新式硅存储芯片研制成功

The first purely¹ silicon² oxide³-based 'Resistive RAM⁴' memory chip that can operate in ambient（周围的） conditions -- opening up the possibility of new super-fast memory -- has been developed by researchers at UCL. Resistive RAM (or 'ReRAM') memory chips are based on materials, most often oxides of metals, whose electrical resistance changes when a voltage is applied⁵ -- and they "remember" this change even when the power is turned off. #

ReRAM chips promise significantly greater memory storage than current technology, such as the Flash memory used on USB sticks, and require much less energy and space. #

The UCL team have developed a novel structure composed of silicon oxide, described in a recent paper in the Journal of Applied Physics, which performs the switch in resistance much more efficiently⁶ than has been previously⁷ achieved. In their material, the arrangement of the silicon atoms changes to form filaments⁸（花丝，细丝） of silicon within the solid silicon oxide, which are less resistive. The presence or absence of these filaments represents a 'switch' from one state to another. #

Unlike other silicon oxide chips currently in development, the UCL chip does not require a vacuum（真空） to work, and is therefore potentially cheaper and more durable⁹. The design also raises the possibility of transparent¹⁰ memory chips for use in touch screens and mobile devices. #

The team have been backed by UCLB, UCL's technology transfer company, and have recently filed a patent on their device. Discussions are ongoing¹¹ with a number of leading semiconductor¹² companies.

Dr Tony Kenyon, UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering, said: "Our ReRAM memory chips need just a thousandth of the energy and are around a hundred times faster than standard Flash memory chips. The fact that the device can operate in ambient conditions and has a continuously variable resistance opens up a huge range of potential applications.

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"We are also working on making a quartz¹³ device with a view to developing transparent electronics."

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For added flexibility¹⁴, the UCL devices can also be designed to have a continuously variable resistance that depends on the last voltage that was applied. This is an important property that allows the device to mimic¹⁵ how neurons in the brain function. Devices that operate in this way are sometimes known as 'memristors'.

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This technology is currently of enormous interest, with the first practical memristor, based on titanium dioxide, demonstrated in just 2008. The development of a silicon oxide memristor（忆阻器） is a huge step forward because of the potential for its incorporation#p#分页标题#e#¹⁶ into silicon chips.

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