This is interesting. Researchers are trying to improve Flash memory density and retention time by using graphene structures. From IEEE Spectrum:

Nanotechnology has a somewhat infamous relationship with flash memory. It has usually taken on the role as its adversary, such as in the case of Nantero or IBM’s Millipede project, and walked away with less than encouraging results.

So I was interested to see that researchers were using graphene as a platform for flash memory that appears to outperform other flash memory structures. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Researchers from UCLA, IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center, Samsung Electronics, Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Queensland, team led by Kang Wang have recently published in ACS Nano an article entitled “Graphene Flash Memory” that demonstrates that graphene may have what it takes to outperform current flash memory technology.

As I have suggested in my post from last week, researchers are not breaking their backs trying to overcome graphene’s lack of band gap as much now as they are instead looking for ways to exploit its intrinsic strengths.

In this case, the researchers were trying to take advantage of graphene’s high density of states, high work function, and atomic thinness.