Editing Non-volatile memory (section)

{{short description|Computer memory that does not lose its contents after being turned off}}
{{redirect|Non-volatile||Volatility (disambiguation) {{!}} Volatility}}
{{broader|Computer data storage}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Memory types}}

'''Non-volatile memory''' ('''NVM''') or '''non-volatile storage''' is a type of [[computer memory]] that can retain stored information even after power is removed. In contrast, [[volatile memory]] needs constant power in order to retain data.

Non-volatile memory typically refers to storage in [[memory chip]]s, which store data in [[floating-gate]] [[memory cell (computing)|memory cells]] consisting of [[floating-gate MOSFET]]s ([[metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor]]s), including [[Flash memory|flash memory storage]] such as [[NAND flash]] and [[solid-state drive]]s (SSD).

Other examples of non-volatile memory include [[read-only memory]] (ROM), [[EPROM]] (erasable [[programmable ROM]]) and [[EEPROM]] (electrically erasable programmable ROM), [[ferroelectric RAM]], most types of [[computer data storage]] devices (e.g. [[disk storage]], [[hard disk drive]]s, [[optical disc]]s, [[floppy disk]]s, and [[magnetic tape]]), and early computer storage methods such as [[punched tape]] and [[punched card|cards]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Patterson |first1=David |first2=John |last2=Hennessy |title=Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface |publisher=[[Elsevier]]|date=2005 |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lD9LZRcIZ8C&pg=PA23|isbn=9780080502571 }}</ref>