TECHNOLOGY: Molecular Memory

Molecular memory is regarded by some as the next big evolution in memory storage, looking to supplant Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) as a cheaper option for high-speed computing. Molecular memory relies on the existence of certain bistable molecules which may be induced to switch between states based on electric input. Typically this bistability relies on oxidation and reduction reactions in which an electron is either donated or received by the molecule. These reactions are dependent on the electrical environment around each molecule, and new technology promises to ease and standardize the control of such environments.

A collaboration between labs in UCLA and the California Institute of Technology has recently published an article in Nature decribing a 160-kilobit memory device using these molecular switches in combination with nanowire meshes to create controllable electronic environments. Nanowires are similar to nanotubes, except that they may consist of materials other than carbon - in this case Silicon and Titanium - that may result in unique conductive properties. In this device, the silicon and titanium nanowires cross eachother in a checkerboard pattern (see figure) with bistable molecules at each intersection. Manipulation of each nanowire controls the state of each switch and serves as a miniscule bit of memory on the order of 100 billion bits per square centimeter.