Memory cell (binary)

The memory cell is the fundamental building block of computer memory. The memory cell is an electronic circuit that stores one bit of binary information and it must be set to store a logic 1 (high voltage level) and reset to store a logic 0 (low voltage level). Its value is maintained/stored until it is changed by the set/reset process. The value in the memory cell can be accessed by reading it.

Over the history of computing many different memory cell architectures have been used including core memory and bubble memory, but the most common ones used are flip-flops and capacitors.

The SRAM, static ram memory cell is a type of flip-flop circuit, usually implemented using FETs. These require very low power when not being accessed.

A second type, DRAM is based around a capacitor. Charging and discharging this capacitor can store a '1' or a '0' in the cell. However, this capacitor will slowly leak away, and must be refreshed periodically. Because of this refresh process, DRAM uses more power, but can achieve greater storage densities.

On December 11, 1946 Freddie Williams applied for a patent on his cathode-ray tube (CRT) storing device (Williams tube) with 128 40-bit words. It was operational in 1947 and is considered the first practical implementation of random-access memory. In that year, the first patent applications for magnetic-core memory were filed by Frederick Viehe. An Wang, Ken Olsen and Jay Forrester also contributed to its development. The first modern memory cells were introduced in 1969, when John Schmidt designed the first 64-bit MOS p-channel SRAM. The first bipolar 64-bit SRAM was released by Intel in 1969 with the 3101 Schottky TTL. One year later it released the first DRAM chip, the Intel 1103.

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