Timeline
- January 1955: Kolomiets and Gorunova revealed semiconducting properties of chalcogenide glasses.
- September 1966: Stanford Ovshinsky files first patent on phase change technology
- January 1969: Charles H. Sie published a dissertation at Iowa State University on chalcogenide phase change memory device
- June 1969: US Patent 3,448,302 licensed to Ovshinsky claims first reliable operation of PRAM device
- September 1970: Gordon Moore publishes research in Electronics Magazine
- June 1999: Ovonyx joint venture is formed to commercialize PRAM technology
- November 1999: Lockheed Martin works with Ovonyx on PRAM for space applications
- February 2000: Intel invests in Ovonyx, licenses technology
- December 2000: ST Microelectronics licenses PRAM technology from Ovonyx
- March 2002: Macronix files a patent application for transistor-less PRAM
- July 2003: Samsung begins work on PRAM technology
- 2003 through 2005: PRAM-related patent applications filed by Toshiba, Hitachi, Macronix, Renesas, Elpida, Sony, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Infineon and more
- August 2004: Nanochip licenses PRAM technology from Ovonyx for use in MEMS probe storage
- August 2004: Samsung announces successful 64 Mbit PRAM array
- February 2005: Elpida licenses PRAM technology from Ovonyx
- September 2005: Samsung announces successful 256 Mbit PRAM array, touts 400 µA programming current
- October 2005: Intel increases investment in Ovonyx
- December 2005; Hitachi and Renesas announce 1.5 V PRAM with 100 µA programming current
- December 2005: Samsung licenses PRAM technology from Ovonyx
- July 2006: BAE Systems begins selling the first commercial PRAM, a Radiation Hardened C-RAM 512Kx8 chip
- September 2006: Samsung announces 512 Mbit PRAM device
- October 2006: Intel and STMicroelectronics show a 128 Mbit PRAM chip
- December 2006: IBM Research Labs demonstrate a prototype 3 by 20 nanometers
- January 2007: Qimonda licenses PRAM technology from Ovonyx
- April 2007: Intel's chief technology officer Justin Rattner is set to give the first public demonstration of the company's PRAM (phase-change RAM) technology
- October 2007: Hynix begins pursuing PRAM by licensing Ovonyx' technology
- February 2008: Intel and STMicroelectronics announce four-state MLC PRAM and begin shipping samples to customers.
- December 2008: Numonyx announces mass production 128 Mbit PRAM device to selected customer.
- June 2009: Samsung's phase change RAM will go into mass production starting in June
- September 2009: Samsung announces mass production start of 512 Mbit PRAM device
- October 2009: Intel and Numonyx announce they have found a way to stack phase change memory arrays on one die
- December 2009: Numonyx announces 1 Gb 45 nm product
- April 2010: Numonyx releases Omneo PRAM Series (P8P and P5Q), both in 90 nm.
- April 2010: Samsung releases 512Mbit PRAM with 65 nm process, in Multi-Chip-Package.
- February 2011: Samsung presented 58nm 1.8V 1Gb PRAM.
- February 2012: Samsung presented 20nm 1.8V 8Gb PRAM
- July 2012: Micron announces availability of Phase-Change Memory for mobile devices - the first PRAM solution in volume production
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