In this work, we report on the opportunities to enhance the retention time (RT) of an accumulation mode capacitorless DRAM (1T-DRAM) through appropriate material optimization by analyzing different semiconductor materials (Si, Ge, Si 1− x Ge x and GaAs). It is shown that the RT can be considerably enhanced through a combination of (i) a higher bandgap material and (ii) the separation of the storage region from the conduction region. A higher bandgap (GaAs) material helps to achieve a deeper potential well, which reduces band-to-band tunneling, and thus, enhances the RT. The material optimization through GaAs and Ge-based 1T-DRAM achieves a maximum RT of∼ 2 s and maximum speed of∼ 45 ns, respectively, at a gate length of 50 nm at 85 C. Results also indicate the trade-off between retention and speed arising out the material properties. The work quantifies the role of material and device parameters for 1T-DRAM.