Is ULTRARAM a game changer? | Backend Engineering Show

The Backend Engineering Show with Hussein Nasser

Scientists at the Physics and Engineering Department of the UK’s Lancaster University published a new paper describing ULTRARAM. A Low-Energy, High-Endurance, Compound-Semiconductor Memory on Silicon. I think this tech is a game changer but I still have my doubts. Let us discuss 0:00 Intro 0:30 RAM 4:00 SSD 11:00 UltraRAM 17:30 Doubts * RAM (Dynamic RAM) * Fast access with capacitors * random access * requires power to be refreshed * Flash NAND (SSD) * Pros fast random access (FTL) * Block storage * Requires high voltage (20V to erase/ 7.5 to program) * Low durability endurance which then (write amplification + garbage collection ) * UltraRAM uses a new novel approach to the memory cell design that only need 2.5 V to program/erase, low power which saves the memory cell lifetime https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/fowler-nordheim-tunnelling * High endurance program/erase last longer * High retention * GC/WA not required * Limitations: still we know very little https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aelm.202101103