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'Instant on' computing
April 20, 2009Materials researchers say rebooting soon may be a thing of the past
The ferroelectric materials found in today's "smart cards" used in subway, ATM and fuel cards soon may eliminate the time-consuming booting and rebooting of computer operating systems by providing an "instant-on" capability as well as preventing losses from power outages.
Researchers supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) nanoscale interdisciplinary research team award and three Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers at Cornell University, Penn State University and Northwestern University recently added ferroelectric capability to material used in common computer transistors, a feat scientists tried to achieve for more than half a century. They reported their findings in the April 17 journal Science.
Ferroelectric materials provide low-power, high-efficiency electronic memory. Smart cards use the technology to instantly reveal and update stored information when waved before a reader. A computer with this capability could instantly provide information and other data to the user.
Researchers led by Cornell University materials scientist Darrell Schlom took strontium titanate, a normally non-ferroelectric variant of the ferroelectric material used in smart cards, and deposited it on silicon--the principal component of most semiconductors and integrated circuits--in such a way that the silicon squeezed it into a ferroelectric state.
"It's great to see fundamental research on ordered layering of materials, or epitaxial growth, under strained conditions pay off in such a practical manner, particularly as it relates to ultra-thin ferroelectrics" said Lynnette Madsen, the NSF program director responsible for the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team award.
The result could pave the way for a next-generation of memory devices that are lower power, higher speed and more convenient to use. For everyday computer users, it could mean no more waiting for the operating system to come online or to access memory slowly from the hard drive.
"Several hybrid transistors have been proposed specifically with ferroelectrics in mind," said Schlom. "By creating a ferroelectric directly on silicon, we are bringing this possibility closer to realization."
More research is needed to achieve a ferroelectric transistor that would make "instant on" computing a reality, but having the materials in direct contact, free of intervening reaction layers, is an important step.
National Science Foundation
Ferroelectric materials provide low-power, high-efficiency electronic memory. Smart cards use the technology to instantly reveal and update stored information when waved before a reader. A computer with this capability could instantly provide information and other data to the user.
Researchers led by Cornell University materials scientist Darrell Schlom took strontium titanate, a normally non-ferroelectric variant of the ferroelectric material used in smart cards, and deposited it on silicon--the principal component of most semiconductors and integrated circuits--in such a way that the silicon squeezed it into a ferroelectric state.
"It's great to see fundamental research on ordered layering of materials, or epitaxial growth, under strained conditions pay off in such a practical manner, particularly as it relates to ultra-thin ferroelectrics" said Lynnette Madsen, the NSF program director responsible for the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team award.
The result could pave the way for a next-generation of memory devices that are lower power, higher speed and more convenient to use. For everyday computer users, it could mean no more waiting for the operating system to come online or to access memory slowly from the hard drive.
"Several hybrid transistors have been proposed specifically with ferroelectrics in mind," said Schlom. "By creating a ferroelectric directly on silicon, we are bringing this possibility closer to realization."
More research is needed to achieve a ferroelectric transistor that would make "instant on" computing a reality, but having the materials in direct contact, free of intervening reaction layers, is an important step.
National Science Foundation
Ferroelectric Current Events and Ferroelectric News RSSORNL finding could help electronics industry enter new phase
Electronic devices of the future could be smaller, faster, more powerful and consume less energy because of a discovery by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Multiferroics -- making a switch the electric way
Multiferroics are materials in which unique combinations of electric and magnetic properties can simultaneously coexist.
Vise squad: Putting the squeeze on a crystal leads to novel electronics
A clever materials science technique that uses a silicon crystal as a sort of nanoscale vise to squeeze another crystal into a more useful shape may launch a new class of electronic devices that remember their last state even after power is turned off.
Domain Walls that Conduct Electricity
The logic and memory functions of future electronic devices could shrink dramatically - to one or two nanometers (billionths of a meter) instead of the many tens of nanometers that characterize today's most advanced elements - if a way can be found to control domain walls, the ultrathin transition zones that separate regions of a material having different magnetic, electric, or other properties.
Capture of nanomagnetic 'fingerprints' a boost for next-generation information storage media
In the race to develop the next generation of storage and recording media, a major hurdle has been the difficulty of studying the tiny magnetic structures that will serve as their building blocks.
Polymer electric storage, flexible and adaptable
The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now a team of Penn State materials scientists is developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries.
Disorder enables extreme sensitivity in piezoelectric materials
A research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has found an explanation for the extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage of a special class of solid materials called relaxors.
The solution to a 7-decade mystery is crystal-clear to FSU chemist
A Florida State University researcher has helped solve a scientific mystery that stumped chemists for nearly seven decades. In so doing, his team's findings may lead to the development of more-powerful computer memories and lasers.
Landmark Modeling Study at Penn Reveals How Ferroelectric Computer Memory Works
A collaboration of University of Pennsylvania chemists and engineers has performed multi-scale modeling of ferroelectric domain walls and provided a new theory of behavior for domain-wall motion, the "sliding wall" that separates ferroelectric domains and makes high-density ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM) possible.
