Intel's new PCM NV memory debuted
Thrax
🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
<p>From the gentlemen at Intel comes an <a href="http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20080206corp.htm">interesting press release</a>:</p>
<blockquote>The memory device, codenamed "Alverstone" uses PCM, a promising new memory technology providing very fast read and write speeds at lower power than conventional flash, and allows for bit alterability normally seen in RAM. PCM has long been a topic of discussion for research and development, and with "Alverstone," Intel and STMicroelectronics are helping to move the technology into the marketplace.</blockquote>
<p>What this really means is that phase-change memory, also known as PRAM, is close to market. PRAM is an interesting technology that relies on the the interesting properties of chalcogenide glass, which changes phases of matter with the application of heat (Voltage).</p>
<p>Early attempts at PRAM development defined two phases: the first is an amorphous solid, the second is a hard crystalline structure. In the case of the former, the high resistance of the amorphous state indicates a binary 0, and the low-resistance crystalline state represents a binary one. Switching between the two states occurs in less than 5ns, which is approximately 200,000 times faster than the access time featured on today's solid state hard drives employing NAND flash memory.</p>
<p>This partnership between STMicro and Intel is particularly significant as their efforts to improve the PRAM technology has yielded two <i>additional</i> states of matter possible for the chalcogenide glass. This allows the duo to double the bit density of a single PRAM chip, without altering the cost of manufacturing, or increasing the size of the memory. In essence, they can fit 128MB in the space they once fit 64MB.</p>
<p>Other benefits of PCM include sharply lower volatility, higher reliability, and a relatively low cost of entry to production. While PCM will not be commercially available for some time, and will be expensive upon release, it looks like the successor to NAND is well on its way to success.</p>
<blockquote>The memory device, codenamed "Alverstone" uses PCM, a promising new memory technology providing very fast read and write speeds at lower power than conventional flash, and allows for bit alterability normally seen in RAM. PCM has long been a topic of discussion for research and development, and with "Alverstone," Intel and STMicroelectronics are helping to move the technology into the marketplace.</blockquote>
<p>What this really means is that phase-change memory, also known as PRAM, is close to market. PRAM is an interesting technology that relies on the the interesting properties of chalcogenide glass, which changes phases of matter with the application of heat (Voltage).</p>
<p>Early attempts at PRAM development defined two phases: the first is an amorphous solid, the second is a hard crystalline structure. In the case of the former, the high resistance of the amorphous state indicates a binary 0, and the low-resistance crystalline state represents a binary one. Switching between the two states occurs in less than 5ns, which is approximately 200,000 times faster than the access time featured on today's solid state hard drives employing NAND flash memory.</p>
<p>This partnership between STMicro and Intel is particularly significant as their efforts to improve the PRAM technology has yielded two <i>additional</i> states of matter possible for the chalcogenide glass. This allows the duo to double the bit density of a single PRAM chip, without altering the cost of manufacturing, or increasing the size of the memory. In essence, they can fit 128MB in the space they once fit 64MB.</p>
<p>Other benefits of PCM include sharply lower volatility, higher reliability, and a relatively low cost of entry to production. While PCM will not be commercially available for some time, and will be expensive upon release, it looks like the successor to NAND is well on its way to success.</p>
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