Nonvolatile Memory Technologies: Characteristics, Deployment, and Research Challenges

Abstract

Nonvolatile memory (NVM) is a class of memory that exhibits persistence, similar to secondary memory, while providing access speeds at least an order of two magnitudes faster. In this area, phase change memory (PCM), spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM), and resistive RAM (ReRAM) have emerged as the major contenders for commercial and industrial use. With the enormous amount of data being generated, most recent applications demand huge memory footprints, large bandwidth, low energy consumption, and low price. Conventional DRAM-based memories face several issues, such as scalability and high static power consumption. Hence there is a necessity to build alternative memory devices to satisfy the demands of new applications. In this regard, NVMs are gaining prominence these days. This chapter gives a complete overview of the NVM devices, including characteristics, deployment, and challenges in integrating them at different levels of the memory hierarchy. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.