Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the Indian Institute of Science, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new method for amorphizing indium selenide wires that requires significantly less power density than traditional methods. This breakthrough could transform data storage in devices from cell phones to computers by enabling phase-change memory (PCM) technology.
Currently, making materials amorphous—a process known as amorphization—requires considerable amounts of energy. The most common technique is the melt-quench process, which involves heating a material until it liquifies and then rapidly cooling it to prevent the atoms from ordering themselves in a crystal lattice.
The new method, however, uses electrical pulses to disrupt the crystalline structure of indium selenide wires, resulting in amorphization. This approach requires as little as one billion times less power density than traditional methods, making it a promising solution for phase-change memory devices.
Researchers discovered that the unique properties of indium selenide, including its ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity, play a crucial role in this process. The material’s 2D aspect and layered structure allow it to respond to electrical current by deforming certain regions, creating an “acoustic jerk” that drives additional deformation.
This process resembles both an avalanche and an earthquake, with tiny sections of the wire amorphizing first and then triggering a rapid spread of deformation throughout the material. The researchers found that this process can be controlled and optimized using in situ microscopy tools, opening up new possibilities for designing low-power memory devices.
The collaboration between Penn Engineering, IISc, and MIT has created fertile ground for future discoveries in structural transformations and materials science. This breakthrough could lead to significant advancements in data storage technology, enabling faster, more efficient, and lower-power computing devices.
Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-advances-energy-efficient-avalanche-based.html