Korean researchers have developed an ultra-high-density data storage technology with a capacity at the terabyte level. One terabyte can store one-thousand times the amount of data as one gigabyte.

A team led by Professor of Chemistry Kim Jin-gon at Pohang University of Science and Technology says it has developed a way to produce nano patterns using atomic force microscopes (AFM) without heating.

It is a cutting-edge skill that enables storage of 1.03 terabytes of data.

Similar patterns can currently be produced through the use of heat of around 360 degrees Celsius. But with the team’s new technology, the patterns can be made at room temperature. It’s an eco-friendly technology in that it drastically cuts energy consumption during production.

The study has been published by the online edition of the Nature Nanotechnology magazine.