retrocomputing

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How would I make my own bubble memory? (lemmy.sdf.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org to c/retrocomputing@lemmy.sdf.org

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It's a good candidate since it sounds like there's no precision mechanical components like there would be in a hard drive. Does anyone have ideas for how I'd go about this? Is there a barrier I'm not considering?

I know how to make basic semiconductors already, so that's not an issue.

Edit: I've got an answer written down in the comments now. TL;DR you'd still need lithography to do it the OG way, because of the patterned magnetic material that directed bubbles around the medium, but material requirements are actually pretty flexible.

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[–] jaredj@infosec.pub 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sam Zeloof has made chips in his garage and posted a whole series about it on Youtube. He bought his silicon wafers, he didn't grow them, and his machines do take up the whole garage - but he did the whole thing himself. Fascinating viewing IMO. I don't know anything about where one would get these garnetty materials you mention, though.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So, I'm still doing research, but it seems like any ferrimagnetic thin film should work.

Rare earths would have been in lower demand at the time I think, some garnets have useful magnetic properties, and growing garnets is relatively easy. Similar synthetic crystals are common as lasing mediums now.