IBM’s Racetrack technology close to eclipsing Flash memory

by Stevie Smith - Apr 14 2008, 13:12

A team of IBM researchers have this week suggested that new low cost and high capacity storage technology capable of providing better performance than flash-based memory is on the cusp of arrival.

IBM talks about its Flash-beating Racetrack storage technology. Credit: Kansir/Flickr.

Specifically, a pair of tech papers published in April’s edition of Science see IBM Fellow Stuart Parkin and colleagues at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose touting the new ‘Racetrack’ memory solution as a potential milestone that could lead to electronic devices storing vastly more data into the same amount of space than is currently possible.According to IBM, other possible Racetrack attributes include super-quick boot times, considerably reduced costing, and an “unprecedented” standard of stability and durability.“This technology could enable a handheld device such as an MP3 player to store around 500,000 songs or around 3,500 movies -- 100 times more than is possible today -- with far lower cost and power consumption,” claims IBM of its Racetrack technology, so named because data “races” around the wire “track,” which leads to hugely more capable storage through solid state devices (SSDs).IBM notes that, beyond its massively enhanced storage potential, Racetrack technology would require much less power from its SSD device host while also generating significantly less heat and be “practically unbreakable” too. The plus points would likely see the arrival of massive amounts of personal storage capable of running on a single battery charge for weeks and lasting for decades.The emergence of Racetrack could also see current flash-based memory pushed from the spotlight due to the strictly finite nature of its data and relatively poor data write speeds. “Flash can be reused only a few thousands of times because it eventually breaks because it is slightly damaged by each use or “rewrite,” explains IBM. “Since racetrack memory has no moving parts, and, rather than storing data as ensemble of electronic charge, uses the “spin” of the electron to store data, it has no wear-out mechanism and so can be rewritten endlessly without any wear and tear.”Racetrack is the latest in a long line of new market creations from IBM that have arrived following its application of exploratory research. Prior IBM “game-changers” include the memory chip, the hard disk drive (HDD), and the relational database.