IBM and Infineon develop new chip

IBM and German semiconductor company Infineon say that they have produced a 128k Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) chip which is the smallest MRAM chip ever produced.

MRAM stores information using magnetic charges, instead of electrical ones. It is thought smaller, faster and more energy efficient than electrical chips.

It will also able to retain information without a continuous power supply, which means that computers will be able to be turned on and off as quickly as a light switch.

The companies hope to have a demonstration of the technology ready by 2004 and put it into production by 2005.