape of beam graph
