boosting solid-state memory tagged posts

A schematic shows the layered structure of tantalum oxide, multilayer graphene and platinum used for a new type of memory developed at Rice University. The memory device overcomes crosstalk problems that cause read errors in other devices. Credit: Tour Group/Rice University

The memories are based on tantalum oxide, a common insulator in electronics. Applying voltage to a 250-nm-thick sandwich of graphene, tantalum, nanoporous tantalum oxide and platinum creates addressable bits where the layers meet. Control voltages that shift oxygen ions and vacancies switch the bits between ones and zeroes.

The discovery by Rice lab chemist James Tour could allow for crossbar array memories that store up to 162 gigabits, much higher than other oxide-based memory systems...