Recent MRAM News - Page 4

Renesas Electronics announced that it has developed circuit technologies for embedded STT-MRAM that reduces the energy and voltage of the memory write operation. 

Renesas produced a 22-nm MCU test chip, that includes a 10.8 Mbit embedded MRAM memory cell array. It achieves a random read access frequency of over 200 MHz and a write throughput of 10.4-megabytes-per-second (MB/s).

Reports in Japan suggest that Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (PSMC) will enter into a new MRAM R&D project, together with Japan's Power Spin. PSMC plans to start producing MRAM chips by 2029, at its 12-inch factory that it is now building in Japan.

Power Spin, that holds MRAM IP originally developed at Tohoku University, will license its IP to PSMC and will assist in the required R&D and ramp-up of production at PSMC's fab. PSMC looks to utilize the MRAM technology mainly for generative AI data center solutions.

Researchers from Japan's Tohoku University developed a method to produce X nm MTJs, using a CoFeB/MgO stack structure. The researchers report that the extremely small device achieves both high-retention and high-speed. This was enabled by controlling the shape and interfacial anisotropies individually by varying the thickness of each CoFeB layer and the quantity of [CoFeB/MgO] stacks.

The researcher further report that shape anisotropy-enhanced MTJs showed good retention (> 10 years) at 150 °C at single nanometer sizes, whereas interfacial anisotropy-enhanced MTJs exhibited rapid speed switching (10 ns or less) below 1 V.

In 2022, Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) announced an agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to collaborate on SOT-MRAM R&D. ITRI and TSMC now announced that they have developed SOT-MRAM array chips that boasts a power consumption of merely one percent of a comparable STT-MRAM device. 

ITRI and TSMC published a new research paper that was presented at the 2023 IEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2023). ITRI explains that the new unit cell achieves simultaneous low power consumption and high-speed operation, reaching speeds as rapid as 10 nanoseconds. And its overall computing performance can be further enhanced when integrated with computing in memory circuit design. 

At the 2023 MRAM Forum, a key event by the IEEE Magnetics Society tied to the IEDM conference, Mr. Noh, Chief Technology Officer at Netsol, provided an overview of the company's advancements in MRAM technology.

Mr. Noh introduced Netsol's development of its first standalone MRAM, created using 28nm eMRAM technology from Samsung Foundry. He presented the technical characteristics of the product, focusing on its data retention, endurance,  resistance to magnetic interference and quality, which have been validated through extensive testing.

US-based design house and services provider Green Mountain Semiconductor (GMS) has won a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from NASA, to develop a neuromorphic AI processor for space applications using MRAM magnetic memory.

GMS's approach involves the development of an analysis tool to optimize circuit designs for reliability and radiation resistance. This advancement will enable the use of off-the-shelf technology in space applications without the need for excessive design modifications to ensure radiation resistance.

Here are some recent and popular news that you may find of interest:

• NETSOL launches stand-alone STT-MRAM, fabricated at Samsung's Foundry
• STT-MRAM developer Numem secured its Series A funding round
• Researchers say MnPd3 will enable a breakthrough in SOT-MRAM memory devices
• NXP and TSMC to offer 16 nm FinFET automotive embedded MRAM
• Everspin launches a new family of SPI interface MRAM products
• Everspin to build a new MRAM production line in Indiana
• Renesas develops 22-nm circuit technologies for embedded STT-MRAM
• Samsung first to demonstrate MRAM-based in-memory computing
• IBM to reveal the world's first 14nm STT-MRAM node
• ITRI and UCLA to co-develop VC-MRAM technologies
• Samsung improves its MRAM performance, to expand target applications
• TSMC shows its eMRAM technology roadmap
• Samsung is progressing towards 14 nm eMRAM

pMTJ STT-MRAM developer Avalanche Technology announced that it is providing its Space Grade Persistent SRAM (P-SRAM) STT-MRAM products for satellite-based storage systems developed by RAiTEK. 

RAiTEK has designed in a 16Mb device from Avalanche's Gen 2 Space Grade family to monitor data stream status, and a 1Gb Gen 3 Space Grade to support large configuration images for the onboard FPGA used in the drives, as part of their growing portfolio of data storage and processing solutions for the space industry.