Posted Dec 11, 2006, 5:32 PM ET
New type of memory chip developed by a team lead by IBM sould make flash memory a thing of the past.
This research gives credence to the concept of "phase-change" memory, which appears to be much faster and can be made much smaller than flash. The prototype phase-change memory device operated more than 500 times faster than flash while using less than one-half the power to write data into a cell. Plus, the device's cross-section is only 3 by 20 nanometers, far smaller than flash can be built today and equivalent to the industry's chip-making capabilities targeted for 2015.
Dr. T. C. Chen, Vice President, Science & Technology, IBM Research said that the results of the research dramatically demonstrate that phase-change memory has a very bright future. Chen further stated that "Many expect flash memory to encounter significant scaling limitations in the near future. Today we unveil a new phase-change memory material that has high performance even in an extremely small volume. This should ultimately lead to phase-change memories that will be very attractive for many applications." This type of non-volatile flash memory does not need electrical power to retain it's information.
source: gameshout