Korean scientists on Tuesday said they have developed a new type of memory cell that can store and process data more than a thousand times faster than conventional flash devices.
The joint research team from Konkuk University and Seoul National University (SNU) said they have created a non-volatile memory device based on carbon nano-tubes and a micro-electrodynamic system.
The cell that can hold onto data without power has been successfully tested to store and erase data at one-10 millionth of a second.
"This represents a considerable leap in processing time over existing flash memory devices and also translates into less energy being used, making it ideal for future applications in mobile machines," said Lee Sang-wook, physics professor at Konkuk University, who led the research along Park Yung-woo, professor at the school of astronomy and physics at SNU.
The breakthrough was made by creating a type of mechanical electrodynamic system that allows a metal cantilever to transfer electric charge directly to a floating gate that speeds up both data programming and erasing time. Existing flash memory devices operate by electrified floating gates surrounding a memory device to read stored data that requires more energy and creates heat.
Lee said that if the metal cantilever can be made with a carbon nanotube instead of silicon -- which is used in most transistors at present -- the processing time can be sped up to over 10,000 times vis-a-vis existing flash memory devices.
"It may take time to actually make a working memory device, but if such a cell can be developed, it can open new horizons for the development of next-generation memory devices," the scientist said.
The latest research, meanwhile, has been published on-line in an issue of the Nature Communications journal. (Yonhap)