Patent ID: 8184467

Claim:
A non-volatile electrical data storage device comprising: a card-like memory unit; and a read/write unit; the memory and read-write units being provided as physically separate units, wherein the memory unit includes a memory layer that includes a memory material capable of attaining one or more of at least two distinct physical states by the application of an electric field across the memory material, wherein said at least two distinct physical states are distinguished by an impedance value or a polarization value, wherein the electric field is applied at specific positions and with a specific direction so as to define a memory cell with a determined extension in a volume of the memory material at the specific position for storing a datum given by a logical value as assigned to the distinct physical state set in the memory cell by the applied electric field, wherein the logical value can be detected and read by applying a potential difference across the memory cell, wherein the memory unit includes one or more linear arrays of memory cells provided in said memory layer, one or more bottom electrodes provided interfacing a bottom surface of the memory layer, each said one or more bottom electrodes including one contact and contacting at least one memory cell and at most all memory cells in one linear array of memory cells, a plurality of top electrodes interfacing and extending over a top surface of the memory layer, each of the top electrodes including one contact and contacting at least one memory cell and at most all memory cells in a linear array of memory cells, such that a memory cell is defined in the memory layer between a crossing bottom and top electrode, and wherein the read/write unit includes contacts provided in a geometrical arrangement corresponding to the geometrical arrangement of the contacts of the memory unit, thus enabling a direct electrical connection between the read/write unit and the memory unit upon establishing a mutual engagement therebetween, whereby the electrical connection closes an electrical circuit over each memory cell, thus enabling the application of a potential difference over the latter such that, dependent on the sign and magnitude of the applied potential difference, a read, write, or erase operation can be effected to the memory cells.