Patent ID: 8917539

Claim:
A solid-state, multi-valued, molecular random access memory (RAM) device, comprising: (i) an electrically, optically and/or magnetically addressable solid-state unit, comprising: a. a conductive substrate selected from the group consisting of glass, a doped glass, indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass, silicon, a doped silicon, Si(100), Si(111), SiO 2 , SiH, silicon carbide mirror, quartz, a metal, metal oxide, a mixture of metal and metal oxide, group IV elements, mica, a graphite comprising intercalated metal cations, a polymer such as polyacrylamide and polystyrene, a plastic, a zeolite, a clay, a membrane, an optical fiber, a ceramic, a metalized ceramic, an alumina, an electrically-conductive material, a semiconductor, steel and a stainless steel; b. one or more layers of electrochromic, magnetic, redox-active, and/or photochromic materials deposited on said conductive substrate; c. a conductive top layer deposited on top of said one or more layers of (b); (ii) a memory writer that applies a plurality of predetermined values (1) of potential biases to said one or more layers of electrochromic, or redox-active materials; (2) of optical signals to said one or more layers of photochromic materials; or (3) of magnetic fields to said one or more layers of magnetic materials; to the unit, wherein each predetermined value applied results in a uniquely distinguishable (1) optical state of said one or more layers of electrochromic, redox-active or photochromic materials; (2) magnetic state of said one or more layers of magnetic materials; or (3) electrical state of said one or more layers of electrochromic or redox-active materials; of said unit, and thus corresponds to a unique logical value; and (iii) a memory reader for reading the optical, magnetic and/or electrical state of the unit, wherein said molecular RAM device is reconfigurable to work as a ternary, quaternary or any other multi-state memory, beyond ternary memory, device.