Just when it seemed that flash memory was going to be the next big thing, IBM and some of their henchmen, er business partners, up and announce some advances in phase-change memory, which seems to directly challenge flash in the computer memory market. Their version of PCM memory, according to IBM, is non-volatile, 500x faster than flash, uses just half the power of flash and is much smaller.
IBM’s approach to PCM employs the usual suspects of germanium & antimony, but adds a secret sauce of ‘other elements’ … sounds delicious. No word on possible cost.
Promising New Memory Chip Technology Demonstrated by IBM – IBM Press Release, 11 Dec 2006
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Did a version of PCM memory that was 500 times faster than Flash ever make it to the marketplace?
It does sound delicious…a tablespoon of germanium and a pinch of antimony can spice up any recipe.