Adaptive resistive device and methods thereof
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device including a nanoelectrode having a gap, and a resistive change material located in the gap, wherein an application of a voltage potential across first and second terminals of the nanoelectrode causes the resistive change material to modify at least one non-volatile memory state of the resistive change material. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
1. A device, comprising:
a nanoelectrode comprising a gap; and
a resistive change material located in the gap, wherein an application of a voltage potential across first and second terminals of the nanoelectrode causes the resistive change material to modify at least one non-volatile memory state of the resistive change material.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanoelectrode and the resistive change material form a memory cell having at least two non-volatile states.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanoelectrode and the resistive change material form a switching element having at least two switching states.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanoelectrode is coupled to a surface of a substrate.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the nanoelectrode and the resistive change material are substantially horizontal or perpendicular to the substrate.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gap is a nanogap.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanogap is formed by applying an electrical, mechanical, optical or chemical cutting signal to the nanoelectrode.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nanoelectrode is a carbon nanotube or a graphene ribbon.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the resistive change material is a phase-change material.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of GST (Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 ), Sb 2 Te 3 , GeTe or AsTe (chalcogenide glasses).
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a first terminal or a second terminal of the nanoelectrode is coupled to a decoder circuit for selectively reading a state of resistive change material, and wherein at least one of the first terminal or the second terminal of the nanoelectrode is coupled to an encoder circuit for selectively changing a state of resistive change material.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a first terminal or a second terminal of the nanoelectrode is coupled to a transistor to control an operation of the transistor.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is incorporated in and provides a memory function for one of a computer, a communication device, an appliance, a vehicle, or combinations thereof.
14. A method, comprising:
applying from a voltage source a first signal to a terminal of an electrode to program a non-volatile memory state of a resistive change material, wherein the resistive change material is located in a nanogap of the electrode; and
receiving at a sensor a second signal supplied by the terminal indicating that the resistive change material has been programmed to the non-volatile memory state.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein electrode is a carbon nanotube or graphene ribbon.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the resistive change material is a phase-change material.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the voltage source is an encoder circuit.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a decoder circuit.
19. A method, comprising:
constructing a nanoelectrode;
creating a gap in the nanoelectrode thereby forming first and second segments of the nanoelectrode; and
inserting a resistive change material in the gap, wherein a combination of the first and second segments of the nanoelectrode and the resistive change material forms a memory cell programmable to at least two memory states.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nanoelectrode is a carbon nanotube or graphene ribbon, and wherein the resistive change material is a phase-change material.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein a first memory state of the at least two memory states is a first resistivity state of the resistive change material, and a second memory state of the at least two memory states is a second resistivity state of the resistive change material.
22. The method of claim 19 , comprising duplicating a construction of the memory cell to form an array of memory cells.
23. The method of claim 22 , comprising coupling the array of memory cells to a decoder circuit and an encoder circuit.
24. The method of claim 23 , comprising packaging the array of memory cells, the decoder circuit and the encoder circuit to form a memory component used by a computing device.