Meet "Poxiao" flash memory said to be a million times faster than your USB

Shanghai-based researchers from Fudan University have achieved a breakthrough in semiconductor technology by developing a picosecond-level flash memory device. This device is said to boast an impressive access speed of 400 picoseconds (or 0.4 nanoseconds), equivalent to operating 25 billion times per second. The research team has named this innovation "PoX," which is now considered the fastest semiconductor charge storage device known to date.

The findings were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. According to Zhou Peng, a leading scientist on the project and researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, "This is like the device working 1 billion times in the blink of an eye, while a U disk (a USB flash drive) can only work 1,000 times. The previous world record for similar technology was 2 million." The version of USB, though, that the comparison is made against, has not been mentioned.

Existing non-volatile memories, such as flash memory, retain data even without power and consume minimal energy. However, their data access speeds are slower than volatile memory types like static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Unlike non-volatile memory, SRAM and DRAM lose data when power is interrupted, making them unsuitable for low-power scenarios.

The Fudan team addressed this gap by developing a novel approach to non-volatile memory technology. It implemented a device physics mechanism that leverages a two-dimensional Dirac band structure and ballistic transport properties. By modulating the Gaussian length of the two-dimensional channel, researchers achieved what they described as "super-injection" of channel charge into the memory's storage layer.

Liu Chunsen, a researcher on the project, explained, "The traditional injection behavior has a speed limit, while super-injection has no such cap. The two-dimensional super-injection mechanism pushed non-volatile memory speed to its theoretical limit, redefining the boundaries of current storage technologies."

The breakthrough is expected to have significant implications in multiple domains, particularly in supporting the ultra-fast computational demands of large AI models. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness and scalability of flash memory make it a cornerstone for technological advancements and industrial applications globally.

Zhou Peng noted, "Our technology breakthrough is expected to not only reshape the global storage technology landscape, drive industrial upgrades, and foster new application scenarios, but also provide robust support for China to lead in relevant fields."

Source: China Daily (link1, link2) via Fudan University | Image via Depositphotos

This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor.

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