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Intel Previews Potential Replacement for Flash Memory

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the welcome-to-the-world-of-tomorrow dept.

GeeksAreSexy writes "Eweek has an article up about the invention of a new kind of nonvolatile memory technology that could one day replace traditional flash memory. Unlike traditional flash memory, chips using this new technology will be able to execute code with performance, and sustain millions of read/write cycles without dying." From the article: "This is a case in which 'Necessity is the mother of invention' is very true. We were forced to look for something else, completely different. That's why we decided to invest in PCM ... There are definitely limits to what you can do with our current flash methodology. There needs to be a complete quantum leap somewhere along the line to push everything forward. We believe PCM are going to be that quantum leap."

3 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Quantum Leap by tygerstripes · · Score: 5, Funny
    There needs to be a complete quantum leap somewhere along the line to push everything forward. We believe PCM are going to be that quantum leap.
    You mean... like... a leap so small that it's impossible to make a conventional leap any smaller, and measuring and predicting effects on such a tiny scale are so experimental and imperceptible that they require a unique perspective of the laws of nature in order to make any sense of them?

    Hardly news then, right?

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    1. Re:Quantum Leap by jeffmeden · · Score: 5, Funny

      Trapped in the past, Intel finds themselves leaping from technology to technology, putting things right, that once went wrong and hoping each time, that their next leap will be the leap home.

      that kind of leap...

  2. Re:Similar to CD-RW? by saider · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but there's no fundamental technical difference as far as I can see

    Except that one is changed with a laser and the other is done electrically?

    The laser is probably more powerful than it needs to be because it needs to pass through a (relatively) dirty lens, several mm of air, and a layer of plastic before altering the material. in order to do this reliably, they overpower the laser so that it can achieve the effect. The tradeoff is that the excess power wears the material out faster.

    Now the material is integrated into a chip and uses simple thermal conduction instead of radiation to achieve the effect. The distances are much smaller and the environment is much more controlled, which means that you do not need to overpower the devices. This results in reduced wear, which means a longer life.

    As the GPP said...
    "It is almost as if it is more important the way the material is used".

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