Next-gen memory market to reach $66 billion

The figure includes a raft of new technologies, such as MRAM, FRAM, holographic memory, ovonic unified memory, molecular memory, nanotube RAM, MEMS-based memory and polymer memory, according to the Sterling-based firm.

"DRAM, SRAM and flash will continue to exist for decades," according to the report. "But with powerful backers such as AMD, Cypress Semiconductor, Freescale, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Hitachi, IBM, Infineon, Intel, Matsushita, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments, nanostorage seems certain to take a big bite out of the conventional memory and disk business."

New memory technologies are disruptive for the disk-drive and related industries. By 2011, next-generation nonvolatile memories, called nanostorage technology by NanoMarkets, will have penetrated close to 40 percent of the disk drive and memory chip businesses, which by then are expected to total $166 billion in revenue.

In total, the next-generation, nonvolatile memory market is expected to grow from $97 million in 2004, to $17.9 billion in 2008, to $65.7 billion by 2011, according to the firm.

The MRAM market is expected to grow from $2 million in 2004, to $3.8 billion in 2008, to $12.9 billion by 2011, according to the firm. The FRAM market is expected to grow from $95 million in 2004, to $1.3 billion in 2008, to $4.5 billion by 2011, according to the firm.

The holographic memory market is expected to grow from $3.3 billion in 2008, to $6.9 billion by 2011, according to the firm. The ovonic unified memory market is expected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2008, to $4.8 billion by 2011, according to the firm.

The molecular memory market is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2008, to $7.2 billion by 2011, according to the firm. The nanotube memory market is expected to grow from $1.9 billion in 2008, to $8.9 billion by 2011, according to the firm.

The MEMS-based systems market is expected to grow from $2.1 billion in 2008, to $6.5 billion by 2011, according to the firm. The polymer memory market is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2008, to $7.9 billion by 2011, according to the firm.