. | . |
Research team led by NUS scientists breaks new ground in memory technology by Staff Writers Singapore (SPX) Oct 25, 2017
An international research team led by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) pioneered the development of a novel thin, organic film that supports a million more times read-write cycles and consumes 1,000 times less power than commercial flash memories. The novel organic film can store and process data for 1 trillion cycles and has the potential to be made even smaller than its current size of 60 square nanometers, with potential to be sub-25 square nanometres. "The novel properties of our invention opens up a new field in the design and development of flexible and lightweight devices. Our work shifts the paradigm on how the industry has traditionally viewed organic electronics, and expands the application of such technologies into new territories," said Professor T Venky Venkatesan, Director of NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (NUSNNI), the overall coordinator for this groundbreaking project. The invention of this novel memory device was first reported online in the journal Nature Materials on 23 October 2017.
Global demand for better electronic memory devices For years, the computer industry has sought to develop memory technologies with higher endurance, lower cost, and better energy efficiency than commercial flash memories. The industry has kept away from using organic systems in memories due to their limitations in performance, questionable claims of reproducibility, and the lack of scientific clarity on mechanisms through which they exhibit their behaviour. To address these challenges, Mr Sreetosh Goswami, a researcher from NUSNNI, successfully fabricated a novel organic resistive memory device that outperforms commercial flash memory in terms of endurance, energy efficiency and cost. He developed 600 working devices which demonstrated impeccable reproducibility. Mr Goswami explained, "For the first time an organic device is looking industrially competitive. Also, we have developed a clear picture of the molecular mechanism based on our in-situ studies which organic devices have always been lacking." He is also a graduate student from the NUS School of Integrative Sciences and Engineering who is under the supervision of Prof Venkatesan. The new device utilises a transition metal complex which was designed and synthesised by Professor Sreebrata Goswami and his team, comprising graduate students Mr Santi Prasad Rath and Mr Debabrata Sengupta, from the Indian Association for Cultivation of Sciences. Prof Goswami said, "We have been working on this unique family of metal complexes over the past few decades, to understand the chemical and physical properties which are controlled by ligand redox. Our understanding is now at a stage where we can engineer new materials by bring together different variations in the molecules, adding active functions and using right counter ions. This opens up new avenues to address many scientific problems." In order to understand the science behind the device performance, Prof Venkatesan established a collaboration with Professor Victor Batista from Yale University. Besides simulating the spectral behaviour of the molecules, Dr Svante Hedstrom and Mr Adam Matula, who are from Prof Batista's team, were able to identify the role of the counter ions in the molecule which gave rise to a non-volatile memory behaviour. "The counter ions surrounding the molecules act like the ratchets on a wrench, and offer stability to the various electronic states of the molecule which are necessary to achieve the memory effect. This molecular-level understanding that we have helped to generate is unprecedented in a memory device, and allow us to create design principles for the next generation of devices," commented Prof Batista.
Pushing the frontiers of memory technologies Prof Venkatesan elaborated, "AI relies on neuromorphic computing to simulate the architecture of the human brain. Therefore, the development of neuromorphic memory devices that can embody the concept of learning endemic to biological memory is crucial. Given the success of our current work, I believe we are on the right track to fabricate innovative memories which will have more than two states while maintaining all the fascinating properties of the device we currently have."
Boston MA (SPX) Oct 18, 2017 Optical frequency combs are widely-used, high-precision tools for measuring and detecting different frequencies - a.k.a. colors - of light. Unlike conventional lasers, which emit a single frequency, these lasers emit multiple frequencies simultaneously. The equally spaced frequencies resemble the teeth of a comb. Optical frequency combs are used for everything from measuring the fingerprints of ... read more Related Links National University of Singapore Computer Chip Architecture, Technology and Manufacture Nano Technology News From SpaceMart.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |