Demonstration of integrated micro-electro-mechanical switch circuits for VLSI applications

Abstract

Abstract-This work presents measured results from test chips containing circuits implemented with micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) relays. The relay circuits designed on these test chips illustrate a range of important functions necessary for the implementation of integrated VLSI systems and lend insight into circuit design techniques optimized for the physical properties of these devices. To explore these techniques a hybrid electro-mechanical model of the relays' electrical and mechanical characteristics has been developed, correlated to measurements, and then also applied to predict MEM relay performance if the technology were scaled to a 90 nm technology node. A theoretical, scaled, 32-bit MEM relay-based adder, with a single-bit functionality demonstrated by the measured circuits, is found to offer a factor of ten energy efficiency gain over an optimized CMOS adder for sub-20 MOPS throughputs at a moderate increase in area.

Design, Optimization, and Scaling of MEM Relays for Ultra-Low-Power Digital Logic

“…Thus, R on can be traded off for improved endurance, for example, by utilizing TiO 2 -coated tungsten contacting electrodes to attain high device yield and endurance > 1 billion switching cycles [10], [11]. This insight enabled the successful demonstration of the first relay-based logic, memory, and clocking integrated circuits [16].…”

“…Whereas previous papers mainly focused on relay fabrication process optimization [10], [11] and prototype circuit demonstrations [8], [16], this paper focuses on developing a methodology for an energy-performance optimized relay design. Similarly to MOSFETs, dimensional scaling can be applied to relays to improve device density (for lower cost per function), switching delay (for higher performance), and power consumption (for improved energy efficiency).…”

Microelectromechanical XNOR and XOR logic devices

“…Furthermore, the effect of radiation such as cosmic rays can no longer be ignored with the semiconductor devices of recent years which have been designed with increasingly high density and speed for use on earth. These considerations have spurred on research into various MEMS logic circuits [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. However, most of the previous studies concern the simple replacement of the transistor switch, used in the logic circuits constructed from transistors, with a MEMS switch.…”

Seesaw Relay Logic and Memory Circuits

“…Micrometer-scale singleended relays have recently been demonstrated to operate with moderately low gate-voltage swing (less than 2 V) [4] and with endurance exceeding 10 9 on/off switching cycles [5]. Various functional digital-IC building blocks, such as carry-generation circuit, oscillator, and XOR, have been demonstrated using these single-ended relays and passive circuit components [6].…”