Startup 4DS has emerged from stealth mode and claims to have made a major breakthrough in resistive random access memory (RRAM) technology. They also announced a new round of funding, and they are looking for a manufacturing partner to bring it's "4DS memory" into mass production.
RRAMs have been the subject of academic research since the discovery of the electrical pulse induced resistance change effect in such films around 2000.
RRAM cells are usually two-terminal devices based on perovskite-oxide thin film materials. Resistive switching memories are based on materials whose resistivity can be electrically switched between high and low conductive states. RRAM is becoming of interest for future scaled memories, because of their intrinsic scaling characteristics compared to the charge-based flash devices, and potentially small cell size, enabling dense crossbar RRAM arrays using vertical diode selecting elements.
4DS' RRAM is a high-capacity, non-volatile memory with fast switching speeds measured below 5-ns, and with an endurance of 1 billion write/read cycles. Compared to flash memory, RRAM requires lower voltages and lower currents, enabling its use in low power applications, he said.
RRAM exhibits lower programming currents than phase-change memory or PRAM, the company said. Compared to MRAM, RRAM has a simpler, smaller cell structure. MRAM has a 16F2 structure, while 4DS makes use of a 4F2 technology.