TYPES OF RAM

VOLATILE NON – VOLATILE

DRAM SRAM TRAM ZRAM Content ROM NVRAM

Addressble
Memory 1) Mask Programmable 1) Flash Memory
1) FPM DRAM 2) PROM 2) Solid State
2) EDO DRAM 3) EPROM
3) VRAM 4) EEPROM
4) SD RAM – a) DDR SD RAM,
b) RD RAM,
c) SG RAM,
d) PS RAM
RAM (Random-access memory) has become a generic term for any semiconductor memory that can be written to, as well as read from, in
contrast to ROM (below), which can only be read. All semiconductor memory, not just RAM, has the property of random access.

Volatile memory loses its stored data when the power to the memory chip is turned off. However it can be faster and less expensive than
non-volatile memory. This type is used for the main memory in most computers, since data is stored on thehard disk while the computer is
off. Major types are:[2][3]

 DRAM (Dynamic random-access memory) which uses memory cells consisting of one capacitor and one transistor to store each bit.
This is the cheapest and highest in density, so it is used for the main memory in computers. However theelectric charge that stores the
data in the memory cells slowly leaks off, so the memory cells must be periodicallyrefreshed (rewritten), requiring additional circuitry.
The refresh process is automatic and transparent to the user.
 FPM DRAM (Fast page mode DRAM) An older type of asynchronous DRAM that improved on previous types by allowing
repeated accesses to a single "page" of memory to occur at a faster rate. Used in the mid-1990s.
 EDO DRAM (Extended data out DRAM) An older type of asynchronous DRAM which had faster access time than earlier types by
being able to initiate a new memory access while data from the previous access was still being transferred. Used in the later part
of the 1990s.
 VRAM (Video random access memory) An older type of dual-ported memory once used for the frame buffers of video
adapters (video cards).
 SDRAM (Synchronous dynamic random-access memory) This was a reorganization of the DRAM memory chip, which added a
clock line to enable it to operate in synchronism with the computer's memory bus clock. The data on the chip is divided
into banks so it can work on several memory accesses simultaneously, in separate banks. It became the dominant type of
computer memory by about the year 2000.
 DDR SDRAM (Double data rate SDRAM) This was an increased data rate modification, enabling the chip to transfer twice
the memory data (two consecutive words) on each clock cycle by double pumping, transferring data on both the leading
and trailing edges of the clock pulse. Extensions of this idea are the current (2012) technique being used to increase
memory access rate and bandwidth. Since it is proving difficult to further increase the internal clock speed of memory chips,
these chips increase data rate by transferring data in larger blocks:
 DDR2 SDRAM transfers 4 consecutive words per internal clock cycle
 DDR3 SDRAM transfers 8 consecutive words per internal clock cycle.
 DDR4 SDRAM transfers 16 consecutive words per internal clock cycle.
  RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) an alternate double data rate memory standard that was used on some Intel systems but
ultimately lost out to DDR SDRAM.
 SGRAM (Synchronous graphics RAM) a specialized type of SDRAM made for graphics adaptors (video cards). It can
perform graphics-related operations such as bit masking and block write, and can open two pages of memory at once.
 PSRAM (Pseudostatic RAM) This is DRAM which has circuitry to perform memory refresh on the chip, so that it acts like
SRAM, allowing the external memory controller to be shut down to save energy. It is used in a few portable game
controllers such as the Wii.
 SRAM (Static random-access memory) which relies on several transistors forming a digital flip-flop to store each bit. This is less dense
and more expensive per bit than DRAM, but faster and does not require memory refresh. It is used for smaller cache memories in
computers.
 Content-addressable memory This is a specialized type in which, instead of accessing data using an address, a data word is applied
and the memory returns the location if the word is stored in the memory. It is mostly incorporated in other chips such
as microprocessors where it is used for cache memory.
 Thyristor RAM (T-RAM) is a new (2009) type of DRAM computer memory invented and developed by T-RAM Semiconductor, which
departs from the usual designs of memory cells, combining the strengths of the DRAM andSRAM: high density and high speed. This
technology, which exploits the electrical property known as negative differential resistance and is called thin capacitively-coupled
thyristor,[1] is used to create memory cells capable of very high packing densities. Due to this, the memory is highly scalable, and
already has a storage density that is several times higher than found in conventional six-transistor SRAM memory. It was expected that
the next generation of T-RAM memory will have the same density as DRAM.
 Zero-capacitor (registered trademark, Z-RAM) is a dynamic random-access memory technology developed byInnovative
Silicon[1] (defunct) based on the floating body effect of silicon on insulator (SOI) process technology. Z-RAM has been licensed
by Advanced Micro Devices for possible use in future microprocessors. Innovative Silicon claims the technology offers memory access
speeds similar to the standard six-transistor static random-access memory cell used in cache memory but uses only a single transistor,
therefore affording much higher packing densities.

