In new hybrid chip, molecules are memories

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In this cross-section of a portion of the hypothesized hybrid micro-nano-molecular IC a crossbar (vertical lines) is placed on top of conventional CMOS circuitry. The inset drawing shows the molecules that link the lower and upper sides of the crossb ...
In this cross-section of a portion of the hypothesized hybrid micro-nano-molecular IC, a crossbar (vertical lines) is placed on top of conventional CMOS circuitry. The inset drawing shows the molecules that link the lower and upper sides of the crossbar and “mimic the behavior of a flash memory cell.” Photo credit: Cerofolini, G. et al.

As scientists strive to satisfy the growing demand of the digital era for faster, smaller, and cheaper electronics, one of the most promising technologies is hybrids. Hybrid ICs (integrated circuits) consist of a combination of different technologies: micro, nano and molecular. Although currently scientists still face a handful of challenges in the development of hybrid ICs, the technique looks promising to produce the one of the highest memory densities yet – a whopping 100 billion bits per square centimeter.


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