Post thumbnail of Self-assembled nanostructures enable a low-power phase-change memory for mobile electronic devices
12 October 2015
Continue reading Self-assembled nanostructures enable a low-power phase-change memory for mobile electronic devices

Self-assembled nanostructures enable a low-power phase-change memory for mobile electronic devices

Nonvolatile memory that can store data even when not powered is currently used for portable electronics such as smart phones, tablets, and laptop computers. Flash memory is a dominant technology in this field, but its slow writing and erasing speed has led to extensive research into a next-generation nonvolatile memory called Phase-Change Random Access Memory (PRAM), as PRAM’s operating speed is 1,000 times faster than that of flash memory. Scientists have now developed a phase-change memory with low power consumption (below 1/20th of its present level) by employing self-assembled block copolymer silica nanostructures.