MRAM Companies

Atomistix

Company description:

Atomistix was a provider of software solutions for development of nanotechnology. Since its incorporation in Copenhagen (2003), the company has been working in close collaboration with the Nano-Science Center at the Niels Bohr Institute of Copenhagen University.

In January 2009 QuantumWise has bought all assest of Atomistix, after it went bankrupt.

10/23/2007

Avalanche Technology

Company description:

Avalanche is a starup-company founded in 2006 and based in California, US. Avalanche plans to commercialze standalone 65nm STT-RAM by 2011.

Avalanche's web site

04/08/2009

Canon Anelva

Company description:

Canon Anelva (ANalysis ELectronics VAcuum) is a japanese company that manufactures major equipment for the fabrication of semiconductors and LCDs using vacuum technology. Anelva developed a 200- to 300-mm-wafer-compliant deposition (sputtering) equipment for MRAM, the C-7100, using their unique low-pressure plasma deposition technique.

In october 2005, Canon bought Anelva.

Anelva's web page (english)

08/29/2006

Capres A/S

Company description:

Capres A/S is a Danish company established in 1999 on the idea of using microscopic multi-cantilever probes to measure resistivity on thin conducting and semi-conducting layers.

Capres has been working with IBM Yorktown and Qimonda (Infineon at that time) to develop a technique coupling such resistivity measurement with magnetic field to characterize MTJ stacks used in Read Head and MRAM business.

The Capres A/S CIPTech™ tool (Current In Plane Tunnelling technique) enables for a very fast non destructive characterization of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions, MRAM and Read Heads. It allows auto extraction of MR/RA without sample patterning.

Capres' web site

03/26/2009

Crocus

Company description:

Crocus is a startup company, headquartered in Grenoble (France) with operations in the Paris area and in Silicon Valley.
Crocus mission is to become the leading supplier of products and technologies to the MRAM market.
The MRAM technology that is the foundation on which Crocus is built was developed in the Grenoble-based Spintec research center and Crocus has formal joint development programs with Spintec and other leading European laboratories.

In June 2006, Crocus has raised 17M$, and in October 2008 they raised 16M$. Crocus are planning to release their first MRAM products in 2009, as their CEO told me, and have reached an agreement with Israeli's Tower to make the chips.

Read the latest news about Crocus

Crocus' web page

08/29/2006

Cypress

Company description:

Cypress is a diversified, broadline supplier of high-performance integrated circuits for network infrastructure and access equipment. Cypress has released preliminary data sheets for 64-kilobit and 256-kilobit MRAMs which are pin-for-pin replacements for their SRAM. Cypress has said that it has made working MRAM using NVE intelectual property, and has started to sample in early 2005. Later in 2005, Cypress decided to sell its MRAM subsidiary, saying it does not believes its MRAM product will be able to attack the SRAM market.

Cypress trades in the NASDAQ (ticker is CY).

Cypress' web page

08/29/2006

Despatch

Company description:

Despatch Industries has been involved in the magnetic annealing industry for the last 15 years, and has provided over 100 units to the head/data storage industry. Despatch's MRAM magnetic anneal program began about 4 years ago. Despatch installed the world’s first 50-wafer fully automated system last year and that system is now producing standard MRAM devices at Freescale. Despatch has also manufactured and tested a 300mm 50-wafer thermal chamber.
Despatch, which celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2002, mainly deals with heat processing and environmental simulation.

Despatch's web site

08/29/2006

EverSpin

Company description:

EverSpin was spinned-off Freescale in June 2008. Freescale gave all its MRAM IP, and the company raised 20M$ from several venture companies.

EverSpin operates in a portion of Freescale's Chandler (Arizona, US) semiconductor foundry and take on about 50 existing company employees who were associated with the MRAM technology.

EverSpin is the only company currently offering MRAM chips (4Mbit and 16Mbit). They list Airbus and Siemens amongst their customers.

Read the latest EverSpin news [click here for previous Freescale related news]

EverSpin's web page

06/09/2008

Freescale

Company description:

Freescale Semiconductor (formerly Motorola Semi) is a leading global semiconductor company focused on providing embedded processing and connectivity products to large, high-growth markets. Freescale is one of the pioneers of the MRAM industry.