Nonvolatile memory preserves the data stored in it during periods when the power to the chip is turned off. Therefore it is used for the
memory in portable devices, which don't have disks, and for removable memory cards among other uses. Major types are:[2][3]

 ROM (Read-only memory) This is designed to hold permanent data, and in normal operation is only read from, not written to. Although
many types can be written to, the writing process is slow and usually all the data in the chip must be rewritten at once. It is usually used
to store system software which must be immediately accessible to the computer, such as the BIOS program which starts the computer,
and the software (microcode) for portable devices and embedded computers such as microcontrollers.
 Mask programmed ROM In this type the data is programmed into the chip during manufacture, so it is only used for large
production runs. It cannot be rewritten with new data.
 PROM (Programmable read-only memory) In this type the data is written into the chip before it is installed in the circuit, but it can
only be written once. The data is written by plugging the chip into a device called a PROM programmer.
 EPROM (Erasable programmable read-only memory) In this type the data in it can be rewritten by removing the chip from the
circuit board, exposing it to anultraviolet light to erase the existing data, and plugging it into a PROM programmer. The IC
package has a small transparent "window" in the top to admit the UV light. It is often used for prototypes and small production run
devices, where the program in it may have to be changed at the factory.
 EEPROM (Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) In this type the data can be rewritten electrically, while the chip
is on the circuit board, but the writing process is slow. This type is used to hold firmware, the low level microcode which runs
hardware devices, such as the BIOS program in most computers, so that it can be updated.
 NVRAM (Flash memory) It is an electronic non-volatile computer storage medium that can be electrically erased and
reprogrammed. In this type the writing process is intermediate in speed between EEPROMS and RAM memory; it can be written to, but
not fast enough to serve as main memory. It is often used as a semiconductor version of a hard disk, to store files. It is used in portable
devices such as PDAs, USB flash drives, and removable memory cards used indigital cameras and cellphones.
 Solid-state storage (sometimes abbreviated as SSS) is a type of non-volatile computer storage that stores and
retrieves digital information using only electronic circuits, without any involvement of moving mechanical parts.

 Ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM, F-RAM or FRAM) is a random-access memory similar in construction to DRAM but uses
a ferroelectric layer instead of a dielectric layer to achieve non-volatility. FeRAM is one of a growing number of
alternative non-volatile random-access memory technologies that offer the same functionality as flash memory. FeRAM
 advantages over flash include: lower power usage, faster write performance[1] and a much greater maximum number of
write-erase cycles (exceeding 1016 for 3.3 V devices). Disadvantages of FeRAM are much lower storage densitiesthan
flash devices, storage capacity limitations, and higher cost.nvSRAM is a type of non-volatile random-access
memory (NVRAM). It is similar in operation to static random-access memory (SRAM). The current market for non-
volatile memory is dominated by BBSRAMs, or battery-backed static random-access memory. However, BBSRAMs are
slow and suffer from ROHS compliance issues. nvSRAMs provide 20ns or lesser access times. nvSRAM is one of the
advanced NVRAM technologies that is fast replacing the BBSRAMs, especially for applications that need battery free
solutions and long term retention at SRAM speeds. nvSRAMs are used in a wide range of situations—networking,
aerospace, and medical, among many others[1] —where the preservation of data is critical and where batteries are
impractical.

 Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) is a non-volatile random-access memory technology under

