What is a memristor and how do you plan to use it?

  • Dec 14, 2020
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The technical term "memristor" is made up of two English words: the first is "memory" or memory, and the second is resistor (ie resistance). The essence of the cell is that its conductivity changes depending on the charge passed through it (that is, it depends on the history of the processes). Moreover, this dependence is directly proportional to the value of the passed current, integrated over time.

According to the classification of devices with internal memory, the memristor can be classified as a nonlinear electronic device with hysteresis properties. That is, in terms of its functional purpose, this element belongs to the category of microelectronic components, which have the ability to memorize previous states (photo below).

A new era of computing

Back in the 70s of the last century, scientists developed a theoretical model describing the relationship between the voltage applied to the object and the time integral of the current component. And only by 2008, the first sample of a resistor element was created, partially corresponding to the declared properties.

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Its reaction to current influences was not similar to the behavior of an inductor with its magnetic flux, nor to a capacitor that accumulates a charge. And at the same time, it reacted to the movement of charges not like an ordinary resistor. It turned out that the scientists managed to obtain a fourth electrical element, different from the first three!

The conductive properties of the new component changed due to chemical reactions taking place in a 2-layer film only 5 nm thick. The first of these layers was specially depleted due to the outflow of oxygen molecules from it. When the voltage was applied, the released oxygen cells with a charge began to "wander" between the layers, which led to a change in the resistance of the element.

He could no longer return to the previous value of conductivity, which meant an instantaneous conditional transition of an element from "zero" to "one". The phenomenon of hysteresis in the memristor made it possible at an early stage of study to discern in it a memory cell capable of successfully replacing semiconductor elements.

Application prospects

The considered features of memristors theoretically open up the following possibilities:

  • Manufacturing of memory elements with better characteristics than modern flash drives.
  • Complete update of the electronic database of devices where memory cells are used.
  • A significant increase in their functionality.
Important!Since the memristor actually fixes the charge passed through it, when using such cells in a PC, for example, you can do without loading the system at all.

When you turn on the computer, it will start working from the state in which it was turned off the day before. Of course, these are all just theoretical assumptions that require practical confirmation in the near future.