Phase-Change Memory Storage
Group 6
Nathan Bazy= k, Casey Jo Burnett, Giezi Nunez
Key Words: Phase-change memory, Floating Gate Technology, Amorphous, Binary Composition, GST
Phase Change Memory is the storage technique that can = double the memory capacity of current electronic devices. Currently, devices such = as computers and cell-phones use Flash memory, which uses the same floating ga= te technology created in the late 1960’s. Phase Change memory introduces two intermediate physical states that can be used to store binary code. Previou= sly the only available states were “crystalline” and “amorphous”. Phase Change = uses four physical states (crystalline, slightly crystalline, slightly amorphous, and fully amorphous) doubling the memory capacity of Flash.
In September of 1966 a patent was filed for by a man n= amed Stanford Ovshinsky on phase change technology. 42 years later the idea is finally a reality. Most of the credit belongs to the creators of GST, the material on which Phase Change Memory is facilitated. phase change memory w= as created through a joint effort by IBM and ST microelectronics. Until the development of phase change memory all non-volatile memory was based on floating gate technology developed in the late 1960’s. That same technology= is essentially what is still driving today’s memory storage options.
Floating gate technology can be best explained by using the analogy of a jar full of marb= les. The marbles represent electrons trapped by floating gate technology. A jar = that is full of marbles (electrons) is equal to a 0 where an empty jar reads as = a 1(numonyx, 2008). Phase change memory does not use floating gate technology but rather= is based on the physical state change of GST. GST gets its name from its chemi= cal composition. It is composed of two parts Germanium (Ge), two parts Antimony (Sb), and five parts Tellurium (Te). phase change memory is analogous to the relationship of water and ice. At room temperature, water is amorphous, or, without a shape. However, if the temperature of water is lowered until it f= reezes it becomes ice and thus has a crystalline structure. To change the state of= a phase change memory cell it must be heated to around 600 degrees Celsius (numonyx, 2008). If you heat the GST past its boiling point and then rapidly cool it,= it remains in an amorphous state. By heating it higher than it’s crystalline s= tate but lower than its boiling point and then begin to slowly cool the GST you allow the particles to align and remain in a crystalline state.
IBM and ST mi= croelectronics were able to produce a more controlled heating process that results in two = more intermediate phases between crystalline and amorphous states. With all four states creating unique electronic readings it is possible to assign two bit= s to each state. Now, instead of having crystalline read as a 1 and amorphous re= ad as a 0 you have crystalline reading as 1,1,fully amorphous reading as 0,0,slightly amorphous reading as 0,1 and slightly crystalline reading as 1= ,0. The storage capacity of all electronic devices has just been doubled while = size and cost have remained the same. This is the first, true, innovative breakthrough in memory technology in over four decades.
Phase change = memory technology has the ability to take the best features of existing memory technology and combine them into one memory device. Scaling is where phase change memory will make a noticeable difference. The “glass” for NOR and NA= ND flash is getting so small it is becoming more difficult to fill it with “ma= rbles” (electrons). So as our technology increases and electronic devices get smal= ler there will be no way for current flash memory to store an adequate amount of data. Phase change memory actually works better the smaller it gets because= it requires less energy. Since it takes less energy to heat up a smaller amoun= t of the same material, phase change memory will get exponentially more efficien= t as devices get smaller, since there will be less matter to heat.
Through phase change memory technology, all electronic devices will run up to ten times faster than with traditional floating gate technology. This is because of the speedy responsiveness of the GST material and its ability to record data after it has been heated and the physical structure changes. Corporations will be able to use this technology to run a faster and more efficient business. Every aspect of a company will be helpe= d by this technology and that will allow them to venture into areas that were previously unfathomable. Since this technology is improving on such a basic element of electronics the possible applications are endless and whichever companies are the fastest to adopt phase change memory into their daily activities will be the most profitable.
Phase change memory will be able to revolutionize both= the business world and the lives of everyone involved in electronic use. With p= hase change memory in all electronic devices, storage capacity will double, read speed will increase ten-fold and as devices evolve and get smaller they will become more efficient than ever. Some may not see it as a competitive advan= tage but the first companies to employ phase change memory will surely profit greatly from the efficiency of this new technology. Phase change memory is = the first true innovation to the world of memory devices in 42 years and such a innovation has been worth the wait.
References
Greene, K. (2008) A Memory Breakthrough. Retrieved Oct= ober 1, 2008, from
"= http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20148/"
Phase Change Memory. (2008) Phase Change Memory. Retrieved October 1, 2008 =
from
"http://www.numonyx.com/en-US/MemoryProducts/PCM/Pages/PCM= .aspx"
Phase Change Memory. (2008) Phase Change Memory. Retrieved October 1, 2008 =
from
"http= ://mx.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dn9XoxmPF93c"
Phase Change Memory. (2008) Wikipedia. Retrieved Octob= er 1, 2008 from
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_change_memory"
D) Birds in Flight
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Phase-Change Memory