Towards Gigayear Storage Using a Silicon-Nitride/Tungsten Based Medium

Abstract

Current digital data storage systems are able to store huge amounts of data. Even though the data density of digital information storage has increased tremendously over the last few decades, the data longevity is limited to only a few decades. If we want to preserve anything about the human race which can outlast the human race itself, we require a data storage medium designed to last for 1 million to 1 billion years. In this paper a medium is investigated consisting of tungsten encapsulated by siliconnitride which, according to elevated temperature tests, will last for well over the suggested time.