The technology used, combines organic and inorganic materials to produce a device that combines the characteristics of a CD and conventional memory chip. It bears similarities to CD’s in that when data is written to it, it undergoes permanent physical change. However, unlike a CD it does not use a laser to write the information. Similarly to a memory chip, it plugs directly into an electronic circuit and has no moving parts.
PEDOT, a known conductive polymer is used in antistatic coatings for photographic film and electrical contacts on video displays. The PEDOT based memory would employ a grid of circuits which all have connections using a PEDOT fuse. Using a high voltage, the fuses could be selectively blown, simulating a zero, whilst functioning fuses represent a 1 for digital data storage.
Findings indicate that 1 million bits if information could be stored in a square millimetre of paper thin material. Similarly, a gigabyte of information could be stored in a 1cm cube.
Commercial availability of the product is still about 5 years away, but the researchers believe it can be made economically viable for single use memory media.
The research findings will be published in the November 13th, edition of the journal ‘Nature’.
For more information on data storage, click here.