High Capacity 3D Memory Chips Technology

Computer memory technology hasn't changed much in the last few years. This situation might not last long, though, because a graduate student at Rice University, Jun Yao (top), may just be on the right track on discovering the workings and intricacies of what could be the new computer memory of the 21st century. Yao had been using graphite in his project and what he discovered caused quite a stir. He found out that by the simple application of voltage, nanocrystalline pathways could be created in silicon oxide, an insulator in the graphite. Low voltage pulses (3.5 and 8 volts) could open and close the pathways, conveniently allowing for a switching effect. The phenomenon essentially made a two-terminal resistive memory bit (5 nanometers wide) possible.

Yao's discovery may soon become the basis for high-capacity 3D memory chips. But Yao isn't alone in the endeavor or competition to release the first of such a chip. Yao's argument is that the silicon dioxide in graphite that what will make 3D memory chips possible. Initially, there was critical resistance to his ideas, but he sold the concept nevertheless. It all began when he was assisting chemist James Tour in ones of the Rice labs with a graphitic memory project when he thought of removing the graphite and was surprised to discover that the circuit still worked.

Yao recounted how he became surprised and excited about the discovery. He emailed his superior and the following day, "the prolonged debates over the mechanism between me and the graphitic guys began," he said. With most of his colleagues unconvinced, Yao spent months experimenting. He combined silicon oxide with every material he could find, trying to determine if there was some other factor that he missed, but "they all worked," he said, "because the silicon oxide was carrying the load." What was happening in the silicon oxide was that a strong electrical pulse between semiconducting silicon strips off oxygen atoms, producing the nanoscale bit between the terminals that following pulses could switch on and off. Yao is currently working on making his silicon oxide memory more visually understandable.

Yao already has the reputation of drawing the logo of Rice University (above, left) by hand into electron-beam controller software to create a microscopic masterpiece from forests of carbon nanotubes!

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How Nuclear Power Can Provide Electrical Energy for Micro Devices

When you hear of the word "nuclear," you immediately think about huge explosions, mushroom clouds, and deadly radiation. That's true and that's the bad side of nuclear, or atomic, energy. But if you look at the bright side, it is a major source of much of the developed world's electricity. That's coming from nuclear power plants. But did you know that nuclear energy is also now powering devices that are microscopic in size? With this technology, it's now possible to make utility devices that run for 25 years or so without the need for the batteries to be changed.

The nuclear energy is courtesy of betavoltaics technology. Basically, betavoltaics are batteries that harvest energy from radioactive substances, like tritium or Promethium-147. They sound nasty, but in betavoltaics, the radiation levels are so low they only provide nanowatts of lectricity. If you can't imagive that, try a billionth of a watt. A watt, of course is a unit of power. Ever seen a seven watt bulb glow? If you can imagine that, then you can imagine the glow that one watt can give. Divide that by a billion and you now have an idea how much energy a betavoltaics battery can give.

So, if betavoltaics can only deliver such low energy, what is it good for? Widetronix is a company that is pioneering betavoltaics technology. It is reaserching on stacking betavoltaic to compound the electricity output and provide enough power to enable Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices like implants that can monitor a person's health or track a military aircraft. Theoretically, these stacked betavoltaic chips can give up to one microwatt of power - that's a millionth of a watt. It's still low, but it's actually already a big improvement from a billionth of a watt.

For now, experiments with betavoltaics are ongoing on tamper-proof electronics of military gadgets developed by Lockheed Martin. If you can't tinker with them, with a screwdriver, they can't be sabotaged, unless the whole thing is yanked out - but then that would disable the device. Commercial applications are set for release in 2011. These will likely be components to larger devices for communications. Consumers won't even know they're there.

Click on the images to visit the Widetronix site.

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The Next Step from Semiconductors: Light-Controlled Nano Switches

The nanotechnology world may be set up for a boost with the new discovery that light, such as infrared, creates a pushing or pulling force when split into two beams that each travel on a different length of silicon nanowire, called a wave guide (as illustrated in the above photo). Because the beams are not in phase, they create a repulsive force that is adjustable. The more out of phase the rays are, the greater the force.

The new technology might give you images of Iron Man with his repulsor beams and Luke Skywalker with his light saber, but the phenomenon behind it does not work in free space, according to Mo Li, a postdoctoral associate in electrical aengineering at Yale University. Li says it only works when light is confined in the nanoscale waveguides that are placed very close to each other on the chip.

The engineers see this new light-force technology could pave the way for nanodevices that are controlled by light instead of electrical switches, the latest of which are made possible with semiconductors. It is believed that light switches will make future gadgets and devices like computers lighter and cooler, both literally and figuratively.

DVDs that Store Up to 10 Terabytes or 3000 Movies Coming Soon

The storage capacity of optical discs seem to grow by the decade. In the next one, we'd probably see optical discs - DVDs in particular, that are able to store up to 10 terabytes of information. If you can't imagine how much that is, try to imagine your DVD holding up to 3000 full-feature movies - now there's your 10 terabytes!

Right now, it may only be possible to make a DVD version that stores up to 1 terabyte or 300 movies. We have researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia to thank for this new and monstrous storage capacity for optical discs, which is now currently in the Blu-ray technology level.

The new storage system for optical discs will be using nanotechnology where gold particles will play a part in harnessing what they call the polarization dimension of an optical disc. Researcher Min Gu has this to say: "We were able to show how nanostructured material can be incorporated onto a disc in order to increase data capacity, without increasing the physical size of the disc."

Current optical discs have three spatial dimensions but nanoparticles will allow a spectral and a polarization dimension that can be used to store data as well, boosting capacity tremendously. However, these new discs may need a new gadget to play in. When they are released, people will certainly have another fancy thing to toy with.

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