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High temperature magnetic semiconductor yields savings for memory storage

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A SCIENTIST at the South Dakota State University has tested the magnetic and structural properties of a magnetic semiconductor material that may help reduce the power needed to store data in computer memory.

The material is an alloy of cobalt, iron, chromium and aluminium, where part of the aluminium was replaced with silicon.

According to the researcher, Simeon Gilbert, the material by itself can maintain its magnetic properties with temperatures up to 232 degrees Celsius, but by replacing a fraction of the aluminium with silicon, it's possible to push the working temperature up to 538 degrees Celsius.

Allowing such high working temperatures for memory chips and other componentry could result in major power savings, with less cooling required.