Millipede Memory : A replacement for current Hard drive and Flash drive Memory

June 24, 2012 by Exzion Leave a Comment

Millipede is a non-volatile computer memory stored on nanoscopic pits burned into the

surface of a thin polymer layer. It promises a data density of more than 1 terabit per square

inch (1 gigabit per square millimeter), which is about the limit of the perpendicular recording

hard drives.

The chip combines the older techniques of MEMs (micro-electro-mechanical systems) with

an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).

The technology was developed by IBM’s Zurich research laboratory.

WHY WE GO FOR MILLIPEDE MEMORY?

The current secondary storage technology of the magnetic hard disk is approaching its limits.

With the hard disk capabilities doubling every year, the magnetic storage would soon find its

limit of storage density.Also, the flash drives are not excepted to achieve the proposed

storage density in the immediate

future. Due to these reasons, the Millipede memory is considered as the technology for the

future.

The Millipede memory is the proposed technological replacement for the current secondary

technologies,once they find their limits.

FEATURES OF MILLIPEDE MEMORY

The millipede memory technology uses local probe techniques to write, read back and erase

bits of information on a thermo-active polymer.This thermo-mechanical scanning probe

based data storage features ultrahigh storage density, small form factor, terabit capacity, and

high data rate. Millipede involves using sharp tips that are so small, a prototype contains

4,000 tips in a 7 square mm area. The tips penetrate a thin polymer film to represent the

individual bits, and the tips’ indention is only about 10 nanometers.The tips are each on the

end of a cantilever.

ADVANTAGES

1) Millipede create a higher areal density than flash memory while using about the same

amount of operational power as flash memory.

2) Millipede devices would occupy about the same amount of space as flash memory, making

it easier for CE device manufacturers to implement the technology.

3) Low power consumption than the magnetic storage.

4) Comparitively lighter to magnetic hard disks.

5) Ulta high areal storage densities.

APPLICATION

It will be of extensive application in portable devices like mobile phones, music

players ,personal digital assistants (PDA) etc.