Scientists make memory breakthrough with revolutionary field effect transistors (FET)

Scientists from the North Carolina State University have developed what has been
considered the holy-grail of computer storage and memory – ‘universal’ memory that
both serves as dynamic random access memory and flash storage.

Using double floating-gate field effect transistors, the NCSU team’s prototypic effort
will allow memory to switch between static and dynamic modes in a single cycle –
without the data getting lost in between. This is due to the second floating gate, which
apart from holding bits in a ready to be read state, will also enable them to be frozen
into place when a higher voltage is applied. When the power is switched off, it retains
the data in place just like flash.

This combination of both volatile (DRAM) and non-volatile (flash) types of memory

in a single nified device is definitely a breakthrough, and can lead to significant cost

and power savings from servers to manufacturers and home users, apart from the 

definite performance improvement – where main memory and storage are one and 

the same. 

Dr. Paul Franzon, one of the lead scientists on the NCSU team, explained the use
of two
floating-gates:

"Our device is called a double floating-gate field effect transistor (FET).

Existing nonvolatile memory used in data storage devices utilizes a single

           floating gate,

which stores charge in the floating gate to signify a 1 or 0 in the device – or one

bit of information…By using two floating gates, the device can store a bit in a

nonvolatile mode, and/or it can store a bit in a fast, volatile mode – like the

normal main memory on your computer."

Read more from the NCSU abstract, here.