ON THE POSSIBILITY OF ULTRAHIGH-DENSITY WROM BASED ON USING LASER ANDCORPUSCULAR BEAMS

The possibility of fabrication (writing) of compact memory cells of a new type with ultrahigh density (10(11) bit/cm(2)) is analyzed. It is suggested that nanometer-size zones with high concentration of donatin g ions or color centers will be produced in the surface regions of wid e-gap ionic crystals using rigidly focused ion or electron beams. In c ontrast to inactivated surface areas, these zones possess the property of photoelectron emission under the effect of visible or near-UV radi ation, and recording of electrons emitted with high spatial resolution (laser photoelectron microscopy) is the process of reading the conten ts of the memory cells. Single channel (scanning nanotips) and multich annel (laser resonance photoelectron microscopy) of ultrahigh density information is discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.