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.

  • jaredj@infosec.pub
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    1 year ago

    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.orgOP
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      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.