development since the 1990s. Continued increases in density of existing memory technologies – notably flash
RAMand DRAM – kept it in a niche role in the market, but its proponents believe that the advantages are so
overwhelming that magnetoresistive RAM will eventually become dominant for all types of memory, becoming
a universal memory.
 Phase-change memory (also known as PCM, PCME, PRAM, PCRAM, Ovonic Unified Memory, Chalcogenide
RAMand C-RAM) is a type of non-volatile random-access memory. PRAMs exploit the unique behaviour
of chalcogenide glass. In the older generation of PCM heat produced by the passage of an electric current through a
heating element generally made of TiN would be used to either quickly heat and quench the glass, making
it amorphous, or to hold it in its crystallization temperature range for some time, thereby switching it to
a crystalline state. PCM also has the ability to achieve a number of distinct intermediary states, thereby having the
ability to hold multiple bits in a single cell, but the difficulties in programming cells in this way has prevented these
capabilities from being implemented in other technologies (most notably flash memory) with the same capability. Newer
PCM technology has been trending in two different directions. One group have been directing a lot of research towards
attempting to find viable material alternatives to Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), with mixed success. Another have developed the
use of a GeTe - Sb2Te3superlattice to achieve non-thermal phase changes by simply changing the co-ordination state
of the Germanium atoms with a laser pulse. This new Interfacial Phase Change Memory (IPCM) has had many
successes and continues to be the site of much active research. [1]
 Mechanical –
 Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip
of plastic film. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back
audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders. A device that stores computer data
on magnetic tape is atape drive (tape unit, streamer).
 A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive or fixed disk[b] is a data storage device used for storing and
retrieving digital information using one or more rigid ("hard") rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic
material. The platters are paired with magnetic heads arranged on a moving actuator arm, which read and write data to
the platter surfaces.[2] Data is accessed in a random-access manner, meaning that individual blocks of data can be
stored or retrieved in any order rather than sequentially. HDDs retain stored data even when powered off.
 In computing, an optical disc drive (ODD) is a disk drive that uses laser light or electromagnetic waves within or near
thevisible light spectrum as part of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only
read from certain discs, but recent drives can both read and record, also called burners or writers. Compact
discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be read and recorded by such drives.
Optical disc drives that are no longer in production include CD-ROM drive, CD writer drive, and combo (CD-RW/DVD-
ROM) drive. As of 2015, DVD writer drive is the most common for desktop PCs and laptops. There are also DVD-ROM
drive, BD-ROM drive, Blu-ray Disc combo drive, and Blu-ray Disc writer drive which are not so much demand in the
market.
 3D XPoint, (pronounced three dee cross point[1]) is a non-volatile memory technology announced by Intel and Micron in July 2015.
Though details of the materials and physics of operation were not disclosed, storage density is claimed to be similar to flash
memory,[2][3] durability better and operating speed faster than flash memory though slower than dynamic RAM.[4] Bit storage is based on
a change of bulk resistance,[5] in conjunction with a stackable cross-gridded data access array.
 CBRAM - The programmable metallization cell, or PMC, is a novel non-volatile computer memory developed at Arizona State
University. PMC have been identified as an emerging research device of interest by the International Technology Roadmap for
 Semiconductors for its ability to scale, in performance, beyond NAND Flash memory.[1] PMC is one of a number of technologies being
developed to replace the widely used Flash memory, providing a combination of longer lifetimes, lower power, and better memory
density. Infineon Technologies, who licensed the technology in 2004, refers to it as conductive-bridging RAM, or CBRAM. CBRAM®
became a registered trademark of Adesto Technologies in 2011.[2] NEC has a variant called “Nanobridge” and Sony calls their version
“electrolytic memory”.
 SONOS, short for "Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon", is a type of non-volatile computer memory closely related toFlash RAM. It is
one of Charge trap flash variants. It is distinguished from mainstream flash by the use of silicon nitride(Si3N4) instead of polysilicon for
the charge storage material. A further variant is "SHINOS" ("Silicon Hi-k Nitride Oxide Silicon"). SONOS promises lower programming
voltages and higher program/erase cycle endurance than polysilicon-based flash, and is an area of active research and development
effort. Companies offering SONOS-based products include GlobalFoundries, Cypress Semiconductor, Macronix, Toshiba, and United
Microelectronics Corporation.
 Resistive random-access memory (RRAM or ReRAM) is a type of non-volatile (NV) random-access (RAM) computer memory that
works by changing the resistance across a dielectric solid-state material often referred to as a memristor. This technology bears some
similarities to CBRAM and phase-change memory (PCM).
 Racetrack memory (or domain-wall memory (DWM)) is an experimental non-volatile memory device under development
at IBM's Almaden Research Center by a team led by Stuart Parkin.[1] In early 2008, a 3-bit version was successfully demonstrated.[2] If it
is developed successfully, racetrack would offer storage density higher than comparable solid-state memory devices like flash
memory and similar to conventional disk drives, and also have much higher read/write performance. It is one of a number of new
technologies that could potentially become a universal memory in the future.
 Nano-RAM is a proprietary computer memory technology from the company Nantero. It is a type of nonvolatile random access
memory based on the position of carbon nanotubes deposited on a chip-like substrate. In theory, the small size of the nanotubes allows
for very high density memories. Nantero also refers to it as NRAM.
 Millipede memory is a non-volatile computer memory stored on nanoscopic pits burned into the surface of a thin polymer layer, read
and written by a MEMS-based probe.[4][5] It promised a data density of more than 1 terabit per square inch (1 gigabit per square
millimeter), which is about the limit of the perpendicular recording hard drives. Millipede storage technology was pursued as a potential
replacement for magnetic recording in hard drives, at the same time reducing the form-factor to that of flash media. IBM demonstrated
a prototype millipede storage device atCeBIT 2005, and was trying to make the technology commercially available by the end of 2007.
However, because of concurrent advances in competing storage technologies, no commercial product has been made available since
then.
 FJG RAM, short for Floating Junction Gate Random Access Memory, is a type of computer memory invented byOriental
Semiconductor Co., Ltd. The FJG RAM has an ultra-compact cell area of 4F2 (F refers to feature size) and a capacitorless cell
configuration. It is made without exotic process steps, materials or new process tools, and the process for making the device is
available from all existing DRAM fabs. Due to the absence of a capacitor, the FJG cell process is more compatible with logic process,
allowing its use not only in standalone DRAM applications but also in embedded-DRAM applications. Other properties include non-
destructive-read and the possibility for DRAM designers to use shared sense-amplifiers to reduce the complexity of periphery circuits.