Ion-Based Data Allows Atom-Sized Storage Cells Similar To Brain Structure (thestack.com) 19
An anonymous reader writes: Researchers in Germany have developed a method of writing data with ions and retrieving it with electrons that opens the path for atom-sized storage devices which are similar to structures found in the human brain. The Nanoelectronic group at Kiel University joined the Ruhr Universitat Bochum to seek alternatives to conventional memory technologies, which involve the displacement of electrons by applying voltage, but which promise little more advance in terms of capacity or form-factor. The new technique is based on electrical resistance using a solid ion conductor.
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Basically, a refinement of the memristor (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.nature.com/articles... [nature.com]
In conclusion, a double barrier memristive device was realized with a highly uniform current distribution for the high and low resistance states, which indicates a non-filamentary based resistive switching mechanism. We have shown evidence that the use of an ultra-thin NbxOy solid state electrolyte layer of 2.5nm sandwiched between an Au (Schottky) contact and an Al2O3 tunneling barrier restricts the resistive switching mechanism to interfacial effects where both barriers are involved. This may lead to the observed drastically improved retention characteristic compared to the single barrier Schottky contact devices and may be based on confined oxygen ion diffusion within the sandwiched NbxOy layer.
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Re:Memory like brain structure? (Score:5, Interesting)
What you're describing is the behaviour of our memory at a high level of abstraction. The comparison made by the article refers to how our memory works at the "bare metal" level. At this lowest level of data retention there is no processing. It's simply storage and retrieval. Redundancy is probably the next level up and then probably several layers of processing.
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Actually, I got it wrong. The article wasn't talking about the "bare metal" storage mechanisms our brains use. Oh well.
nothing to do with brain structure (Score:3)
Final paragraph makes nebulous claim about highly parallel low power devices being able to do tasks the human brain can.......this has zero to do with any process or structure found in the human or any other animal brain.
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