Samsung recently announced that it has made the first prototype of a new memory technology called PRAM.
It is expected to be available in 2008, Samsung said. A 512 Mb prototype PRAM device was unveiled at a news conference in Seoul.

The manufacturer says that the PRAM can write data without having to first erase data previously accumulated. It would effectively be 30 times faster than conventional flash memory and have at least 10 times the life span of flash memory. Also, a PRAM cell would only be half the size of NOR flash and requires 20 percent fewer process steps to produce.
"PRAM will be a highly competitive choice over NOR flash, available beginning sometime in 2008. Samsung designed the cell size of its PRAM to be only half the size of NOR flash. Moreover, it requires 20 percent fewer process steps to produce than those used in the manufacturing of NOR flash memory."

The basic concept is to exploit the conductive properties of a ceramic material called chalcogenide, capable of existing in two physical states, amorphous and crystalline. Varying the pulse of an electric current sent through this material will change its state, or its phase, instantaneously.

The PRAM features the fast processing speed of RAM for its operating functions combined with the nonvolatile features of flash memory for storage, giving it the nickname of "Perfect RAM", Samsung said.
Samsung's new PRAM was developed by adopting the use of vertical diodes with the three dimensional transistor structure that it now uses to produce DRAM.

The new PRAM has the smallest 0.0467 micron 2 cell size of any working memory that is free of inter-cell noise, allowing virtually unlimited scalability.
'Adoption of PRAM is expected to be especially popular in the future designs of multi-function handsets and for other mobile applications, where faster speeds translate into immediately noticeable boosts in performance . High-density versions will be produced first, starting with 512 Mb. "

written by Cristian L.