Did IBM Kill Flash Memory Yesterday?

IBM partnered up with Macronix and Qimonda to design what they see as the logical successor to flash memory: "Non-Volatile Phase Change Memory."  Betterfastercheapersmaller.

Working together at IBM Research labs on both U.S. coasts, the scientists designed, built and demonstrated a prototype phase-change memory device that switched more than 500 times faster than flash while using less than one-half the power to write data into a cell. The device's cross-section is a minuscule 3 by 20 nanometers in size, far smaller than flash can be built today and equivalent to the industry's chip-making capabilities targeted for 2015. This new result shows that unlike flash, phase-change memory technology can improve as it gets smaller with Moore's Law advancements. "These results dramatically demonstrate that phase-change memory has a very bright future," said Dr. T. C. Chen, Vice President, Science & Technology, IBM Research. "Many expect flash memory to encounter significant scaling limitations in the near future. Today we unveil a new phase-change memory material that has high performance even in an extremely small volume. This should ultimately lead to phase-change memories that will be very attractive for many applications."

All they need is a better name for it, as no one is going to want to watch a "Non-Volatile Phase Change Memory" Gordon movie. It seems that's all Flash will have going for it soon.

Read all about what's going to be your memory in mobile applications here.