Fundamentals of Memory

For every application there is a preferred memory technology and implementation approach, whether it be DRAM, non-volatile RAM, SRAM, flash (NOR or NAND), ROM, EEPROM or any combination of the above. Add to that the many variations and advances in each of the various memory technologies in terms of size, cost and speed, as well as the development of newer memory architectures such as phase-change memory (PCM), ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) and magnetic RAM (MRAM), and making the optimum choice for any application at a given moment in time becomes an interesting matrix-solving exercise.

To help with that choice, this course will take viewers from the basics of each major memory technology and how it is evolving, right through to an update on the newest technologies and where they stand in terms of performance characteristics and their application, with a focus on phase-change memory as an example. Along the way, viewers will get an understanding of terminology, underlying physics and relative performance characteristics of each memory type.