Indian researchers develop energy-efficient method to create glass, which could improve data center efficiency

A recent discovery at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) proposes an energy-efficient method to achieve glass transformations of indium selenide, a material that could change the face of data storage technology. The study was conducted as part of a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Research demonstrates that direct electric current can transform the crystal structure of indium selenide into glass, using a billion times less energy than the traditional fusion quenching process.

Unusual Transformation Mechanism Revealed

THE studypublished on November 6, 2024 in Nature, details how this crystal transformation to glass occurs in indium selenide. The study claims that unlike conventional processes that require high temperatures and sudden cooling, researchers found that mechanical shocks triggered by direct electrical currents achieved the same result. This discovery eliminates the need for energy-intensive rapid heating and cooling steps, typically used to create glassy phases in materials. Gaurav Modi, a former doctoral student at Penn Engineering, expressed his initial surprise at the discovery, noting that direct current alone disrupted the structure of the material.

Micro-scale collaborative analysis

IISc’s in situ microscopy tools have been widely used to observe transformation at the atomic and micrometer scale. Assistant Professor Pavan Nukala of the Center for Nanoscience and Engineering at IISc, along with doctoral student Shubham Parate, collaborated with Ritesh Agarwal, Srinivasa Ramanujan Distinguished Research Fellow of Penn Engineering, to study the transformation. By passing an electric current through indium selenide, the team discovered that layers of the 2D material moved against each other, generating small-scale electrical and mechanical shocks similar to seismic activity, leading ultimately to the formation of glass.

Future implications for phase change memory

According to Agarwal, power requirements are a limiting factor for phase-change memory devices in widespread applications. This finding therefore has significant implications for the effectiveness of data storage technologies on computers and mobile devices. Nukala said the next steps will involve efforts to integrate these materials with CMOS technology, potentially paving the way for more durable memory solutions.