New technology enables you to record hundreds of DVD to disc the size of a coin.

Scientists have created a new technology that will allow to obtain ordered nanostructures with the size of cells is about 3 nanometers. This technology potentially allows to achieve the density of information recording media for about 1.7 terabits per square centimeter. The work of researchers published in the journal Science, and a brief description is available on the site, University of Berkeley.
Ð' качестве основного материала, с которÑ&lsqauo;м работали ученÑ&lsqauo;е, вÑ&lsqauo;ступал так назÑ&lsqauo;ваемÑ&lsqauo;й блок-сополимер PS-b-PEO. Molecules of this compound, if you combine several types of polymer blocks of different chemical nature. In this case, the blocks are polystyrene and polyethylene.
Known that in thin films of PS-b-PEO self-comes nanostructures caused by various chemical properties of its polymers. They formed a matrix of polyethylene, which at the same distance from each other are placed vertical "pins" of polystyrene. If the area is a great film, then the order of placement of pins is broken. This does not allow use of the material, for example, to record his information, because of defective data blocks can not be considered. In the new study, scientists from the University of Berkeley, was able to maintain order in the whole area of the film.
First, specially prepared block copolymer thin film applied to the surface of industrial sapphire received no slices along the lattice planes of the links. Then the crystal was heated to high temperatures - around 1300-1500 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. Scientists are well aware that as a result of such treatment on the surface of the sapphire is formed numerous parallel ridges, the distance between the two being roughly the same.
As a result of this exposure of the PS-b-PEO is provided in the valleys between the ridges. This formation of polystyrene "pins" comes in different valleys, independently of one another. This allowed us to obtain large area films without defects. Besides the increase in the thickness of cover, allowing smooth out the traces of the ridges on the outer surface of the sapphire material.
According to researchers, the new technology will enable the media to create an unprecedented density. As a result, the disc diameter of three centimeters will fit more than 1400 gigabytes of information (for comparison, the capacity of modern single-DVD is 4.7 gigabytes).