Boffins at UCL have developed the first purely silicon oxide based resistive ram (ReRAM) memory chip. The chip can operate in ambient conditions and could be the next thing for super fast memory.

ReRAM memory chips are based on materials whose electrical resistance changes when a voltage is applied, so they can retain data without power. These chips promise significantly greater storage capacity than current technology with less energy and space. Dr Tony Kenyon, UCL electronic and electrical engineering said that his ReRAM memory chips need just a thousandth of the energy and are around a hundred times faster than standard flash memory chips.

The fact that the device can operate in ambient conditions and has a continuously variable resistance opens up a huge range of potential applications. Unlike other silicon oxide chips in development, the team says its devices do not require a vacuum to work and are therefore potentially cheaper and more durable.