Colluding with colloids: Scientists make liquid crystal discovery
What do milk, paint, ink and liquid crystals have in common? Colloids. Findings of Kent State University scientists indicate that manipulating the size of colloids, micron-sized or nanometer-sized particles, can produce huge changes in the material properties of liquid crystals.
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Principles and Applications of Ferroelectrics and Related Materials (Oxford Classic Text in the Physical Sciences) by M. E. Lines (Author), A. M. Glass (Author) Standard text for studying ferroelectric and pyroelectric devices. Develops the modern theory of ferroelectricity in terms of soft modes and lattice dynamics, covering modern techniques of measurement such as x-ray, optic, and neutron scattering. First published in 1977. Softcover. |
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Ferroelectric Crystals by Franco Jona (Author), G. Shirane (Author) | |
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Physics of Ferroelectrics: A Modern Perspective (Topics in Applied Physics) by Karin M. Rabe (Author), Karin M. Rabe (Editor), Charles H. Ahn (Editor), Jean-Marc Triscone (Editor) During the past two decades, revolutionary breakthroughs have occurred in the understanding of ferroelectric materials, both from the perspective of theory and experiment. First principles approaches, including the Berry phase formulation of ferroelectricity, now allow accurate, quantitative predictions of material properties, and single crystalline thin films are now available for fundamental studies of these materials. In addition, the need for high dielectric constant insulators and nonvolatile memories in semiconductor applications has motivated a renaissance in the investigation of these materials. This book addresses the paradigmatic shifts in understanding brought about by these breakthroughs, including the consideration of novel fabrication methods of single crystalline... |
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Nanoscale Phenomena in Ferroelectric Thin Films (Multifunctional Thin Film Series) by Seungbum Hong (Editor) Nanoscale Phenomena in Ferroelectric Thin Films presents the recent advances in the field of nanoscale science and engineering of ferroelectric thin films. It consists of two main parts: electrical characterization in nanoscale ferroelectric capacitor, and nano domain manipulation and visualization in ferroelectric materials. Well-known leading experts both in relevant academia and industry over the world (U.S., Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Korea) were invited to contribute to each chapter. The objectives of the book are to provide the reader with the information needed to 1.) build, see and manipulate domain structures; 2.) understand the unexplained macroscopic phenomena; and 3.) create ferroelectric thin film that shows novel and significantly improved physical, chemical... |
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Ferroelectric Devices, Second Edition by Kenji Uchino (Author) Discover a Strategy to Develop Bestselling Ferroelectric Devices Updating its bestselling predecessor, Ferroelectric Devices, Second Edition assesses the last decade of developments—and setbacks—in the commercialization of ferroelectricity. Field pioneer and esteemed author Uchino provides insight into why this relatively nascent and interdisciplinary process has failed so far without a systematic accumulation of fundamental knowledge regarding materials and device development. Filling the informational void, this collection of information reviews state-of-the-art research and development trends reflecting nano and optical technologies, environmental regulation, and alternative energy sources. Like the first edition, which became a standard... |
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Ferroelectric Memories by James F. Scott (Author) Ferroelectric memories have changed in 10 short years from academic curiosities of the university research labs to commercial devices in large-scale production. This is the first text on ferroelectric memories that is not just an edited collection of papers by different authors. Intended for applied physicists, electrical engineers, materials scientists and ceramists, it includes ferroelectric fundamentals, especially for thin films, circuit diagrams and processsing chapters, but emphazises device physics. Breakdown mechanisms, switching kinetics and leakage current mechanisms have lengthly chapters devoted to them. The book will be welcomed by research scientists in industry and government laboratories and in universities. It also contains 76 problems for students, making it particularly... |
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Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics (Engineering Materials and Processes) by Vitaly Yu. Topolov (Author), Christopher R. Bowen (Author) "Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics" discusses the latest theoretical and experimental results on the effective electromechanical (piezoelectric, dielectric and elastic) properties in piezo-composites based on ferroelectrics. For the last decades, single-crystal, bulk ceramic and thin-film ferroelectrics have found a number of various applications as a result of their remarkable piezoelectric properties. Recent work in the field of smart materials demonstrates that both ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity represent an important link between solid state science and engineering. "Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics" investigates the problem of prediction and non-monotonicity of the effective electromechanical properties in... |
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Ferroelectric Devices (Materials Engineering, 16) by Kenji Uchino (Author) A comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of ferroelectrics, including available materials, device designs, drive/control techniques, and essential applications - examining high-permittivity dielectrics, piezoelectric devices, pyroelectric sensors, and electro-optic devices. It focuses on highly adaptive polycrystalline ceramics and other materials used in thin/thick film devices. The book features the author's exclusive device development method. |
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Ferroelectric semiconductors by V. M Fridkin (Author) | |
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Ferroelectric Polymers (Plastics Engineering, No 28) by Hari Singh Nalwa (Editor) Reflecting the explosion of information in the science of polar polymers--in both novel materials and industrial applications -- this outstanding reference covers the chemistry and physics of polymeric materials and their uses in the fields of electronics, photonics, and biomedical engineering. |
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