Storage for next generation of smart phones and tablets closer to reality

Washington: Researchers have developed a new way to build resistive memory devices that could become the storage part of the next generation of smart phones and tablets. The device is based on the principles of resistive memory, which can be used to create memory cells that are smaller, operate at a higher speed and offer more storage capacity than flash memory cells, the current industry standard. The key advancement in the research is the creation of a zinc oxide nano-island on silicon. It eliminates the need for a second element called a selector device, which is often a diode. Jianlin Liu , a professor of electrical engineering at UC Riverside who is one of the authors of the paper, said that this is a significant step as the electronics industry is considering wide-scale adoption of resistive memory as an alternative for flash memory. Resistive memory is receiving significant attention from academia and the electronics industry because it has a simple structure, high-density integration, fast operation and long endurance. Researchers have also found that resistive memory can be scaled down in the sub 10-nanometer scale. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. ANI