Magnetorestitive RAM Could Replace Flash Memory And DRAM By As Early As 2010

Paul Kallender of IDG News Service reports:

NEC (Profile, Products, Articles) and Toshiba have made two advancements in developing a new type of memory that could eventually replace the standard memory used in mobile phones, MP3 players, and other portable electronic devices, the companies said Wednesday.

Flash memory is currently favored for portable devices and memory cards because it retains data after a device is switched off. Several companies, including NEC and Toshiba, are developing a type of memory called MRAM (magnetorestitive RAM) that uses magnetic fields to store data. MRAM can retain data when switched off, and can also recall data faster, work longer and potentially be produced at a lower cost than flash memory, according to its proponents.

MRAM could replace flash and DRAM (dynamic RAM) by as early as 2010, its backers say, but only if certain technical problems are solved first.

One issue involves the size of MRAM cells, which tend to be bigger than those of other memory types. Bigger cells result in higher production costs and can also use a lot of power when writing data. The developers must also determine how to control magnetic fields in each memory cell, to stop the fields from interfering with their neighbors and creating errors.

For these and other reasons, the capacity of MRAM chips developed so far has been limited to about 16M bits, while flash memory is already available in gigabit densities.

[Continue reading NEC, Toshiba Claim MRAM Breakthroughs]