Memristor

MemristorMemristor. The English word "memristor" originates from two words - memory and resistor - being a new passive element in microelectronics, capable of altering its own resistance. A memristor works in the conditions of alternate current, the electric resistance depending form the polarity of the voltage applied. The main property of the memristor is the memristivity, which is the dependence of the resistance from the charge, passing through the element. The memristor consists of a thin layer of titanium dioxide, placed between two platinum electrodes. As voltage is applied the crystalline structure of the titanium dioxide alters. The alteration causes the resistance of the element to increase a 1000 times. As the current is switched off, the element preserves the alterations, which occurred as the current was passing through it. This property may be used to produce memory elements of a crucially different type to replace the current DRAM and capable of preserving data as the supply is switched off. The developers described the current memristor prototype, used in the experimental switch device, capable of storing up tp100 gigabit of data on one semiconducting plate. The current flash memory microcircuit record is just 16 gigabit of data. Hewlett Packard assumes that by 2012 memristors will have replaced flash memory and by 2014-2016 they will have replaced the RW memory and hard discs. So, being most optimistic, memristor computers will appear on the market no sooner than in 20 years.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• memory
• resistance
• resistor