A team of researchers from China has created an innovative flash memory device that boasts unmatched data storage speeds, according to reports from Chinese state media.
This cutting-edge device operates at a remarkable pace of one bit every 400 picoseconds, setting a new record for semiconductor storage efficiency. Known as PoX, this non-volatile memory technology outperforms even the swiftest types of volatile memory, such as Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) and Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), which typically take between 1 and 10 nanoseconds to store a single bit. To put this into perspective, a picosecond is a trillionth of a second—or one-thousandth of a nanosecond.
While volatile memory is known for its speed, it has the drawback of losing data when the power is turned off, making it unsuitable for applications that require low power or sensitivity to energy usage. On the other hand, traditional non-volatile memory, like standard flash, retains data even when unpowered, but often fails to meet the high-speed data access demands of contemporary technologies, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The research team at Fudan University in Shanghai tackled this challenge by designing a two-dimensional Dirac graphene-channel flash memory. This novel approach allows for significant advancements in the speed of non-volatile data storage and retrieval.
The findings of this study were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Zhou Peng, the lead researcher, stated, “By employing AI algorithms to enhance testing conditions, we’ve made significant strides in this technology, setting the stage for its future applications.”
A peer reviewer of the publication characterized the work as “original,” emphasizing that its innovative nature holds promise for developing future high-speed flash memory solutions.
