USC press release here: https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2026/03/usc-scientists-build-a-memory-chip-that-survives-temperatures-hotter-than-lava/
On Tue, May 12, 2026 at 1:57 PM John Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Mon, May 11, 2026 at 11:44 AM Amalie Sinclair <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > How amazing ... temperatures higher than molten lava ! This discovery >> > indicates whole dimension of information sharing potential, via SBSP >> > utilities > > > A memristor would be extremely useful even if you didn't consider its > enormous resistance to heat and radiation. A memristor is a two-terminal > gadget whose electrical resistance changes based on the history of the > voltage applied to it, so it can be used as a non-volatile memory device. But > that's not all, If you arrange memristors in a "crossbar array" you can > perform vector-matrix multiplication much faster than we can today because it > can do it in a single step. And today it can take 1000 times more energy to > move information across a chip than performing the actual calculation, but > memristors don't have that problem because the memory and the processing are > already at the same spot. > > Vector-matrix multiplication is not the only sort of computation so a > memristor would not be good at every sort of problem, like those that use > Boolean Logic with a lot of if-then branching. You'd still need to have some > CPUs with MOSFET NAND and NOR gates, but when it comes to AI the chief > bottleneck does not come from the messy logic of branching code, it comes > from the high energy usage and slow processing of matrix multiplication. And > that is exactly what memristors are very good at. > > John K Clark > > > > >> >> On Monday, May 11, 2026 at 03:21:21 PM GMT+1, John Clark >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> There was an article in the March 26, 2026 issue of the journal science that >> I found particularly interesting: >> >> High-temperature memristors enabled by interfacial engineering >> >> They invented a memory AND processing device that can operate at >> temperatures over 700 °C, can store data for over 50 hours at that scorching >> heat, and is also at least as fast as conventional devices. One of the >> inventors said : >> >> "Creating high-operating-temperature accelerators could enable intelligent >> computing in extreme environments, including space applications or data >> centres". >> >> That made me wonder if resistance to heat would also mean it was resistant >> to cosmic rays of the sort it would receive in space, so I asked Gemini and >> this is what he she or it said: >> == >> >> Gemini: " The article you linked, "High-temperature memristors enabled by >> interfacial engineering" (published in Science, March 2026), describes a >> major breakthrough in electronics designed for extreme environments. >> >> Summary of the Article >> >> The research team, led by J. Joshua Yang at the University of Southern >> California, developed a new type of memristor—a nanoscale component that >> acts as both memory and a processor—that can operate reliably at >> temperatures up to 700°C (1,300°F). This is significantly hotter than molten >> lava and far surpasses the ~200°C limit where traditional silicon chips fail. >> >> The Design: The device is a "sandwich" of three materials: Tungsten (W) on >> top, Hafnium Oxide (HfOx) in the middle, and Graphene on the bottom. >> >> The Breakthrough: In traditional chips, high heat causes atoms from the >> metal electrodes to "leak" or diffuse into the insulating layers, creating a >> short circuit. The researchers used graphene as a bottom electrode because >> its atomic structure is extremely stable. It acts as an "interfacial >> barrier" that prevents tungsten atoms from migrating into the other layers, >> even at extreme temperatures. >> >> Performance: The chip maintained an ON/OFF ratio (for data storage) for over >> 50 hours at 700°C and survived over one billion switching cycles. This makes >> it the most stable high-temperature memory device ever recorded. >> >> Does Heat Resistance Equal Radiation Resistance? >> >> Your question touches on a key challenge in "extreme environment" >> engineering. While high-temperature resistance and radiation resistance are >> technically different, they are closely related, particularly for the >> materials used in this study. >> >> 1. The Physics of "Atomic Migration" >> >> In space, radiation (like protons and heavy ions) damages electronics by >> knocking atoms out of their crystal lattice, a process called displacement >> damage. High heat causes a similar problem: atoms vibrate so much they drift >> out of place (thermal diffusion). >> >> The Link: The "interfacial engineering" (using graphene to block atoms from >> moving) that makes this chip heat-resistant also makes it more robust >> against radiation-induced displacement. Because the interface is designed to >> be "atomically stubborn," it is much harder for radiation to cause the kind >> of material leakage that usually kills space-grade chips. >> >> 2. Thermal Annealing (The "Healing" Effect) >> >> There is a unique phenomenon where being hot can actually help a device >> survive radiation. In a process called thermal annealing, the high >> temperature provides enough energy for atoms that were knocked out of place >> by radiation to "settle" back into their correct positions. >> >> Because this memristor is designed to operate at 700°C, it could potentially >> "self-heal" radiation damage in real-time, whereas a standard chip would >> simply accumulate defects until it failed. >> >> 3. The Tardigrade Connection (Biology vs. Electronics) >> >> You likely noticed a parallel with tardigrades (water bears). In biology, >> resistance to high temperatures (and desiccation) almost always confers >> resistance to radiation. >> >> Why? Both heat and radiation damage cells in the same way: by creating >> reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and breaking DNA strands. >> Tardigrades evolved proteins like Dsup (Damage Suppressor) to protect their >> DNA from drying out; these same proteins happen to shield the DNA from space >> radiation. >> >> In Electronics: The logic is similar. By choosing materials like Tungsten >> (highest melting point) and Graphene (strongest atomic bonds), the engineers >> have selected materials that are inherently "stiff" against any kind of >> energy—whether that energy comes from a heat lamp or a cosmic ray. >> >> Conclusion >> >> For this specific article, yes, the resistance to high temperatures is a >> strong indicator of high radiation resistance. The use of graphene as a >> diffusion barrier specifically targets the "movement of atoms" which is the >> primary failure point for both heat and radiation in nanoscale electronics. >> This makes this technology a prime candidate for missions to the surface of >> Venus or for logic systems located near nuclear reactors." >> >> John K Clark See what's on my list at Extropolis > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "extropolis" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/extropolis/CAJPayv0xCQu8EtgGGbEPBE4gEQAfVhdZ-ydrq1aU-b87r1f1eQ%40mail.gmail.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CAKTCJyc5E5do%3DTKQc8YgxbppiC2M%2BSX04_M6rn%2BfP%2B5PjSKyqQ%40mail.gmail.com.
