TechRadar Belgian research institute imec has demonstrated a prototype 3D charge‑coupled device (CCD) memory that merges the speed of DRAM with the density of NAND. By stacking cells vertically and using indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) instead of silicon, the hybrid architecture promises lower leakage, higher endurance and faster data transfer—key advantages for AI training and inference workloads. The first chips already show charge‑transfer speeds above 4 MHz, and imec plans to integrate the design into a CXL‑compatible device that could reshape the economics of AI hardware.
Read more