ABSTRACT
With the scaling of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) in the nano ranges, the technology roadmap predicted by Moore’s law is becoming difficult to meet. The so-called emerging technologies have been widely reported to supersede or complement CMOS. Integration of significantly different technologies such as spintronics [1], carbon nanotube field effect transistor [2], metananomaterial-based optical circuits [3], and, more recently, the memristor [4] have gained attention, thus creating new possibilities for designing innovative circuits and systems. This type of design style is commonly referred to as “hybrid” because it exploits different characteristics of emerging technologies (provided they show compatible features, inclusive of manufacturing and fabrication). A hybrid approach relies on partially utilizing CMOS, while introducing emerging technologies as needed for performance improvement. This is very attractive for memories in which the modular cell-based organization of these systems is well suited to new technologies and innovative paradigms for design.
