Phys.org October 7, 2024 Hierarchical assemblies of ferroelectric nanodomains can exhibit exotic morphologies that lead to distinct behaviours. Controlling these super-domains reliably is critical for realizing states with desired functional properties. A team of researchers in the US (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Texas at Arlington, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Rice University) described the super-switching mechanism by using a biased atomic force microscopy tip of a model ferroelectric Pb0.6Sr0.4TiO3. They demonstrated that the writing process was dominated by a super-domain nucleation and stabilization process. A complex scanning-probe trajectory enabled on-demand formation of intricate centre-divergent, centre-convergent and flux-closure […]
Category Archives: Memory storage
Revolutionizing memory technology: multiferroic nanodots for low-power magnetic storage
Nanowerk April 26, 2024 Researchers in Japan fabricated nanodots composed of multiferroic cobalt-substituted BiFeO3, a ferroelectric ferromagnet at room temperature, by pulsed laser deposition using anodized porous alumina as masks. The nanodots were approximately 60 nm in diameter, more than 10 nm in thickness, and approximately 70 Gbit/in.2 in density. They showed both ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism with a single-domain nature. They found that the dot with 190 nm diameter had multidomain vortex ferroelectric and magnetic structures indicating the strong magnetoelectric coupling. The single-domain cobalt-substituted BiFeO3 nanodots were suitable for verifying magnetization reversal by the electric field, which was the first […]
New material shows promise for next-generation memory technology
Nanowerk July 10, 2023 Phase change memory could potentially revolutionize data storage because of its high storage density, and faster read and write capabilities. But still, the complex switching mechanism and intricate fabrication methods associated with these materials have posed challenges for mass production. Unlike conventional amorphous-crystalline PCMs, NbTe4 demonstrates both a low melting point and a high crystallization temperature. This unique combination offers reduced reset energies and improved thermal stability at the amorphous phase. Researchers in Japan fabricated NbTe4 and evaluated its switching performance. It exhibited a significant reduction in operation energy compared to conventional phase-change memory compounds. The […]
Next-generation memory storage with novel block copolymer structures
Nanowerk June 28, 2023 For next-generation lithography and high-density memory devices, it is desirable to obtain densely and tetragonally packed inverted cylindrical microdomains, which are composed of the major block in the minor matrix. The inverted cylinders differ from conventional HEX cylinders, which consist of the minor block in the matrix of the major block. Researchers in South Korea utilized a binary blend of a polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) copolymer (S4VP) and polystyrene-b-poly(4-hydroxystyrene) copolymer (SHS), where the P4VP block exhibited a strong hydrogen bonding interaction with the PHS block. By carefully controlling the molecular weight ratio of S4VP and SHS as well as […]