A new type of memory promises to reduce power consumption and improve performance

A prototype memory device created in hafnium oxide, one of the most heat-resistant insulating materials, promises to revolutionize the field of computer memory. Researchers manage to overcome their main barrier to this day.

British researchers have succeeded a significant advance in the field of computer memory when developing a new design with new materials such as hafnium oxidewhich could have a positive impact on performance and energy efficiency Internet and communication technologies.

As reported by TechXplorethe team led by the researcher Hellenbrad, from the University of Cambridge, has created a prototype device based on hafnium oxidean insulating material already used in the semiconductor industry.

He challenge of using this material in memory applications it is known as the problem of uniformity. At the atomic level, hafnium oxide lacks structure, making it difficult to use in memory.

However, the researchers discovered that adding barium to hafnium oxide thin films, unusual structures were formed perpendicular to the plane of hafnium oxide in the composite material. The study has been published in Science Advances.

These bridges Highly structured, barium-rich verticals allow the passage of electrons, while the surrounding hafnium oxide remains structureless. When joining contacts on the device, a an energy barrier that electrons can pass through.

In addition, the researchers were able control the height of this barrierwhich modifies the electrical resistance of the composite material to memory modules. “This allows multiple states to exist in the material, unlike conventional memory, which only has two states.“Hellenbrand explains.

A notable aspect of this advance is that, unlike other composite materials, which require expensive processes and high temperatures, hafnium oxide compounds self-assemble at low temperatures.

composite material exhibited high yield and uniformity, making it highly promising for next-generation memory applications. Cambridge Enterprise, the marketing division of the University of Cambridge, has applied for a patent on this technology.

Its integration in manufacturing processes would not be difficult

“What’s really exciting about these materials is that they can function like a synapse in the brain: they can store and process information in the same place, just like our brains. This makes them a very promising option for the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are growing rapidly“Hellenbrand emphasizes.

At the momentresearchers are collaborating with industry to carry out more extensive feasibility studies about these materials and better understand how high-performance structures are formed. Because the hafnium oxide It is already used in the semiconductor industry, the researchers say that its integration into manufacturing processes would not be difficult.