Memory chips to replace flash drives

Researchers at Rice University have created 3D memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper and capable of withstanding 537°C temperatures.

“Devices with these chips could retain data despite an accidental trip through the drier or even a voyage to Mars. And with a 3D internal architecture, the chips could pack extra gigabytes of data while taking up less space,” said James M Tour, who led the research team.

“The chips are really big for the electronics industry because they are now looking for replacements for flash memory,” he said.

“Because of the way that the new memory chips are configured, namely with two terminals per bit of information rather than the standard three terminals per bit, they are much better suited for the next revolution in electronics - 3D memory - than flash drives.”

The chips were originally composed of a layer of graphene or other carbon material on top of silicon oxide, which has long been considered an insulator, a passive component in electronic devices. Originally, the researchers thought that the memory capability was due to the graphene. But they recently discovered that the silicon oxide surface was actually making the memories.

Current touch sceens are made of indium tin oxide and glass, both of which are brittle and can break easily. However, plastic containing the memory chips could replace those screens with the added bonuses of being flexible while also storing large amounts of memory.

Tour hopes to send the chips on a future mission to see how the memory holds up in the high-radiation environment of space.