NIST researchers have uncovered how a promising new type of computer memory device works by identifying a key mechanism involving copper filaments. The device uses layers of copper, tantalum oxide, and magnetic electrodes. When a voltage is applied, copper filaments form through the oxide layer, allowing current to flow. These filaments remain even when the power is off, making the device a potential candidate for nonvolatile memory that could be used in faster, more energy-efficient computers.
The discovery helps explain why these layered structures function as effective electronic switches. By using magnetic electrodes and observing how electron spin is preserved through the device, the team confirmed that high-quality copper filaments are essential for the switch to work. This finding could also open the door to spintronics, a field that uses electron spin to process information. While the technology is still in the research phase, it has the potential to improve memory systems in the future.
Keywords: spintronics, memristive devices, spin transport
