All the Details about RRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory)

Non-volatile memory (NVM) plays an essential part for the future of electronic product. As the widely used flash memory is confronting its limit, the development of next-generation NVM is emergent. Due to the high-efficiency, high-speed and energy-saving features, resistive random-access memory is very likely to be the most promising memory in the future.

Besides, the RRAM is also well-known for its simple structure that is different from the limited process technology and physical size of nonvolatile memory. What is RRAM? Please keep reading this post of MiniTool to obtain more details.

What Is RRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory)

RRAM (ReRAM) is short for Resistive Random-Access Memory. The conventional RRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) is just a metal-insulator-metal structure where the metal oxide is utilized as an insulator.

The charge transport mechanism of the conventional ReRAM is because of the metallic filament within the resistive ram. The RRAM has some commons with the phase change memory. Both of them are viewed as a type of memristor technology – a passive two-terminal electronic device that is built to only denote the property of the electronic component.

This kind of technology can make the electronic component recall the last resistance it had before being switched off.

After learning the basic information of resistive random-access memory, you may wonder its development. When it was developed? What happened during the development? Don’t hurry! You can find the answer in the next section.

All the main events about the development RRAM will be talked about. Please read the next part with attention.

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The Revolution of RRAM

A number of enterprises were developing ReRAM in the early 2000s and some of them even got the patent so that that asked to implement this technology from multiple aspects. Then, the commercialization on an initially limited KB-capacity scale of ReRAM comes true.

For example, Rambus purchased a ReRAM firm – Unity Semiconductor in Feb, 2012. In the same year, Panasonic launched an ReRAM evaluation kit on the basis of a tantalum oxide 1T1R memory cell architecture.

Crossbar brought in an ReRAM prototype as a chip that has a same size with a postage stamp that could hold 1TB data in 2013. In August, this company announced that they are going to produce ReRAM chips on large-scale on 2015.

This memory structure (Ag/a-Si/Si) looks like the silver-based SBRAM very much. The different forms of ReRAM have been introduced to the public based on different dielectric materials. These materials range from perovskites to transition metal oxides to chalcogenides.

How RRAM Works

As you know, RRAM is built to store data. But how RRAM works to store the data? According to the survey, ReRAM stores data by using ions (also called charged atoms) as changes in electrical resistance instead of electrons.

According to the researchers of Julich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA), the resistive memory will reduce the modern IT systems’ energy consumption and improve performance. Within the resistive switching memory cells, ions act on the nanometer scale like the way that a battery does.

Generally speaking, the cells have two electrodes. They can be made of silver and platinum. The ions will dissolve and precipitate again at the electrodes.

This operation can change the electrical resistance, which can be applied to data storage. In addition, the reduction and oxidation processes have other influence. For example, they can generate electric voltage.

At present, lots of firms have patented ReRAM versions. Another thing you need to know is that different forms of ReRAM are made of different dielectric materials like metal oxide.

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Final Words

Up to now, the definition, revolution and the work principle of RRAM (resistive random-access memory) have been discussed specifically. Now, you may have a clear and comprehensive understanding of resistive memory.

After learning about the detailed information of RRAM, you can make a wise choice when choosing a memory type for your computer or other electronic devices. Here comes the end of the post. We hope this article can be helpful for you.