Nonvolatile Nanoelectromechanical Memory Switches for Low-Power and High-Speed Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

The application of nanoelectromechanical (NEM) memory switches to field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has been proposed for the first time. NEM memory switches replace MOSFETs and NEM relay switches in connection blocks and switch boxes. The proposed NEM-memory-based FPGAs feature higher speed, lower energy consumption, and smaller chip area than the other FPGAs. In addition, compared with the previously reported NEM-relay-based FPGAs, they show nonvolatile storage of signal paths and stable rail-to-rail signal voltage swing because data signal paths are maintained by adhesion force. In addition, the contact resistance (
$\boldsymbol {R} _{\rm co}$
) of a NEM memory switch is lower than that of a NEM relay switch thanks to larger contact area.