Mor’s MSc research focused on nanoscale electrical devices called ferroelectric field-effect transistors. Ferroelectric materials have unique properties that can be exploited for integration into transistors manufactured by standard processes (CMOS) to create a ferroelectric transistor. Such a ferroelectric transistor can “remember” a state, thus being used to realize nonvolatile memories and logic.
- Memories on computers are used in many places. Many of the memories we use for quick access (such as DRAM or registers) are volatile, while nonvolatile memories, which allow long-term data storage (such as SSDs) to be stored, are slow. In our study, we proposed memory architecture based on one single procalctory transistor to realize a memory cell so that it is a very dense memory that makes optimal use of space. In addition, because of the unique properties of the ferroelectric transistor, it is a memory that can be written to at a high-speed rate (another study of ours showed a speed of less than a nanosecond), yet it is a nonvolatile memory that allows the information to be stored for a long time, without the need to perform refresh operations. The advantage of proelectric technology over other competing technologies under development is that the manufacturing process of these devices conforms to standard manufacturing processes, enabling simple production of these devices without the need for special adjustments or additional equipment to do so, and will accelerate their integration in integrated circuits.
- Future applications of the field will be expressed in the realization of new non-volatile memories with high memory density and fast access to memory, which will also enable calculations to be performed within the memory itself, thereby enabling the acceleration of computer performance.
Ferroelectric transistors are in advanced research and development stages and are expected to be integrated into the semiconductor industry, particularly the acceleration of neuron and AI networks.
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