FeTRAM memory is faster than sram, more energy efficient than flash

The Purdue University team combined silicon nanowires with a ferroelectric polymer - a material that switches polarity when electric fields are applied - to create a ferroelectric transistor random access memory (FeTRAM). The patent pending technology has been tested extensively by the researchers in a working circuit and, according to doctoral student Saptarshi Das, fulfills the three basic functions of computer memory: to write information, read the information and hold it for a long period of time. "You want to hold memory as long as possible, 10 to 20 years, and you should be able to read and write as many times as possible," Das said. "It should also be low power to keep your laptop from getting too hot. And it needs to scale, meaning you can pack many devices into a very small area. The use of silicon nanowires along with this ferroelectric polymer has been motivated by these requirements. Das believes the new technology is also compatible with industry manufacturing processes for complementary metal oxide semiconductors (cmos). "It has the potential to even replace conventional memory systems," he concluded.