Non-volatile random-access memory

Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) is a type of computer memory chip which does not lose its information when power is turned off. NVRAM is mostly used in computer systems, routers and other electronic devices to store settings which must survive a power cycle (like number of disks and memory configuration). One example is the magnetic core memory that was used in the 1950s and 1960s. Magnetic core memory was invented by Jay Forrester of MIT.

Today, most NVRAM is Flash memory, which is used primarily in cell phones and portable MP3 players. The many types of NVRAM under development are based on various technologies, such as carbon nanotube technology, magnetic RAM (MRAM) based on the magnetic tunnel effect, Ovonic Unified Memory based on phase-change technology, and FeRAM based on the ferroelectric effect.