Nanoscale data storage

TL;DR

This paper reviews the development of nanoscale data storage, focusing on molecular and nanostructured materials, highlighting challenges, recent breakthroughs, and potential future directions for ultrahigh-density storage systems.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of nanostorage technologies, discussing new materials, physical principles, and the prospects of molecular-nanostructure hybrid devices.

Findings

Advances in molecular electronic elements and nanostructured materials for nanostorage.

Challenges include materials, fabrication costs, and large-scale integration.

Potential of hybrid molecular-nanostructure devices with sub-5 nm dimensions.

Abstract

The object of this article is to review the development of ultrahigh-density, nanoscale data storage, i.e., nanostorage. As a fundamentally new type of storage system, the recording mechanisms of nanostorage may be completely different to those of the traditional devices. Currently, two types of molecules are being studied for potential application in nanostorage. One is molecular electronic elements including molecular wires, rectifiers, switches, and transistors. The other approach employs nanostructured materials such as nanotubes, nanowires, and nanoparticles. The challenges for nanostorage are not only the materials, ultrahigh data-densities, fabrication-costs, device operating temperatures and large-scale integration, but also the development of the physical principles and models. There are already some breakthroughs obtained, but it is still unclear what kind of nanostorage systems can ultimately replace the current silicon based transistors. A promising candidate may be a molecular-nanostructure hybrid device with sub-5 nm dimensions.