Research paves way for super fast ReRAM memory
1 min read
Researchers at UCL have developed the first purely silicon oxide based resistive ram (ReRAM) memory chip that can operate in ambient conditions – paving the way for super fast memory.
ReRAM memory chips are based on materials whose electrical resistance changes when a voltage is applied, so they can retain data without power. These chips promise significantly greater storage capacity than current technology with less energy and space.
Dr Tony Kenyon, UCL electronic and electrical engineering, commented: "Our ReRAM memory chips need just a thousandth of the energy and are around a hundred times faster than standard flash memory chips. The fact that the device can operate in ambient conditions and has a continuously variable resistance opens up a huge range of potential applications."
Unlike other silicon oxide chips in development, the team says its devices do not require a vacuum to work and are therefore potentially cheaper and more durable. This design raises the possibility of transparent memory chips for use in touch screens and mobile devices.
The new chips can also be designed to have a continuously variable resistance that depends on the last voltage applied, allowing them to mimic how neurons in the brain function. Devices that operate in this way are sometimes known as 'memristors'.
The development of a silicon oxide memristor could be a huge step forward because of the potential for its incorporation into silicon chips.
The team actually discovered its ReRAM technology by accident when working to produce silicon based leds. When their material appeared unstable, PhD student Adnan Mehonic investigated and discovered that it simply flipped between conducting and non conducting states very predictably and could therefore be made into a memristor.
He said: "The potential for this material is huge. During proof of concept development we have shown we can programme the chips using the cycle between two or more states of conductivity. We're very excited that our devices may be an important step towards new silicon memory chips."
As the technology has applications beyond memory storage, the team is now exploring if the resistance properties of the material can be used as a computer processor.
