Greener gadget memory developed

Electronics News.

The new device differs from conventional methods, which use electronic means to convert data into signals, which are stored as binary code.

The researchers replaced this with a tiny mechanical arm that translates the data into electrical signals.

Surprisingly, the researchers say, the new mechanical method allows faster operation and uses less energy compared with conventional memory storage tools.

Eurekalert explains that the device records data by measuring the current passing through a carbon nanotube.

The binary value of the data is determined by an electrode that controls the flow of current. According to the scientists, gadgets could become faster, while using less power.

“This is a novel approach to designing memory storage devices,” said Professor Eleanor Campbell, of the School of Chemistry at Edinburgh University, in a statement to eWeek. “Using a mechanical method combined with the benefits of nanotechnology enables a system with superior speed and energy efficiency compared with existing devices.”

The Daily Mail says previous attempts to use carbon nanotube transistors for memory storage hit a stumbling block because they had low operational speed and short memory retention times.