New computing storage which can operate at temperatures so hot that rock starts to melt could pave the way for computers that work in the harshest environments on Earth — and, for the first time, on Venus.
The toughest current non-volatile memory (NVM) devices — which include solid-state drives (SSDs) — fail once temperatures reach 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius). But scientists have created and tested a new ferroelectric diode (a semiconductor switching device) that continued working for hours even when they turned up the heat to 1,112 degrees F (600 C).
