Could RRAM Be The Future Of Computer Memory?

According to industry analysts, new chips could soon become available which blur the lines between RAM memory and computer storage, revolutionising how we use computers and laptops forever.

The chips would allow a more instantaneous interface for computers, similar to that which is commonly found on tablet devices, but with a much higher level of performance.

The development is known as RRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory); it utilises the magnetic charge used in MRAM (magnetoresistive RAM) and DRAM (dynamic RAM) in order to create a center layer which has a different resistance to the material which makes up the outside layers of this so-called ‘sandwich’ formation.

Already Hitachi, Renasas and Micron Technology have joined forces on an MRAM project; according to many experts, both DRAM and MRAM need to be significantly improved before they can be joined in the union that is RRAM. Prices of chips also need to fall dramatically before the new invention becomes a viable product that will sell, but when this eventually happens, work is expected to begin on producing and licensing RRAM.

It is said that the new chips could form the complete memory upgrade; they would outperform flash memory in laptops and desktops, and they could even allow computer users to resume exactly where they left off even after their computer has been switched off. Memory which combines storage and memory will be the next frontier for researches and manufacturers, as people seek a solution that will allow them to save their work even when the power is out.

Justin Briere, of Data Memory Systems, US provides of computer memory upgrades and solutions, is behind the move, saying: “The idea that someday we could combine all of the benefits of both DRAM and MRAM to create a form of memory which will not be dependent on power is pretty exciting for all those in the computer world. RRAM is expected to delivery write performance up to 20 times faster than NAND flash memory, with 20 times less power consumption and 10 times more durability; it remains to be seen how this will revolutionise the computers that are being built, but this kind of step forward will rejuvenate the industry as a whole and offer consumers a greater choice in how their computer acts and reacts.“