Mar 28, 2011 |
Carbon nanotube transistors for memory storage holds key to 'green' gadgets
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(Nanowerk News) Researchers have created a tiny device that improves on existing forms of memory storage.
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Conventional methods use electronic devices to convert data into signals that are stored as binary code.
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This latest device uses a tiny mechanical arm to translate the data into electrical signals.
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This allows for much faster operation and uses much less energy compared with conventional memory storage tools.
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Technical advantage
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The device records data by measuring the current passing through a carbon nanotube.
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The binary value of the data is determined by an electrode that controls the flow of current.
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Scientists at the University, who helped create the device, say it could offer gadget designers a way to create faster devices with reduced power consumption.
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Pioneering solution
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Previous attempts to use carbon nanotube transistors for memory storage hit a stumbling block because they had low operational speed and short memory retention times.
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By using a mechanical arm to charge the electrode - which operates much faster than conventional memory devices - scientists have been able to overcome these problems.
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The research, carried out in collaboration with Konkuk University and Seoul National University, Korea, was published in Nature Communications ("A fast and low-power microelectromechanical system-based non-volatile memory device") and supported by EaStCHEM.
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