Semiconductor material indium selenide can be amorphized using an electric current instead of an energy-intensive melt-quench process, a major advance for data storage research.

A collaborative effort between researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and IISc (Indian Institute of Science) has developed a phase-change memory (PCM) technology that significantly reduces energy requirements, potentially transforming future data storage capabilities. PCM stores data by switching materials between amorphous and crystalline states, much like a binary system, but previously faced high energy costs for large-scale applications. The team used indium selenide (In2Se3) to achieve a one-billionth reduction in energy use for phase changes through electric pulses. In-situ microscopy at IISc revealed a fascinating process where piezoelectric properties and structural shifts in In2Se3 create an avalanche-like effect, enabling low-power amorphization—a development with promising implications for sustainable, low-power memory devices.

My Take

This breakthrough in phase-change memory could change how data is stored in personal and enterprise devices, making energy-efficient technology more feasible. Innovations like these also emphasize the importance of international research collaborations, especially in fields where interdisciplinary insights are crucial. PCM’s potential for reducing device energy consumption has happened at the perfect moment when we desperately need to reduce energy requirements. Unfortunately, like most new technologies, it will probably take years to commercialize.

#PhaseChangeMemory #DataStorage #EnergyEfficiency #Innovation #IndiumSelenide #PCM #SustainableTech #TechBreakthrough #FutureOfData

Link to article:

https://interestingengineering.com/science/data-storage-phase-change-memory-advances

Link to research:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08156-8

Credit: Interesting Engineering