The memory cell

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A memory cell can be made in different ways.

The way you make it depends on its function:

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A random acces memory (RAM) is a memory in which a computer temporarily stores information, data, and instructions that the computer needs at that moment to perform fast operations.
The ability to write regularly is important in this memory. The data is quickly written, read, and used, and then also deleted.

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You also have a hard drive in your computer. The hard drive is the memory where you store data that cannot be deleted even if you turn your computer off.
In this kind of memory, reading is more important than in random access memory because data often stays in the same place for a very long time. The stored information must also be able to be retained for a long time.

Assignment 1

As mentioned earlier, the memory cell must be able to display the digit 0 or 1, depending on what was previously stored in the cell.

In the examples above, we always referred to electrons. If the cell contains electrons, it displays 1; otherwise, it displays 0.

The floating gate memory cell works on this principle. Click on the button below to learn more.

Floating Gate memory cell

Another possibility is to use a cell made of magnetic material. The magnetic field can then point to either the North Pole (1) or the South Pole (0).

A ferroelectric material has an electrical polarity and can be used in the same way as a magnetic material. The electric field may point ‘up (1)’ or ‘down (0)’.

The FeFET memory cell works according to the above principle. Click on the button below for more information.

FeFET memory cell

The spin, often visualised by the direction of rotation, is a fundamental property of an electron. That, too, can be used in a memory cell. We refer to ‘spin up’ or clockwise rotation for 1 and ‘spin down’ or counter-clockwise rotation for 0.

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