With the ability to actuate at nanometer resolution over centimeters
of range, the implication is that data packed at a density of about
10¹⁴ bits/cm² can be readily accessed. What this means is 10 terabits… on your fingernail.

Recently, there has been much buzz in the field of spintronics about a promising new nonvolatile memory technology that is just now beginning to hit the market. These Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) devices are comprised of microscopic magnetic layers separated by an insulating layer. Like all magnetic substances, each of those two layers can be polarized in the same direction or opposite directions, corresponding to the binary bits 1 and 0. With a grid of conductors sandwiching these layers, individual grid-points become bits of readable and writeable memory, that do not need an external power source to retain state. Another promising nonvolatile memory technology that also utilizes a conductive grid is based on a material called polyethylenethioxythiophene, or PEDOT, which is a polymer plastic that conducts electricity at low voltages, but permanently loses its conductivity when exposed to higher voltages; i.e. binary bits 1 and 0. With a grid of conductors sandwiching a layer of PEDOT, individual grid points become bits of write-once, read-many memory.

The basic structure of both these devices consists of memory cells sandwiched between a grid of conductors. Accessing grid-points, and hence the memory cells themselves, is where t.enable’s innovative nanopositioning solution comes into the picture. Take away the addressing logic of memory chips and replace it with the ability to access memory cells via mechanical actuation and the result is a new market for dense media devices (DMD) – the disk-drives of the future. t.enable is aiming to be the de-facto supplier for DMD actuation solutions, before the potential has even been realized.