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.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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jacobdrj So, is this storage Future Tech more like batteries (who always promise wonderful things in 2-5 years with almost no tangible consumer benefit), or is this more like CPU tech, where Moore's Law reigns?Reply -
brendano257 Incredible. I just hope it comes mainstream with decent pricing, and soon. I'm running out of places to put my movies :(Reply -
jerreece Okay, now this is the kind of news Tomshardware should be posting about.Reply
A few years from now, this could become the replacement for SSDs. Imagine, 2.24TB in a thumb drive sized storage unit. Incredible. Absolutely incredible. -
zoemayne 5 years isnt soon enough ssd's price will go down by then and they'll be already in mass use. hopefully this works out because many times we never hear about these "breakthroughs" after further research.Reply -
zoemayne So if you do the math a typical 2.5" drive can hold 8 of these chips so that 17.92TB. Depending on the thickness of the chip it can be layered 2 to 3 times providing capacities of 35.84TB and 53.76TB respectively. And for 3.5" drives the numbers more than double.Reply