Inventors:
Jeffrey C. Gilkey - Albuquerque NM, US
Michelle A. Duesterhaus - Albuquerque NM, US
Frank J. Peter - Albuquerque NM, US
Rosemarie A. Renn - Alburquerque NM, US
Michael S. Baker - Albuquerque NM, US
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM
International Classification:
G11C 19/00
US Classification:
365 78, 365 63, 365 64, 365106, 335 78
Abstract:
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.