ReRAM – Resistive RAM – this a fast non-volatile storage-class memory relying on the formation of electrically conducting oxygen vacancy filaments through an otherwise insulating medium. Research discovered that sending a current through silicon oxide could counteract its inherent insulator property and create a silicon crystal (oxygen vacancy) pathway or filament. Electrical pulses could then break and re-connect this filament, changing the resistance levels from low to high – the binary signalling mechanism. ReRAM is said to be as fast to read as SRAM (static random access memory), but lower cost with reduced power consumption and non-volatility. Weebit Nano, Intrinsic Semiconductor Technology and CrossBar are developing ReRAM products. All three use a silicon oxide base material and a crosspoint-style architecture.
