English 
Spanish 
4 min read
0 comments
US advances in energy-efficient semiconductors put the country in a position to challenge China in the technology sector
O advancement of data storage technology is a central topic in semiconductor materials research, and a recent discovery promises to transform the field.
Researchers from University of Pennsylvania. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) developed a technique that amorphizes indium selenide using an electric current, drastically reducing energy consumption the energy of this process.
What is Phase Change Memory (PCM)
Phase Change Memory, known by the acronym PCM (from English Phase Change Memory), is a promising technology in data storage that exploits the ability of certain materials to change their state between amorphous and crystalline.
- Could Elon Musk decree the end of Oi, Claro, Tim, Vivo and others? Starlink builds its first satellite constellation to connect cell phones around the world
- Carbon storage: innovative megaproject promises to inject 4 million tons per year and reach 100 million in 25 years, starting in 2027!
- The FIRST industrial deployment of wave-powered desalination in South America marks a historic feat and promises to revolutionize water supply in Chile
- New type of lithium-ion battery with single crystal electrode can withstand more than 20.000 charging cycles
This phase change allows information to be stored in binary form, as well as an on/off system, similar to the binary data system used in computers.
Currently, PCM is applied in devices such as cell phones and computers, but it still faces challenges on a large scale due to the high energy consumption required to change the phase of the materials.
This process is typically accomplished through melting and quenching, a method that requires rapid cooling after the material is heated to a liquid state, preventing crystal formation.
Beautiful Deer
Semiconductors! Researchers' discovery: reduced energy consumption
In a recent collaboration between India and the US, researchers have found that it is possible to perform a phase change with one-billionth of the energy required in efficient methods using index selenide (In₂Se₃).
The use of this environmental material ushers in a new era for data storage capabilities, especially in low-power devices.
The amorphization process, which transforms the material into an amorphous phase, is typically achieved through extreme heat.
However, a group led by Ritesh Agarwal of the University of Pennsylvania reported a decade ago that electrical pulses could achieve the same effect on materials based on germanium, antimony and tellurium.
More recently, the study has expanded to include indium selenide, a semiconductor with unique properties.
Unique properties of indium selenide
Indium selenide (In₂Se₃) has ferroelectric and piezoelectric characteristics, which means it can spontaneously polarize and generate electric current in response to mechanical stress. These properties facilitate the amorphization process with lower energy consumption.
To better understand the process, Agarwal envy samples of the material from Professor Pavan Nukala of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Nukala and his team used an advanced set of in-situ microscopy tools to observe the features. The scientists noticed that the amorphization process in In₂Se₃ occurs in a similar way to an earthquake or avalanche.
The phenomenon of avalanche and earthquake in the material
During the application of an electric current, small regions of indium selenide, measuring only one billionth of a meter, began to amorphize.
The piezoelectric properties and structure of the material generate instability, causing portions of the In₂Se₃ to change position, similar to the movement of snow on a mountain about to collapse.
When deformation reaches a critical point, the material undergoes a chain of propagation changes, similar to the seismic waves that occur during an earthquake. These waves generate new amorphous areas, like an avalanche.
This is where energy is used most efficiently, as the process is self-reinforcing.
Impact and future of PCM technology with indium selenide
The discovery brings new possibilities for the development of low-power memory devices. Shubham Parate, a PhD student at IISc and a member of the study, describes the experience as “overwhelming” to see all these features interacting at different scales.
Professor Agarwal highlights that the discovery opens new horizons in the area of structural transformations of materials.
From these combined properties, it is possible to design memory devices with significantly reduced energy consumption, which could benefit everything from small mobile devices to large data processing centers, which demand high efficiency.
However, there are still challenges to be overcome before indium selenide PCM reaches the market on a broad scale. A complete understanding of the interactions between the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of In₂Se₃ is crucial to improving process efficiency and predictions at industrial scales.
Conclusion
The study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, MIT and IISc indicates a promising future for data storage in low-power devices.
By using electric currents to amorphize indium selenide, it was possible to drastically reduce the energy consumption of the phase change process.
This technological innovation could be a key to solving one of the biggest problems in PCM, providing more efficient and sustainable storage.
