FERROELECTRIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

Domain	Definition
Computing	Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) A type of non-volatile read/write random access semiconductor memory. FRAM combines the advantages of SRAM - writing is roughly as fast as reading, and EPROM - non-volatility and in-circuit programmability. Current (Feb 1997) disadvantages are high cost and low density, but that may change in the future. Density is currently at most 32KB on a chip, compared with 512KB for SRAM, 1MB for EPROM and 8MB for DRAM. A ferroelectric memory cell consists of a ferroelectric capacitor and a MOS transistor. Its construction is similar to the storage cell of a DRAM. The difference is in the dielectric properties of the material between the capacitor's electrodes. This material has a high dielectric constant and can be polarized by an electric field. The polarisation remains until it gets reversed by an opposite electrical field. This makes the memory non-volatile. Note that ferroelectric material, despite its name, does not necessarily contain iron. The most well-known ferroelectric substance is BaTiO3, which does not contain iron. Data is read by applying an electric field to the capacitor. If this switches the cell into the opposite state (flipping over the electrical dipoles in the ferroelectric material) then more charge is moved than if the cell was not flipped. This can be detected and amplified by sense amplifiers. Reading destroys the contents of a cell which must therefore be written back after a read. This is similar to the precharge operation in DRAM, though it only needs to be done after a read rather than periodically as with DRAM refresh. In fact it is most like the operation of ferrite core memory. FRAM has similar applications to EEPROM, but can be written much faster. The simplicity of the memory cell promises high density devices which can compete with DRAM. RAMTRON is the company behind FRAM. (1997-02-17). Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)

46 45 52 52 4F 45 4C 45 43 54 52 49 43 52 41 4E 44 4F 4D 41 43 43 45 53 53 4D 45 4D 4F 52 59

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)

Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)

01000110 01000101 01010010 01010010 01001111 01000101 01001100 01000101 01000011 01010100 01010010 01001001 01000011 00100000 01010010 01000001 01001110 01000100 01001111 01001101 00100000 01000001 01000011 01000011 01000101 01010011 01010011 00100000 01001101 01000101 01001101 01001111 01010010 01011001

HTML Code (1990) (references)

&#70 &#69 &#82 &#82 &#79 &#69 &#76 &#69 &#67 &#84 &#82 &#73 &#67 &#32 &#82 &#65 &#78 &#68 &#79 &#77 &#32 &#65 &#67 &#67 &#69 &#83 &#83 &#32 &#77 &#69 &#77 &#79 &#82 &#89

ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)

0046 0045 0052 0052 004F 0045 004C 0045 0043 0054 0052 0049 0043 0052 0041 004E 0044 004F 004D 0041 0043 0043 0045 0053 0053 004D 0045 004D 004F 0052 0059

Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)

FERROELECTRIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

Specialty Definition: FERROELECTRIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

Computing

Crosswords: FERROELECTRIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

Alternative Orthography: FERROELECTRIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

46 45 52 52 4F 45 4C 45 43 54 52 49 43 52 41 4E 44 4F 4D 41 43 43 45 53 53 4D 45 4D 4F 52 59

&#70 &#69 &#82 &#82 &#79 &#69 &#76 &#69 &#67 &#84 &#82 &#73 &#67 &#32 &#82 &#65 &#78 &#68 &#79 &#77 &#32 &#65 &#67 &#67 &#69 &#83 &#83 &#32 &#77 &#69 &#77 &#79 &#82 &#89

0046 0045 0052 0052 004F 0045 004C 0045 0043 0054 0052 0049 0043 0052 0041 004E 0044 004F 004D 0041 0043 0043 0045 0053 0053 004D 0045 004D 004F 0052 0059

40395252493946393754524337252354838494723537373953532473947495259

INDEX