Nanodots Used To Create 2.24 TB Storage Chip

It's a new way to cram large capacities into nanometer spaces.

A scientist of the University of North Carolina has discovered a way to cram 2.24 TB of data onto a one-square-inch chip. This was accomplished by storing a single bit of data in a magnetic dot (quantum dot) measuring just 6nm in diameter. These dots--17,921 billion in fact--were then crammed onto the chip, thus providing an "unprecedented" amount of storage that could eventually turn around the SSD market.

According to Dr. Jagdish "Jay" Narayan of the University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the nanodots are made of single, defect-free crystals created during thin-film growth by laser disposition. These crystals combine with magnetic sensors that are integrated directly into a silicon electron chip. He added that the nanodots are positioned uniformly "with strict precision," guaranteeing that the dots can be read and written without the slightest error.

“The next step is to develop magnetic packaging that will enable users to take advantage of the chips, using something, such as laser technology, that can effectively interact with the nanodots," he said.

Dr. Narayan told THINQ that--even at this current stage--overall the chips shouldn't be expensive to make. The University also backed his claim, saying that the chips can be manufactured "cost-effectively." The new storage technology may even be ready for mass consumption relatively soon, perhaps within the next five years.