Nantero, a company specializing in the development of carbon nanotubes, has announced that this type of technology is being applied to the creation of a new type of non-volatile memory in various factories around the world. NRAM, as it’s called, can revolutionize the way computers handle their memory because they have the advantages of the current RAM and NAND without their flaws.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are cylindrical nanostructures composed of carbon atoms. Like graphene, another structure composed of carbon atoms, they have electrical characteristics that make them perfect for applications in the electronics field.

Nantero was created in 2001 to develop memories based on carbon nanotubes, which is why they are sometimes called nano-RAM instead of NRAM. Other companies and organizations started similar research over the years but at this point Nantero seems ready to get the first real commercial applications.

NRAM memories have some key advantages over current DRAM and NAND memories. DRAM are very fast but are volatile so they need to be rewritten continuously. NRAM memories are as fast as DRAMs and that means a lot faster than NAND flash memories but are not volatile so they need to be rewritten only when they’re actually modified. This means that NRAM requires less power to work.

The adoption of NRAM memories for computers could make it possible to use only one type of memory instead of having DRAM for very fast computing and NAND flash memory as storage. First of all, the operating system and all the software would load very fast. Another big advantage is that you shouldn’t worry anymore if a program requires a lot of memory while currently if we run out the RAM the operating system is forced to use the disk, which can be a classic hard drive or an SSD NAND, with significant slowdowns.

The production technologies of NRAM memories are simple to implement, with some changes to the factories which currently produce DRAM. This means that the costs could be similar from the beginning, an element that would contribute greatly to their spread.

Nantero also tested the reliability of NRAM memories over the years and the results were excellent. The company stated that an NRAM chip can retain its data even for over 1,000 years and that it can withstand temperatures of 300° Celsius for over 10 years before starting losing its data.

NRAM memories seem the ideal solution for any type of computer. They could allow significant developments in portable equipment, including wearables, also thanks to their low power consumption. Considering the prospects regarding the Internet of Things, the potential is enormous.

Nantero won’t produce NRAM memories but decided to license its patents on the technologies for their production. There are some other technologies with similar characteristics but if a mass production of NRAM memories is already beginning, this carbon nanotube-based technology could become the dominant one within a few years.