New technology opens the era of unlimited capacity phones

In the digital age, smartphones are not just communication devices but have become the center for storing and processing personal information of each person. All images, videos, documents, applications are encapsulated in a small device that fits in the palm of the hand. Therefore, storage capacity is always the top concern of users.

1.Out of storage status

Surely everyone has experienced the annoying feeling when the phone memory is full right when you need to capture an important moment, record a special video or download a necessary application. Notifications like “Not enough storage” or “Storage is almost full” interrupt the user experience. Even when using cloud storage services, the need for local storage is still very large because users do not always have a fast and stable internet connection.

Running out of storage isn’t just a problem for phones, laptops and other IoT devices are also a common problem. As image and video technology continues to evolve with higher resolutions, file sizes are growing. A short 4K video can take up several gigabytes of space. Meanwhile, the default storage capacity of phones isn’t growing as fast as demand.

In recent years, NAND flash memory technology has reached its physical limits. Manufacturers have been constantly improving by increasing the number of storage layers (3D NAND) or optimizing the production process, but it is still difficult to meet the explosive demand. That is why a new breakthrough in data storage technology can change the whole game.

A research team led by Professor Yoichi Murakami at the Tokyo Institute of Science (Japan) has brought a new ray of hope for the future of storage. They have successfully developed a covalent organic framework structure that can store data using tiny “molecular rotors”.

Unlike traditional semiconductor memory, which relies on electron movement within layers of semiconductor material, COF technology creates a special crystalline space where molecular rotors can spin and stay oriented like a data bit. Each rotor acts as a toggle switch, similar to the 0 and 1 bits in the binary system.

What is special is that COF crystals are designed with extremely low density, enough to give the rotors space to move without being hindered. This is the decisive factor that helps them operate stably and durably in real conditions. When affected by electric fields or temperature, the rotors can change state and store information reliably.

While current NAND flash stores information using electrical charges in memory cells, molecular rotor technology stores information using molecular orientation. This opens up the possibility of storage with much higher densities, while the chip size does not need to increase.

2. Strict criteria of new technology

To be applicable in practice, molecular memory technology needs to overcome four important criteria:

Fast response to electric field : helps to write and read data efficiently.

Room temperature stability : ensures data is not lost under normal conditions.

Ability to rotate freely without hindrance : so that the rotor can change state without being locked.

High temperature resistance : to maintain longevity and stability in a variety of environments.

The new COF material met all the requirements, the team reports. The rotors remained stable when exposed to everyday environments, withstanding temperatures up to 150°C, and the entire structure did not break down until nearly 400°C. In particular, data could be reliably transferred under strong electric fields or when heated above 200°C.

This is an unprecedented achievement for COF materials. It proves that molecular memory is no longer just a theoretical concept, but has moved one step closer to practical application.

3. How will the phone be affected?

While the average consumer will immediately think of smartphones when talking about memory capacity, the impact of this technology is much larger. If molecular rotor memory is commercialized, it could change the entire storage technology industry.

First of all, laptops and tablets will benefit. Users will be able to store huge amounts of data without worrying about disk space. Filmmakers, photographers, graphic designers will no longer have to struggle with files weighing tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.

Next up is wearables and IoT. Tiny devices like smartwatches, augmented reality glasses, and IoT sensors are all limited by their size and storage capacity. Molecular memory opens up the possibility of packing massive amounts of storage into tiny chips, making them more powerful and autonomous.

The technology could also have an impact on data centers. Currently, giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft consume huge amounts of energy to maintain millions of terabytes of data. If molecular rotor memory could store more on the same chip area, it would reduce the need for physical space and save on operating costs.

4. Comparison with traditional NAND flash

To see the value of this breakthrough, it is necessary to look back at the limitations of NAND flash: the memory technology that dominates the market today.

NAND flash works on the principle of storing electric charge in memory cells. However, as cell size decreases to nanometer level, electric leakage and interference between cells occur, reducing endurance and writing speed.
Manufacturers have developed 3D NAND , stacking multiple layers to increase capacity. But this faces challenges in manufacturing costs, stability, and limits on the number of layers that can be stacked.
Molecular rotor memory, on the other hand, relies on the orientation of the molecule rather than charge. This opens up the possibility of high-density storage without the above problems.
In other words, if NAND flash is like trying to cram more stuff into a small room, then molecular memory is like building a whole new building with a completely different architecture, allowing you to fit more in the same space.

Despite its great potential, taking this technology from the lab to the market is not easy. Some of the challenges include:

Mass production capability : Manufacturing COF crystals with perfect structure on an industrial scale is a difficult problem.

Cost : Initially, the production cost will be very high, making it difficult to immediately apply to popular products.

Long-term durability : Additional year-long testing is required to demonstrate long-term data stability.

Compatibility : New memory needs to integrate with existing microprocessors and software systems, requiring industry-wide coordination.

Yet the history of technology has shown that these challenges can be overcome. From hard disk drives (HDDs) to SSDs to NAND flash, each leap was met with skepticism before becoming the global standard.

5. A future without the worry of “running out of space”

If molecular rotor memory becomes commercially available in the next 5–10 years, the prospect of a phone with tens of terabytes of storage is not too far-fetched. Users will be able to store millions of photos, thousands of 4K videos, and even 8K movies right on their devices without the need for external hard drives or cloud services.

Beyond just increasing capacity, this technology can also improve data access speeds, making apps open faster, games run smoother, and the overall experience better. Content creators in particular will benefit by not having to worry about storage space for huge projects.

Socially, the emergence of molecular storage technology also contributes to the development of other fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, digital health, digital education and virtual reality. When storage capacity is no longer a barrier, the digital world will explode more strongly than ever.

6. Conclusion

A breakthrough from the research of Professor Yoichi Murakami and his team at the Tokyo Institute of Science has opened a new chapter for the data storage industry. COF-based molecular rotor memory technology could be the key to solving the memory-filling problem in phones, laptops, and countless other devices. Although it will take years to perfect and commercialize, this is certainly one of the most important advances in storage technology in the next decade. One day, when we open our phones and see virtually unlimited storage, we will remember this moment and the dream of saying goodbye to memory-filling problems began to become a reality.