Nanotechnology: Storing Data to Atoms

Nanotechnology: Storing Data to Atoms

Group 4

Judson Haley, Josh Tratz, and Virginia Young

Keywords: Nanotechnology, Atom, Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), transistor.

Nanotechnology, by IBM’s definition, is “work done at a scale of 100nm or less.”

Researchers are constantly working on making computer chips smaller and smaller. The current computer chips are made using silicon. Unfortunately, the smaller the silicon wire, the more electricity it leaks. Eventually these wires will be so small they will be useless and this knowledge has encouraged research into the use of other materials. Using atoms for data storage is one possibility.

A report out of IBM's Zurich, Switzerland lab, said they had used an individual molecule switch that operated flawlessly without disrupting the molecule's outer frame. This could potentially replace the transistors used in modern chips. They are now trying to use it on other molecules so they can work together to form microprocessors. In addition to switching within a single molecule, the researchers have demonstrated that atoms in one molecule can be used to switch atoms within another molecule. This is possible because the framework is not disturbed.

Working at the atomic level is only possible if you can see at the atomic level. This has been made possible by using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope.

In 1981, two IBM Swedish scientists, Gerd Binnig, (gert bin'ikh) and Heinrich Rohrer invented the Scanning Tunneling Microscope, for which they won a 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics. This device uses a very tiny electrical probe to scan surfaces and detect weak electric currents. The STM allowed scientists to look at surfaces at the atomic level.

The scanning tip of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope is so sharp that the tip is only the size of one atom. It uses a weak electrical charge to measure the distance from the tip to the surface and never actually touches it. (If it does, the tip will be damaged and have to be replaced.)

IBM was using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope to study and understand vibrations at the molecular level. During this research, they were surprised to discover that atoms could be “switched” off and on. This new discovery caused them to change their research from molecular vibrations to atomic switching, leading to a new breakthrough in nanotechnology research.

Using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope to measure an atom’s magnetic anisotropy (having a different value when measured on different axes), researchers discovered the magnetic field had the ability to maintain a particular direction. This property can allow atoms to be used as on/off switches - the 1s and 0s used in writing binary computer language - without changing the shape of the molecule.

Even though research has reached this goal, they still have to figure out a way to move the molecules quicker than one molecule at a time, using the current process of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope. One possible way is to use self assembly, where the atoms under certain conditions will naturally form the desired shape.

Matthew McMahon, a spokesman for IBM, said “the next step is finding molecules that are stable at temperatures suitable for storage devices.” The Zurich researchers have also developed a technique for using a molecule containing two hydrogen atoms as a switch, either on its own or with an adjacent molecule. They are now looking to apply the method to other molecules so they can work as a collection of logic gates.

Current hard drives use millions of atoms to store each individual bit of information. The atom allows the hard drive to be replaced with an atomic storage device that greatly increases its storage capability. This could amount to roughly 250 terabits of data per square inch. Only a few dozen bits were actually stored in the research demonstration but, they are working on a way to move several molecules at a time. One possible way is to use self assembly where the atoms under certain conditions will naturally form the desired shape.

The atomic memory drive will act like a normal hard drive; meaning it could be formatted and data could be written to and read from it.

Individual atoms are unlikely ever to match the speed of current technologies because the low energy levels involved at the atomic level make for a slow speed as compared to the current technologies. "As density increases, your ability to read the memory comes down because you get less and less of a signal," (Franz Himpsel of the University of Wisconsin) but he adds that the system might be suited to storing images or other information that does not have to be perfect.

The atomic storage device could lead the way to pack as many as 150 trillion bits of data in a square inch. That’s 1,000 times more than current data storage densities. In other words, the ability to store data on atoms could lead to capability of storing the equivalent of 30,000 movies in a device the size of an iPod.

Currently, magnetic drives and writeable CDs are the largest forms of storage devices. Flash drives are growing in storage capability, but are used to store data temporarily. These technologies are the ones to try to beat in the next generation of storage devices. The ability to store data on an atom drastically reduces the size needed for the amount of storage. The atom could replace the old long term storage devices, leading to the ability to store vast amounts of data.

The industry is still about 10 years from the production of IBM’s atomic data storage as there is still much development to take place. However, it could be an effective method for replacing computer storage devices as we know them. Who knows where this could lead? This technology could increase the rate at which computers become smaller each year. The transistor was the turning point to make the personal computer available to everyone. This is just the next step to take the computer to a new level.

References

Ames, B. (2007). IBM stores data on an atom. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from InfoWorld Web site: http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/08/31/IBM-stores-data-on-an-atom_1.html

IBM Research (2007), Think research. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from IBM Web site: http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/wwwr_thinkresearch.nsf/pages/20070830_atomic.html

Knight, W. (2002), Single atom memory device stores data. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from NewScientist Web site: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2775.html

Weiss, P. (2005), Morphing memory: superfast atom shuffling inspires data-storage alternatives. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from LookSmart Find Articles Web site: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_23_167/ai_n14791476

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2007), Scanning tunneling microscope. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope

Nanotechnology: Storing Data to Atoms
Group 4

1.	In nanotechnology research, STM stands for

A.	Scanning Transmission Microscope

B.	Scanning Topography Microscope

C.	Scanning Tunneling Microscope

D.	Scanning Tactical Microscope

2.	When used for computer data storage, the atom’s ____________ will allow it to be used as an on/off switch.

magnetism

speed

C.	conductivity

size

1. 3.3. 2.3.

Anisotropy means:

A.	Having a different value when measured on different axes.

B.	Having the same value when measured on different axes.

C.	Having no value.

D.	None of the above.

4.	IBM defines nanotechnology as

A.	work done at a scale of 1000nm or less

B.	work done at a scale of 100nm or less.

C.	work done at a scale of 10nm or less.

D.	work done at a scale of 1nm or less

5.	In order to be considered a data storage device, an atom must be

A.	magnetically flexible.

B.	able to maintain magnetic orientation.

volatile.

D.	all of the above.

6.	If IBM is successful at using atoms for computer data storage, roughly how many movies will be able to fit on a device the size of an iPod?

15,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

7.	Using atoms for computer data storage, how much data could be stored in one square inch?

250 KB

250 GB

250 MB

250 TB