The usual way to cram more storage capacity into memory chips is to shrink the
bits that hold the 1s and 0s of computer information. An alternative is to put
multiple bits in the same spot, which is what the researchers from the
University of Southern California and NASA are working on. They have built a
prototype molecular memory device that stores three bits in the same spot.
According to technology research magazine report, which quotes Chongwu Zhou, an
assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern
California as saying, "We can store three bits of information in one memory
cell. This multiplies the storage density without increasing the device
footprint."
According to the report, a memory chip based on the
researchers' prototype would be able to hold 40 gigabits, which is a little more
than a DVD's-worth of data, per square centimeter, and the method has the
potential to hold 10 times that. Today's flash memory chips hold of about 1
gigabit per square centimeter.
The multilevel molecular memory could be used to make memory chips for
computers and cameras. Besides, the devices could also be made on flexible
substrates, which means they could be used in smart cards.
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