Patent ID: 8432731

Claim:
A method, comprising: electrostatically decoupling a separate structure and a surface that are magnetically coupled, wherein an electrostatic force to decouple the separate structure and the surface is generated with an electrode; shifting the separate structure between the surface and an other surface with the electrostatic force, wherein shifting the separate structure moves the entire separate structure and the electrode generates the electrostatic force when an electric potential is applied to the electrode; magnetically coupling the separate structure to the other surface; decoupling an input terminal and an output terminal when the separate structure is decoupled from the surface with the electrostatic force, wherein the input terminal and the output terminal are electrically coupleable when the separate structure is magnetically coupled to the surface; storing an information in a memory unit by magnetically coupling the separate structure to at least one of the surface and the other surface, wherein the memory unit is comprised of the surface, the separate structure, the input terminal, and the output terminal; and reading at least one of a lower logic value and an upper logic value of the memory unit by: increasing an electric potential applied to an address line of the memory unit to the upper logic value, and setting a column line of the memory unit to an open condition by opening a column switch, wherein a column switch output is coupled to the column line, and wherein a column input and a column output are decoupled when the column switch is opened, wherein the separate structure is magnetically coupled when a magnetic attraction holds the separate structure in proximity to at least one of the surface and the other surface, wherein the surface, the other surface, and the separate structure are each comprised of at least one of a magnetic material and a ferromagnetic material, wherein an additional electrode is used to generate the electrostatic force, wherein the memory unit is an element of a memory array, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the address line, the output terminal is coupled to a read line, and the electrode is coupled to the column line.