Thermally actuated buckling beam memory: a non-volatile memory configuration for extreme space exploration environments

A new nano-thermo-mechanical data storage memory is presented which combines two technologies of thermal actuation and buckling beam memory. The memory design is resistant in high radiation environments, making it a reliable memory for spacecraft computer systems. This memory has a data storage density, write/erase speed, and power consumption comparable with current memories. An integrated thermal–mechanical simulation of buckling in nano-mechanical memory is performed to optimize the design parameters. The preliminary system is a bridge with lengths of 20–40 μm, a width of 1 μm, and a thickness of 0.3 μm, in air with a pressure of 5 kPa. The simulation of high energy particle collisions shows radiation does not cause undesired buckling for silicon and silicon carbide bits, which makes the memory applicable for Jovian exploration. Optimization simulations are performed for silicon, silicon carbide, and kapton with various dimensions and actuation heating rates. The current work suggests the length of 20 μm for the bridge to balance the write time and the storage density. Among the beams with the fixed dimensions, kapton shows the fastest write time, with the lowest energy cost. However, high energy electron collision causes buckling in kapton, limiting its use in high radiation applications. The results show that silicon and silicon carbide based systems are viable for use in the extreme radiation environments that will be encountered in future space exploration missions.