Posted: Sep 29, 2014 | |
Nanotechnology data storage built using technology that mimics the human brain |
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(Nanowerk News) RMIT University researchers have brought ultra-fast, nano-scale data storage within striking reach, using technology that mimics the human brain. | |
Dr Sharath Sriram, RMIT University The researchers have built a novel nano-structure that offers a new platform for the development of highly stable and reliable nanoscale memory devices. The pioneering work will feature on a forthcoming cover of prestigious materials science journal Advanced Functional Materials ("Nanoscale Resistive Switching in Amorphous Perovskite Oxide (a-SrTiO3) Memristors"). Project leader Dr Sharath Sriram, co-leader of the RMIT Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group, said the nanometer-thin stacked structure was created using thin film, a functional oxide material more than 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. “The thin film is specifically designed to have defects in its chemistry to demonstrate a ‘memristive’ effect – where the memory element’s behaviour is dependent on its past experiences,” Dr Sriram said. |
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“With flash memory rapidly approaching fundamental scaling limits, we need novel materials and architectures for creating the next generation of non-volatile memory. | |
“The structure we developed could be used for a range of electronic applications – from ultrafast memory devices that can be shrunk down to a few nanometers, to computer logic architectures that replicate the versatility and response time of a biological neural network. | |
“While more investigation needs to be done, our work advances the search for next generation memory technology can replicate the complex functions of human neural system – bringing us one step closer to the bionic brain.” | |
The research relies on memristors, touted as a transformational replacement for current hard drive technologies such as Flash, SSD and DRAM. Memristors have potential to be fashioned into non-volatile solid-state memory and offer building blocks for computing that could be trained to mimic synaptic interfaces in the human brain. | |
The research, which was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery grant, was a collaboration between members of the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group and Professor Dmitri Strukov from the University of California, Santa Barbara. |
Source: RMIT University |