Engineers from the University of Michigan have created a new form of solid-state memory that can store and rewrite information at temperatures exceeding 1,100°F (600°C), which is hotter than the surface of Venus.
A Shift from Traditional Memory
This innovative device is not like standard silicon-based memory, which is limited to functioning under 300°F (150°C). Instead, it operates by moving oxygen ions to transfer data, rather than depending on electron movement. This advancement could pave the way for electronics designed for extreme environments such as fusion reactors, jet engines, and geothermal wells.
Insights from Researchers
Yiyang Li, an assistant professor in materials science and engineering, and the lead author of the study, mentioned, "It could enable electronic devices for high-temperature applications that didn’t exist before." To write data, the device requires temperatures of at least 500°F (250°C). However, researchers believe that a heater could assist in cooler settings. At present, it can only store one bit of data, but the team is optimistic that it could eventually store much larger amounts, such as megabytes or gigabytes, with additional development.
Implications for AI Technology
This advancement could prove particularly beneficial for artificial intelligence in harsh environments. Alec Talin, a senior scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, noted, "There's a lot of interest in using AI to improve monitoring in these extreme settings, but they require beefy processor chips that run on a lot of power, and a lot of these extreme settings also have strict power budgets."
By allowing in-memory computing, this new technology could process data prior to sending it to AI processors, leading to energy savings in challenging conditions.
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