What is a Nanochip?
“Nanochip” is a term referring either to a typical computer chip, which has feature sizes measured in nanometers, or some novel computer design based on “nanotechnology,” another vaguely defined word. Basically, the word is vague enough that you can theoretically use it to refer to any modern computer chip. More specifically, the term “Nanochip” is most often associated with Nanochip, Inc., a company attempting to use MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology to create a high-density storage device that leapfrogs improvements in traditional storage methods, which are based on photolithography. Nanochip’s technology uses arrays of tiny atomic force probe tips to electrically write to a storage medium. The probe tips are only 25 nm across, and can edit areas of the storage media with a precision of 10 nanometers or less. According to the company, this could enable microchips with 100 GB storage capacity by 2009, and terabytes (TB) further down the line. Nanochip, Inc. is backed
