3D microchip holds promise for increased storage capacity

The team believes the breakthrough could enable additional storage capacity on chips by allowing information to spread across several layers, instead of being compacted into one. For the research, the Cambridge scientists utilised a spintronic chip and a technique called sputtering. They effectively made a multi layered sandwich of cobalt, platinum and ruthenium atoms on a silicon base. The cobalt and platinum atoms store the digital information in a similar way to how a hard disk drive stores data. The ruthenium atoms act as messengers, communicating that information between neighbouring layers of cobalt and platinum. The researchers then used a laser technique called MOKE to probe the data content of the different layers. As they switched a magnetic field on and off they saw in the MOKE signal the data climbing layer by layer from the bottom of the chip to the top. They then confirmed the results using a different measurement method. Lead researcher Professor Russell Cowburn said: "This is a great example of the power of advanced materials science. Traditionally, we would use a series of electronic transistors to move data like this. "We've been able to achieve the same effect just by combining different basic elements such as cobalt, platinum and ruthenium. This is the 21st century way of building things – harnessing the basic power of elements and materials to give built in functionality."