We have fabricated nanoscale fuses from CVD graphene sheets with a 'bow tie' geometry for write-once-read-many data storage applications. The fuses are programmed using thermal oxidation driven by Joule heating. Fuses that were 250 nm wide with 2.5 μm between contact pads were programmed with average voltages and powers of 4.9 V and 2.1 mW, respectively. The required voltages and powers decrease with decreasing fuse sizes. Graphene shows extreme chemical and electronic stability; fuses require temperatures of about 400 °C for oxidation, indicating that they are excellent candidates for permanent data storage. To further demonstrate this stability, fuses were subjected to applied biases in excess of typical read voltages; stable currents were observed when a voltage of 10 V was applied to the devices in the off state and 1 V in the on state for 90 h each.

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In this study, we have fabricated nanofuses from thin-film, arc-deposited carbon for use in permanent data storage. Thin-film carbon fuses have fewer fabrication barriers and retain the required resistivity and structural stability to act as a data-storage medium. Carbon thin films were characterized for their electrical, microstructural, and chemical bonding properties. Annealing these films in an argon environment at 400 °C reduced the resistivity from about 4 × 10 –2 Ω cm as deposited to about 5 × 10 –4 Ω cm, allowing a lower blowing voltage. Nanofuses with widths ranging from 200 to 60 nm were fabricated and tested. They blow with voltages between 2 and 5.5 V, and the nanofuses remain stable in both “1” and “0” states under a constantly applied read voltage of 1 V for over 90 h.