Overview
- The verified code measures 1.98 square micrometers with pixels about 49 nanometers wide, only 37% the size of the previous record.
- The pattern was milled into a ceramic thin film using focused ion beams and can be read reliably only with an electron microscope.
- TU Wien and Cerabyte conducted the record attempt with witnesses, with independent confirmation by the University of Vienna and readout at TU Wien’s USTEM facility.
- Researchers cite potential storage densities above 2 terabytes per A4‑sized layer and claim durability that could last for centuries or millennia without power.
- Next steps include testing alternative materials, boosting write speeds, scaling manufacturing, and moving beyond single QR codes to more complex data structures.