Researchers claim to have developed a method of boosting the storage density of flash memory by using stacked layers of platinum and gold nanoparticles.

Ordinarily, flash memories, such as those employed in USB sticks and digital camera memory cards, use just one layer of devices to trap electrical charge - the process by which digital information is encoded.

However, by using metal nanoparticles and depositing them in alternating layers with an insulating polymer onto a base of hafnium oxide-coated silicon substrate, Jang-Sik Lee, Jinhan Cho and co-workers at Kookmin University in Seoul, along with Frank Caruso of the University of Melbourne claim they have been able to boost memory capacity more than three-fold using gold nanoparticles, Chemistry World reports.

However, should platinum be employed in the same way more spectacular results might be achieved, with manufacturers afforded greater control over density and performance of devices, the researchers said.

Devices with platinum nanoparticles can deliver ten million charges per square centimetre in a sandwich structure with four layers, the scientists' research showed.

Sources:

Flash memory enters another dimension, 03/12/07
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/December/03120701.asp

Layer-by-layer assembled charge-trap memory devices with adjustable electronic properties, 02/12/07
http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nnano.2007.380.html;jsessionid=5FD6627D3B169EE67A7CF40E58E432E0

Ÿ Adfero Ltd