Using innovative nanotechnology, IBM scientists
have demonstrated a data storage density of a trillion bits per square
inch -- 20 times higher than the densest magnetic storage available
today. IBM achieved this remarkable density -- enough to store 25
million printed textbook pages on a surface the size of a postage
stamp -- in a research project code-named "Millipede".
Rather than using traditional magnetic or electronic means to store
data, Millipede uses thousands of nano-sharp tips to punch
indentations representing individual bits into a thin plastic film.
The result is akin to a nanotech version of the venerable data
processing 'punch card' developed more than 110 years ago, but with
two crucial differences: the 'Millipede' technology is re-writeable
(meaning it can be used over and over again), and may be able to store
more than 3 billion bits of data in the space occupied by just one
hole in a standard punch card.
Although this unique approach is smaller than today's traditional
technologies and can be operated at lower power, IBM scientists
believe still higher levels of storage density are possible.
"Since a nanometer-scale tip can address individual atoms,
further improvements far beyond even this fantastic terabit milestone
can be achieved. While current storage technologies may be approaching
their fundamental limits, this nanomechanical approach is potentially
valid for a thousand-fold increase in data storage density.
The terabit demonstration employed a single "nano-tip"
making indentations only 10 nanometers (millionth of a millimeter) in
diameter -- each mark being 50,000 times smaller than the period at
the end of this sentence. While the concept has been proven with an
experimental setup using more than 1,000 tips, the research team is
now building a prototype, due to be completed early next year, which
deploys more than 4,000 tips working simultaneously over a 7 mm-square
field. Such dimensions would enable a complete high-capacity data
storage system to be packed into the smallest format used now for
flash memory.
While flash memory is not expected to surpass 1-2
gigabytes of capacity in the near term, Millipede technology could
pack 10 - 15 gigabytes of data into the same tiny format, without
requiring more power for device operation.
The Millipede project could bring tremendous data capacity to mobile
devices such as personal digital assistants, cellular phones, and
multifunctional watches. In addition, we are also exploring the use of
this concept in a variety of other applications, such as large-area
microscopic imaging, nanoscale lithography or atomic and molecular
manipulation.
