Modifiable gate stack memory element
An apparatus and method for storing information are provided, including using an integrated circuit including a transistor having a channel, a gate oxide layer, a gate electrode, and a modifiable gate stack layer. To store information, the on-resistance of the transistor is changed by causing a non-charge-storage based physical change in the modifiable gate stack layer.
1. A system comprising:
a system memory;
a processor;
a bus that interconnects the system memory, the processor, and the integrated circuit memory device; and
an integrated circuit memory device, the integrated circuit memory device comprising a controller that interfaces the integrated circuit memory device to the bus, the integrated circuit memory device having memory cells comprising:
a transistor comprising a channel, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, and a modifiable insulating layer disposed under the gate electrode and with at least a portion of the modifiable insulating layer in contact with the gate dielectric layer,
wherein information stored in the memory cell depends on a changeable conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer, wherein the modifiable insulating layer comprises a low conductivity material, and further comprises a highly conductive filament in the low conductivity material changes a conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer,
wherein the modifiable insulating layer further comprises an sp 3 -rich carbon layer, and wherein the highly conductive filament comprises an sp 2 -rich carbon filament formed in the sp 3 -rich carbon layer.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory stores software that emulates a mass storage device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller intercepts a system boot process and installs the software that emulates a mass storage device from the non-volatile memory to the system memory.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory stores software and data that are frequently used by the system.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory stores portions of operating system software for the system.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is block-oriented.
7. A hybrid mass storage system comprising:
a non-volatile memory having memory cells comprising:
a transistor comprising a channel, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, and a modifiable insulating layer disposed under the gate electrode and with at least a portion of the modifiable insulating layer in contact with the gate dielectric layer,
wherein information stored in the memory cell depends on a changeable conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer, wherein the modifiable insulating layer comprises a low conductivity material, and further comprises a highly conductive filament in the low conductivity material changes a conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer,
wherein the modifiable insulating layer further comprises an sp 3 -rich carbon layer, and wherein the highly conductive filament comprises an sp 2 -rich carbon filament formed in the sp 3 -rich carbon layer; and
a second mass storage medium.
8. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the second mass storage medium comprises a hard disk drive.
9. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the second mass storage medium comprises an optical drive.
10. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the non-volatile memory has a faster access time than the second mass storage medium.
11. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the non-volatile memory uses less power than the second mass storage medium.
12. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the non-volatile memory is block-oriented.
13. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , wherein the non-volatile memory and the second mass storage medium are contained in a disk drive device.
14. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 7 , further comprising a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory and the second mass storage medium, the controller selectively directing access requests to the non-volatile memory and the second mass storage medium.
15. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 14 , wherein the controller selectively directs access requests to the non-volatile memory and the second mass storage medium based on an address of the request.
16. The hybrid mass storage system of claim 15 , wherein the controller uses an address mapping to selectively direct access requests.
17. A hard disk drive device comprising:
a hard disk storage medium;
a non-volatile memory having memory cells comprising:
a transistor comprising a channel, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, and a modifiable insulating layer disposed under the gate electrode and with at least a portion of the modifiable insulating layer in contact with the gate dielectric layer,
wherein information stored in the memory cell depends on a changeable conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer, wherein the modifiable insulating layer comprises a low conductivity material, and further comprises a highly conductive filament in the low conductivity material changes a conductivity of the modifiable insulating layer,
wherein the modifiable insulating layer further comprises an sp 3 -rich carbon layer, and wherein the highly conductive filament comprises an sp 2 -rich carbon filament formed in the sp 3 -rich carbon layer; and
a controller coupled to the hard disk storage medium and the non-volatile memory, the controller selectively directing access requests to the non-volatile memory and the hard disk storage medium based on a requested address.
18. The hard disk drive device of claim 17 , wherein the controller is integrated with a hard disk controller.
19. The hard disk drive device of claim 17 , wherein the non-volatile memory is block-oriented.
20. The hard disk drive device of claim 17 , wherein the non-volatile memory has a faster access time than the hard disk storage medium.