HP and Hynix Semiconductor: ReRAM Memristor set to market

HP has (finally!) announced a collaboration, with Hynix Semiconductor of Korea, to bring Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) to commercial development:

The two companies will jointly develop new materials and process integration technology to transfer the memristor technology from research to commercial development in the form of Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM). Hynix will implement the memristor technology in its research and development fab. ReRAM is non-volatile memory with low power consumption that holds the potential to replace Flash memory currently used in mobile phones and MP3 players. It also has the potential to serve as a universal storage medium — that is, memory that can behave as Flash, DRAM or even a hard drive.

— [Marketwatch] – [MultiMedia] – [official HP release]

Hynix Semiconductor Inc. is out of Seoul, Korea, and is well known in the flash memory supplier field, working with DRAM, Flash NAND, and CMOS Image Sensors. Great news for low power sensor intensive resistive random access memory devices. However, the WSJ reports that:

Mr. Williams [HP] stressed that Hynix likely won’t be HP’s only partner associated with the technology, since its goal is to create a mini-industry that will churn out chips that can be used in HP computers and other products. “Our goal is not to get into the memory business,” he said. “Our goal is buying components with superior performance.” [WSJ]