To store ever more data in electronic devices of the same size, the manufacturing processes for these devices need to be studied in greater detail. By investigating new approaches to making digital memory at the atomic scale, researchers engaged in a public-private partnership are aiming to address the endless demand for denser data storage.
One such effort has focused on developing the ideal manufacturing process for a type of digital memory known as 3D NAND flash memory, which stacks data vertically to increase storage density. The narrow, deep holes required for this type of memory can be etched twice as fast with the right plasma and other key ingredients, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A. The study involved simulations and experiments conducted by scientists at Lam Research, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).