Systematic Design and Demonstration of Multi-Bit Generation in Layered Materials Heterostructures Floating-Gate Memory

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with 2D materials have shown that atomically thin non-volatile memories are advantageous in terms of integration, while offering high performance and excellent stability. The non-volatile memory behavior of 2D materials has mainly been studied for single-bit operation, and there is growing interest in expanding to multi-bit operation to enhance the storage capacities of memory devices. However, the conditions or rules for generating the desired number of bits in 2D-based multi-bit memory remain to be identified. In this study, multiple bits are successfully created on non-volatile memory based on vdW heterostructure floating-gate memory (FGM) by systematically tuning the dimensions of the 2D materials. In particular, a fingerprint mechanism is established that links the bit number and dimensions of 2D crystals on vdW heterostructures. This approach could enable the precise generation of the desired number of bits in layered-material-based vdW FGMs.