Thermally Stable, BEOL-Configured MEMS-Based One-Time Programmable (OTP) Memory for Cryogenic Embedded Application

In this letter, we demonstrate a MEMS-based one-time programmable(OTP) memory cell integrated into the back-end-of-line (BEOL) layers of a TSMC $0.35~\mu $ m 2P4M CMOS process, designed for operation down to 4 K. This novel design eliminates the need for fusing currents, relying instead on surface-adhesion phenomena for programming. The memory cells operate with a low read voltage of 0.05 V and read current of $80~\mu $ A, ensuring low power consumption and minimal heat generation (~2.8 K). The read resistance ranges from 0.5 to 5.5 k $\Omega $ in the logic ‘1’ (ON-state) and ~2.4 T $\Omega $ in the logic ‘0’ (OFF-state), achieving an on-off ratio in the order of $10^{9}$ . The switching energy is limited to 0.5–2.6 pJ, with a demonstrated memory retention of 4 hours at 300, 120, and 4 K. These features make it highly suitable for storing micro-operations permanently in cryogenic embedded applications.[2025-0028]