Here comes the science-speak: Existing volatile memory (i.e. RAM) is stored in capacitors that hold electrons in two distinct states and must be recharged several thousand times per second, because the electrons tend to leak out. Researchers at Philips Research Laboratories in the Netherlands have developed a new method for high-capacity, static (non-volatile) RAM that wouldn’t require a constant refresh. Applying pulses of electricity in varying degrees to a material known as antimony telluride can cause its atoms to either line up or sink back into chaos. Switching between an amorphous and crystalline state, a computer can differentiate between the two because of the crystalline state’s significantly lower electrical resistance. We briefly explain the advantages over current flash memory after the jump.
Atoms never forget [nature via nanodot]
The concept has been around since 1968 but it has taken until now to find a material “that can reliably change states millions of times without degrading.”
The journal article over at nature explains that this “ovonic” method holds significant advantages over existing flash memory, which uses layers of mineral oxide, each individually wrapped, to store the data. Unforutnately, miniaturizing the cells of a normal flash memory device any further than 65 nanometers is impossible because quantum effects interfere with their reliability. The ovonic memory can be written and read down to just 10 nanometers, allowing for higher capacity devices in smaller spaces that are easier to manufacture.
