Universal Computer Memory. The holy grail of computing memory has been universal computer memory that can replace the current need for both short-term and long-term memory in the computing process. An article published in Nature Communications describes a new material that looks like it will enable universal computer memory.
Computers currently use RAM for short-term memory. RAM chips are superfast but need a lot of physical space and use a lot of power. A big downside to RAM is that everything is lost if a computer loses power. Long-term memory is achieved using flash memory, which is much slower than RAM but can retain data without power. Universal computer memory would capture the best of both worlds by being fast, energy-efficient, and retaining data without power.
Scientists at Stanford and other universities are using a new material called GST467 that contains germanium, antimony, and terbium. Scientist are configuring GST467 in a stacked-layer structure known as a superlattice. They believe this will create chips that are faster, less expensive to manufacture, and that will use less power. The team tested hundreds of different chip sizes and configurations using the new material. They found that a GST467 memory device achieved fast speeds while consuming very little power. They also believe the material can retain data for more than ten years at temperatures above 248 degrees Fahrenheit. These are all huge performance improvements over current chips.
First Graphene Semiconductor.
Graphene is made from a single layer of carbon atoms bound in a tight hexagonal lattice. It seems like a superior material to use for electronics since it’s a better conductor than silicon. Scientists have always known that graphene also has an unusual property where electrons passing through it can be structured in a wave-like pattern that is perfect for quantum computing.
Researchers have never been able to overcome the issue of creating a band gap, which is the ability to easily move electrons where needed inside a graphene chip. A band gap is what enables components like a transistor to turn on and turn off.
A reported in Nature, scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and from China, have created the first working graphene-based semiconductor. The chip is made from epitaxial graphene, which is a specific crystalline form of graphene bonded to silicon carbide. They’ve found that transistors in this structure can operate at terahertz frequencies, which is ten times faster than today’s silicon-based chips. The best news is that it looks like this new structure could be integrated into the current processes for chip manufacturing.
Protonic Artificial Synapse. Engineers at MIT have developed an artificial synapse that mimics the way the brain works, but that can move data a million times faster than the human brain. The human brain is by far the most powerful data processor due to the unique structure of neutrons and synapses, and scientists and engineers have been trying for years to duplicate the brain using electronic neural networks.
The MIT team has mimicked neural networks by creating a chip that works more like the brain. It uses an analog system that shuttles data using protons instead of electrons. The chip uses a solid electrolyte made from phosphosilicate glass (PSG) that allows the creation of a programmable resistor that will work at room temperatures.
When a strong electric field of up to 10 volts is applied to the device, the protons move very quickly, which is what allows the chip to be up to a million times faster than a brain. They’ve found that the chip seems to have a long-life and doesn’t break down from the increased power. The big challenge is to find a way to mass-produce the chips then arrange them into the most effective array.