This paper is intended to provide an expository, physics-based, framework for the estimation of the performance potential and physical scaling limits of resistive memory. The approach taken seeks to provide physical insights into those parameters and physical effects that define device performance and scaling properties. The mechanisms of resistive switching are based on atomic rearrangements in a material. The three model cases are: (1) formation of a continuous conductive path between two electrodes within an insulating matrix, (2) formation of a discontinuous path of conductive atoms between two electrodes within an insulating matrix and (3) rearrangement of charged defects/impurities near the interface between the semiconductor matrix and an electrode, resulting in contact resistance changes. The authors argue that these three model mechanisms or their combinations are representative of the operation of all known resistive memories. The central question addressed in this paper is: what is the smallest volume of matter needed for resistive memory? The two related tasks explored in this paper are: (i) resistance changes due to addition or removal of a few atoms and (ii) stability of a few-atom system.

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We present measurements on resonant photodetectors utilizing sub-bandgap absorption in polycrystalline silicon ring resonators, in which light is localized in the intrinsic region of a p+/p/i/n/n+ diode. The devices, operating both at λ=1280 and λ=1550  nm and fabricated in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) dynamic random-access memory emulation process, exhibit detection quantum efficiencies around 20% and few-gigahertz response bandwidths. We observe this performance at low reverse biases in the range of a few volts and in devices with dark currents below 50 pA at 10 V. These results demonstrate that such photodetector behavior, previously reported by Preston et al. [Opt. Lett. 36, 52 (2011)], is achievable in bulk CMOS processes, with significant improvements with respect to the previous work in quantum efficiency, dark current, linearity, bandwidth, and operating bias due to additional midlevel doping implants and different material deposition. The present work thus offers a robust realization of a fully CMOS-fabricated all-silicon photodetector functional across a wide wavelength range.

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Integrated optical resonators are necessary or beneficial in realizations of various functions in scaled photonic platforms, including filtering, modulation, and detection in classical communication systems, optical sensing, as well as addressing and control of solid state emitters for quantum technologies. Although photonic crystal (PhC) microresonators can be advantageous to the more commonly used microring devices due to the former's low mode volumes, fabrication of PhC cavities has typically relied on electron-beam lithography, which precludes integration with large-scale and reproducible CMOS fabrication. Here, we demonstrate wavelength-scale polycrystalline silicon (pSi) PhC microresonators with Qs up to 60,000 fabricated within a bulk CMOS process. Quasi-1D resonators in lateral p-i-n structures allow for resonant defect-state photodetection in all-silicon devices, exhibiting voltage-dependent quantum efficiencies in the range of a few 10 s of %, few-GHz bandwidths, and low dark currents, in devices with loaded Qs in the range of 4,300–9,300; one device, for example, exhibited a loaded Q of 4,300, 25% quantum efficiency (corresponding to a responsivity of 0.31 A/W), 3 GHz bandwidth, and 30 nA dark current at a reverse bias of 30 V. This work demonstrates the possibility for practical integration of PhC microresonators with active electro-optic capability into large-scale silicon photonic systems.