Engineering Commons^™

A Reliability Prediction Method For Phase-Change Devices Using Optimized Pulse Conditions, Martin Jared Barclay

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Owing to the outstanding device characteristics of Phase-Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM) such as high scalability, high speed, good cycling endurance, and compatibility with conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes, PCRAM has reached the point of volume production. However, due to the temperature dependent nature of the phase-change memory device material and the high electrical and thermal stresses applied during the programming operation, the standard methods of high-temperature (Temperature > 125 °C) accelerated retention testing may not be able to accurately predict bit sensing failures or determine slight pulse condition changes needed if the device were to be …

Investigations Of Conduction Mechanisms Of Ion-Conducting, Bridging Memory Devices (Cbram/Pmc/Ecm), Kyle Bradley Campbell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Electron storage memory devices are approaching the minimum dimensions that are physically possible due to the onward march of Moore’s law. To continue to enable the increased memory densities needed for today’s applications, especially low power and size constrained mobile devices, new memory solutions are needed. Several candidates are emerging in this space. Metal ion-conducting memory devices are being investigated due to excellent scalability, speed, and low power. These devices are part of a memory class called resistive memory. In the literature, they are referred to as CBRAM (conductive bridge random access memory), PMC (programmable metallization cell), ECM (electrochemical metallization …

Electrical Switching Studies Of Chalcogenide-Based Ion-Conducting Variable Resistance Devices, Beth Rose Cook

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this work, ion-conducting devices using layers of chalcogenide materials are explored as potential non-volatile memory devices. This technology is also known in the literature as conductively bridged RAM (CBRAM), programmable metallization cell (PMC), and programmable conductor RAM (PCRAM; not to be confused with the acronym PCRAM as used to denote phase-change memory).

Electrical measurements with five different programming currents at four temperatures have been performed on two-terminal devices comprised of silver with a metal-selenide and germanium-chalcogenide layer. The metal-selenide layer is Sb₂Se₃, SnSe, PbSe, In₂Se₃, or Ag₂Se. The germanium-chalcogenide …

Phase Change Memory: Array Development And Sensing Circuits Using Delta-Sigma Modulation, Mahesh Balasubramanian

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Chalcogenide based non-volatile Phase Change Memory (PCM) circuits were designed to investigate new emerging non-volatile memory technologies. An overview of the operation of chalcogenide-based resistive PCM for circuit designers is presented. MOSIS fabrication service was used along with Idaho Microfabrication Lab at Boise State University to develop PCM chips. Experimental results show successful integration of two discreet processing services for developing chalcogenide based non-volatile memory circuits. Possible multi-state capabilities were observed during the testing of single memory bits.

Four Delta Sigma Modulation (DSM) based sensing techniques for resistive memory are presented. The proposed sensing techniques have the advantage over traditional …

Direct Nonlinear Optics Measurements Of Raman Gain In Bulk Glasses And Estimates Of Fiber Performance, Robert Stegeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The need for more bandwidth in communications has stimulated the search for new fiberizable materials with properties superior to fused silica which is the current state-of-the-art. One of the key properties is Raman gain by which a pump beam amplifies a signal beam of longer wavelength. An apparatus capable of directly measuring the spectral dependence and absolute magnitude of the material Raman gain coefficient using nonlinear optics techniques has been built. Using radiation from a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser as the pump and from a tunable Optical Parametric Generator and Amplifier as the signal, the Raman gain spectrum was measured …

Evaluation Of The Photo-Induced Structural Mechanisms In Chalcogenide, Cedric Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chalcogenide glasses and their use in a wide range of optical, electronic and memory applications, has created a need for a more thorough understanding of material property variation as a function of composition and in geometries representative of actual devices. This study evaluates compositional dependencies and photo-induced structural mechanisms in As-S-Se chalcogenide glasses. An effective fabrication method for the reproducible processing of bulk chalcogenide materials has been demonstrated and an array of tools developed, for the systematic characterization of the resulting material's physical and optical properties. The influence of compositional variation on the physical properties of 13 glasses within the …

Towards Direct Writing Of 3-D Photonic Circuits Using Ultrafast Lasers, Arnaud Zoubir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advent of ultrafast lasers has enabled micromachining schemes that cannot be achieved by other current techniques. Laser direct writing has emerged as one of the possible routes for fabrication of optical waveguides in transparent materials. In this thesis, the advantages and limitations of this technique are explored. Two extended-cavity ultrafast lasers were built and characterized as the laser sources for this study, with improved performance over existing systems. Waveguides are fabricated in oxide glass, chalcogenide glass, and polymers, these being the three major classes of materials for the telecommunication industry. Standard waveguide metrology is performed on the fabricated waveguides, …