DRAM Alternative Spawns U.K. Startup

By Gary Hilson, EETimes (June 21, 2023)

A startup spurred by technology developed at Lancaster University in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, is putting its hat in the ring with a candidate to displace DRAM.

Formed in mid-February, UltraRAM’s technology is based on a novel type of memory invented by Lancaster physics professor Manus Hayne. It combines the speed, energy efficiency and endurance of working memory, such as DRAM, with the non-volatility of storage-class memory, such as NAND flash. UltraRAM exploits quantum resonant tunneling in compound semiconductor materials commonly used in photonic devices like LEDS, laser diodes and infrared detectors, Hayne told EE Times in a briefing.

As tried and true as DRAM is with its low switching energy and high endurance, one of its annoying drawbacks is that it’s volatile, Hayne said, and information is lost when the device is powered off.

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