1. Fundamental Digital Electronics (Fall 2013)
Martino Poggio
Briefly discuss the content of the course, what will be covered, etc.

2. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Introduced by IBM in 1956
Dominant form of secondary storage
Pros: capacity, price, performance
Cons: size, durability
Fundamental Digital Electronics

3. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

4. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

5. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

6. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

7. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

8. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

9. Fundamental Digital Electronics
HDDs in the last 30 years
Capacity: 3.75 MB  4 TB
Volume: refrigerator  20 mL
Weight: 910 kg  48 g
Density: 2 kbit/in2  600 Gbit/in2
Price: 15k USD/MB  USD/MB
Access time: 100 ms  3 ms
Fundamental Digital Electronics

10. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Millipede Memory
Fundamental Digital Electronics

11. Millipede Memory: Concept
Store bits as high density “divots” in a polymer film
Use many nanoscopic cantilever tips in parallel to read and write
Achieve stability of HDD and speed of DRAM…
Fundamental Digital Electronics

12. Millipede Memory: Read
Read: probe tip heated to 300 C, and moved over data point; measure temperature of the canitlever; if there is a divot, heat will leak from the tip quickly; if not. heat will leak slowly.
Fundamental Digital Electronics

13. Millipede Memory: Write
Write “1”: probe tip heated to 400 C (above glass transition) and pushed into the surface; tip pulled away after cooling.
Write “0”: prove tip heated to 400 C and pushed into the surface; tip pulled away still hot, allowing surface tension to pull the surface flat.
Fundamental Digital Electronics

14. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Millipede Memory
Fundamental Digital Electronics

15. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Millipede Memory
Fundamental Digital Electronics

16. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Millipede as of 2005
Density: 800 Gbit/in2
64 x 64 cantilevers
Pit size: nm
Fundamental Digital Electronics

17. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Flash Memory (SSD)
Introduced by Toshiba ca. 1980
Growing form of secondary storage
Pros: size, durability (no moving parts!), power consumption, speed
Cons: capacity, long-term reliability, price
Fundamental Digital Electronics

18. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Flash Memory (SSD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

19. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Flash Memory (SSD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics

20. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Flash Memory (SSD)
Memory wear: 1k – 1M cycles… and improving
Read disturb
Capacity: 256 GB in 2012…
Faster at reading than writing
Fundamental Digital Electronics

21. Fundamental Digital Electronics
Flash Memory (SSD)
Fundamental Digital Electronics