Researchers target new form of RAM from rare materials

Researchers from Victoria University, in New Zealand, are studying the application of a class of materials called rare earth nitrides (RENs) to create a new type of non-volatile RAM memory.

Dr Ben Ruck, Professor Joe Trodahl and Dr Franck Natali from the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, are studying potential commercial applications of RENs, thin films grown under ultra-high vacuum which are both magnetic and semiconducting.

Two concepts already patented include developing the first magnetic memory storage devices based on RENs, called "magnetic tunnel junctions".

The issue with current forms of RAM is that it does not retain information when the host computer is turned off, says Ruck.

Read more at: Researchers target new form of RAM from rare materials | ZDNet
 
Hi there.

This is actually a VERY good idea -- Rare earths actually are neither very "Rare" or actually "earths" so in theory this memory should be cheaper and less toxic to produce than the current versions. Advantages also with non volatile systems is that you'd get instant startup too from your previous session and by embedding the entire OS in memory you could probable eliminate a lot of Piracy - much better than the cack handed Protected boot system we have now which probably does more to discredit these types of security systems than anything else.

(Slight digression here -- A colleague of mine worked on a contract for a short time at the DMV in Swansea S.Wales (Driver licensing, Motor vehicle registration etc) and was forced to use some incredibly difficult password - impossible to remember -- so of course people wrote it down and even stored them on mobile phones etc -- so the stupid management (aren't they ALWAYS in I.T) who thought they were implementing a secure system was actually contributing to an incredibly bad one full of holes).

Cheers
jimbo
 

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