IBM Researchers Make Molecule Store Data

by Yaroslav Lyssenko

[ 08/13/2006 | 11:35 PM ]

IBM researchers in <%BANNER[article_nw]%>Zurich, Switzerland, have demonstrated a single-molecule device capable of repeatedly storing and retrieving data.

CNET News.com writes that the device is a surprisingly simple organic compound that can be set to high or low resistance through electrical pulses. In the lab, it reliably retained its ability to change states over many hours and more than 500 tests, which the researchers described as “a remarkable result for a single-molecule system.”

“Right now, we are concentrating on understanding the relationship between the design of the molecular system and the electrical properties measured. Our next steps are to investigate the mechanism responsible for switching,” researcher Heike Riel told ZDNet UK.

The news-story continues with an explanation of the experiment. The experiment itself mounted the molecule between two gold electrodes that could be adjusted to subpicometer accuracy. Although most of the testing took place under extremely cold conditions, some results showed that the molecule continued to switch states at room temperature - though, as the gold was then much softer, it flowed and short-circuited after a few cycles.

“At about 1.5 nanometers long, the molecule is less than a hundredth of the size of current silicon memory elements. It is widely accepted in the industry that current progress in silicon will become economically more difficult below 20nm, with fundamental physical limits being reached below 10nm. IBM says it sees molecular computing as one way of pushing past this barrier, as well as semiconducting wires, carbon nanotubes and spintronics,” adds CNET News.com.

• CNET News.com: IBM Researchers: Single Molecule Stores Data.