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TU Wien and Cerabyte Set Guinness Record With World’s Smallest QR Code at 1.98 µm²

Researchers say the ceramic approach could enable ultra-dense, power-free archival storage.

Overview

  • The record code measures 1.98 square micrometers with a 29×29 grid of 49-nanometer pixels, surpassing the previous 5.38 µm² mark.
  • It was milled by focused ion beams into a ceramic thin film, using a 15-nanometer chromium nitride writing layer on glass.
  • The structure is too fine for optical microscopes and can currently be read only with an electron microscope.
  • The team reports an effective density of about 130 bits per square micrometer, suggesting more than 2 terabytes could fit on an A4 sheet.
  • Researchers plan to test other materials, boost writing speed, develop scalable manufacturing, and expand beyond simple QR codes for industrial use.