In July 2006, Freescale became the first company to offer commercial MRAM modules (4 Mbit,25$). Freescale's MRAM comes in 4Mbit or 1Mbit. The 4Mbit costs around 25$ a chip. Freescale is also working on STT-RAM.

Freescale trades in the NASDAQ (ticker is FSL).

In June 2008, Freescale created EverSpin - a spinoff to handle all MRAM activities.

Freescale's web page

08/29/2006

Grandis

Company description:

Grandis, established in 2002 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, develops Spin Torque Transfer based RAM technology (STT-RAMTM). STT-RAMTM is a "second generation" magnetic random access memory (MRAM) which solves the writing current scaling problem for conventional MRAM.
In November 2002, Grandis announced a collaboration with Renesas, and in April 2008 they extended this collaboration. They have also announced a licensing deal with Hynix.

Read the latest Grandis news

Grandis' web site

08/29/2006

Honeywell

Company description:

Honeywell International is a diversified technology and manufacturing company, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials.

Honeywell has an advanced MRAM research program, and in July 2005 they posted a 1-Mbit Rad-Hard MRAM module data sheet. Honeywell is an NVE's licensee.

Honeywell's web site

09/03/2006

Hynix

Company description:

Hynix Semiconductor is a memory semiconductor supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ('DRAMs') and Flash memory chips. Hynix is into MRAM research, having licensed technology from Grandis, and is also working on STT-RAM with Samsung.

Read the latest news on Hynix

Hynix's web page

04/07/2008

IBM

Company description:

IBM is one of the largest technology companies in the world, involved in Hardware, software, services and research. IBM has produced more research breakthroughs than any other company in the IT industry. IBM is one of the MRAM pioneers, and are working on MRAM together with Infineon.

IBM trades in the NYSE (ticker is IBM).

IBM's web page

08/29/2006

Infineon

Company description:

Infineon is a leading innovator in the international semiconductor industry. Infineon designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductors and complete system solutions targeted at selected industries. Infineon is working on MRAM together with IBM. Infineon trades both in the Frankfurt Stock exchange, and as an ADS in the NYSE (ticker is IFX).

Infineon's web page

08/29/2006

Intel

Company description:

Intel, The world's largest chip maker, is also a manufacturer of computer, networking, memory and communications products. Intel is researching several next-generation memory technologies, including OUM and MRAM.

Intel's web site

09/03/2006

Magnetic Solutions

Company description:

Magnetic Solutions is a global supplier of High Field, Magnetic Annealing Tools to semiconductor and data storage industries for magneto-electronic applications. It’s MRT Magnetic Annealing Tool Technology is used in volume production of thin film heads for data storage, and in development lines for MRAM, magnetic sensors and emerging magneto-electronic applications.

Magnetic Solutions' web site

09/05/2006

MagOasis

Company description:

Magoasis, founded in 2006, provides high-performance design/analysis software applications and services for the information-storage and allied industries covering magnetic recoding heads, MRAM, Magnetic nanostructures devices and sensors and more.

Their MRAM-related software is called Spin-Valve Bench (SVB). it's a micromagnetic software for the design and analysis of advanced multi-layer spintronic devices. These include modern MRAM cells for non-volatile microelectronic applications, nanowires and magnetoresistive read-head sensors for ultra-high density recording applications.

03/11/2009

MagSil

Company description:

Founded in 2004, MagSil Corporation headquartered in Silicon Valley is developing a revolutionary MRAM. MagSil's tech relies only on using industry proven equipment, processes and materials. They have an exclusive license to an MIT-developed technology, includingone for HD heads (they have filed suits against Seagate, hitachi, WD and others, and have settled with most).
In August 2010 Magsil scame out of "stealth mode", giving more info about ther technology and patents. They plan to make a 1Mb MRAM chip in 2010.
MagSil's web page

01/26/2009

Micromem

Company description:

Micromem has focused the last 5 years on the development of an MRAM memory. The memory will be suitable for various applications including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The company's first market objective will be the RFID sector.
Micromem trades in the NASDAQ (ticker is MMTIF.OB).

Micromem's web page

08/29/2006

NEC

Company description:

The NEC Group focuses on two core areas of business: integrated IT / Network Solutions, overseen by NEC Corporation, and Semiconductor Solutions, under the leadership of NEC Electronics Corporation. NEC has been working on MRAM for quite some time. They have collaborated with both TMSC and Toshiba.