The invention is in the field of Computer Engineering and can be used in memory devices for various computers, specifically in developing a universal memory system with high data reading and writing speed along with capabilities for long term storage and high information density, as well as in developing video and audio equipment of a new generation, in developing associative memory systems, and in creating synapses (electric circuit elements with programmable electric resistance) for neuronal nets. The lack of such an element holds back the development of true neuronal computers.
The invention is based on the task of creating an essentially new kind of memory cell that would allow to store several bits of data, would have fast resistance switching and require low operating voltage but at the same time would allow to combine its manufacturing technology with the modem semiconductor manufacturing technology.
Fig. 6 shows an implementation option of the claimed memory cell containing two continuous aluminum electrodes 1 and 2 between which there is a multilayer functional zone consisting of one active layer 3, one barrier layer 4 and one passive layer 5. This structure of the functional zone allows to change electric resistance of the active zone and/or form highly conductive areas or lines with metallic conduction in the active zone under the influence of the external electric field and/or its light emission on the memory cell and to retain its electric resistance for long periods of time without applying external electric fields.
The memory cell is advantageously distinctive from the currently used single bit memory elements, in that it can store several bits of information. The data storage time depends on the memory cell structure, the material used for the functional zone and the writing mode. It can vary from several seconds (can be used to build dynamic memory) to several years (can be used for building long term memory, such as Flash memory). It is possible to create universal memory that can work in both dynamic and long-term modes, depending on the data-writing mode.