Communications of the ACM
Scientists Perfect Technique to Boost Capacity of Computer Storage a Thousandfold
Roshan Achal (left) used nanotechnology perfected by his Ph.D. supervisor, Robert Wolkow (right), to create atomic-scale computer memory.
Credit: University of Alberta
The most dense solid-state memory ever created could soon exceed the capabilities of current computer storage devices by 1,000 times, thanks to a new technique scientists at the University of Alberta have perfected.
The researchers describe their work in "Lithography for Robust and Editable Atomic-Scale Silicon Devices and Memories," published in the journal Nature Communications.
"Essentially, you can take all 45 million songs on iTunes and store them on the surface of one quarter," says Roshan Achal, Ph.D. student in Department of Physics and lead author on the new research. "Five years ago, this wasn't even something we thought possible."
The scientists used the same technology they developed to manufacture atomic-scale circuits, which allows for quickly removing or replacing single hydrogen atoms. The technology enables the memory to be rewritable, meaning it could lead to far more efficient types of solid-state drives for computers.
Ready for Use
Previous discoveries of atomic-scale computer storage were stable only at extremely low temperatures, but the new memory works at real-world temperatures and can withstand normal use.
"What is often overlooked in the nanofabrication business is actual transportation to an end-user, which simply was not possible until now given temperature restrictions," Achal says. "Our memory is stable well above room temperature and precise down to the atom."
Achal says the technology has immediate applications for archiving data. Next steps will include increasing read and write speeds for even more flexible applications.
Atom-Scale Fabrication
Achal works with UofA physics professor Robert Wolkow, a pioneer in the field of atomic-scale physics. Wolkow perfected the nanotip technology that allows scientists to manipulate single atoms on a silicon chip—a technology he says has now reached a tipping point.
"With this last piece of the puzzle now in hand, atom-scale fabrication will become a commercial reality in the very near future," says Wolkow. His spinoff company, Quantum Silicon Inc., is working on commercializing atom-scale fabrication for use in all areas of the technology sector.
To demonstrate the new memory, Achal, Wolkow, and their fellow scientists encoded the entire alphabet at a density of 138 terabytes per square inch, roughly equivalent to writing 350,000 letters across a grain of rice. For a playful twist, Achal also encoded music reminiscent of video game soundtracks from the '80s and '90s.
In addition to Achal and Wolkow, the Nature Communications article is authored by Mohammad Rashidi, Jeremiah Croshaw, David Churchill, Marco Taucer, Taleana Huff, Martin Cloutier, and Jason Pitters.
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