Flash memory uses a basic storage element called a "floating gate transistor.
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Thanks for that.
Here are two useful links i discovered while googling items in your explanation. I post them here for convenience to both others and myself (so i'll know where to find them in the future, if need be):
- Semiconductors Without the Quantum Physics (or not so much that you would notice)
- Solid State Drives Data Reliability and Lifetime (PDF whitepaper)
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It seems that the problem "insulating" material is SiO2 (silicon dioxide, aka silica), a special glass of some sort. So basically, the semiconductor components (FETs) remain more or less intact... but the loss of insulation (due to *writing* any data which toggles zeros and ones) renders the overall device increasingly useless for
non-volatile storage. What a shame.