4 ms·

Alternatively, I wonder when we will start using MEMS for storage? Say you have a MEMs device which actually physically flips an atomic sized bit, on or off, l

Alternatively, I wonder when we will start using MEMS for storage? Say you have a MEMs device which actually physically flips an atomic sized bit, on or off, like a light switch. A little gearing machine is what will flip the atomic switches. Or read back its binary data. Hard drives can be demagnetized, and its controller board will eventually fail. This is its Achilles Heel. Flash drives can get electrocuted and fried. Tape is still magnetic, but it separates the reader and writer device, from the actual medium. But it’s too large and cumbersome. Something like a MEMS storage device, will be fully solid state. Fully enclosed. Electrically neutral. Magnetically neutral. And can last for millions of years. It’s the ultimate time capsule.

rcxdude 6y ago
MEMS based storage is a thing, though the most common architecture appears to be basically a magnetic system with a very large number of read/write heads (I think: the summary papers I read were extremely vague on the actual read/write/storage mechanism). The issue mostly seems to be the storage density isn't very good: the actual size of a bit is still quite large and the read/write heads also take up a fairly significant amount of space, but throughput is potentially huge because of the many heads operated in parallel. MEMS tends not to operate at the atomic scale, features of the mechanisms are usually a fair bit larger (and mechanisms which make break/make contact are generally difficult to make reliable and long-living in MEMS: surfaces will tend to stick together when they touch and rolling/sliding interfaces will wear away quickly. Almost all industrial MEMs use involves structures which only move by flexing, not the pretty looking gear systems which tend to get media coverage).
- blackrock 6y ago
  This sounds like an opportunity for a PhD dissertation. Discover a new ability to coat micromachines, to make it resilient to wear and tear. Or to find a micro lubricant that can be used on MEMS micromachines. Btw, nice response.

rcxdude 6y ago

MEMS based storage is a thing, though the most common architecture appears to be basically a magnetic system with a very large number of read/write heads (I think: the summary papers I read were extremely vague on the actual read/write/storage mechanism). The issue mostly seems to be the storage density isn't very good: the actual size of a bit is still quite large and the read/write heads also take up a fairly significant amount of space, but throughput is potentially huge because of the many heads operated in parallel. MEMS tends not to operate at the atomic scale, features of the mechanisms are usually a fair bit larger (and mechanisms which make break/make contact are generally difficult to make reliable and long-living in MEMS: surfaces will tend to stick together when they touch and rolling/sliding interfaces will wear away quickly. Almost all industrial MEMs use involves structures which only move by flexing, not the pretty looking gear systems which tend to get media coverage).

blackrock 6y ago
This sounds like an opportunity for a PhD dissertation. Discover a new ability to coat micromachines, to make it resilient to wear and tear. Or to find a micro lubricant that can be used on MEMS micromachines. Btw, nice response.