Elpida introduces resistive memory

The Japanese memory manufacturer Elpida has its first modules with resistive memory, or reram, has been developed. The prototypes have a limited capacity, but the company wants next year useful modules on the market.

The prototype resistive memory Elpida has a capacity of only 64Mb and it was at 50 nm produced. The Japanese company, however, plans to make the new type of memory in a rapid pace to further develop and expected in 2013 usable chips with a capacity of 8Gb to develop. A year later, the technology is ready for mass production and have chips for commercial purposes are produced.

The resisitief memory by Elpida is developed and which also include Samsung and Sharp work, is a non-volatile memory. So there is no tension necessary to view the contents of the memory to hold, such as in working memory. The reram is produced on the basis of semiconductor hafnium and has a read speed of about 20ns. The production can take place on the same production lines as dram.

Resistive ram according to Elpida in tablets or smartphones play a role that sits between the role of faster dram memory, and that of the slower flash memory. Eventually, it would even dram must be replaced and portable devices that are way more fuel efficient. In the shorter term would reram as a cache in ssds can be used.