MRAM-Info - Your source for Magnetic RAM information

NVE Corporation Reports 4Q Results, no MRAM news

mram — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:14:52 -0500

Total revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 increased 33% to $6.05 million from $4.57 million in the prior-year quarter. The revenue increase was primarily due to a 35% increase in product sales to $5.67 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 from $4.19 million in the prior-year quarter. Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 increased 45% to $2.25 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, compared to $1.55 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, for the prior-year quarter. Gross margin was 69% of revenue, operating margin 55%, pretax margin 59%, and net margin 37% for the quarter.

Elpida and Qimonda talking about a next-gen memory joint venture

mram — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:44:39 -0500

Elpida and Qimonda are discussing joint development of Phase-change RAM (PRAM) and also magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM) together with other potential technologies such as Si through-hole electrode technology. The two DRAM-making companies are talking about a merger.

Micromem projects revenue from early pilot orders for magnetic sensors in 2008

mram — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:04:20 -0500

Micromem Technologies is pleased to announce that it is fully engaged and conducting business development work in two foundries in the United States. The company expects to enter into a third foundry contract by Q3 2008. Joseph Fuda, the company’s CEO, stated, “With our potential clients beginning to validate our technology and moving towards specific productization plans for their product lines, it is imperative that we continue to have full access to foundry operations. This will ensure the process of moving from constant innovation to product revenue is accelerated.”

IBM shows New racetrack memory technology

mram — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:21:50 -0500

In two papers published in the April 11 issue of Science, IBM Fellow Stuart Parkin and colleagues at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose describe both the fundamentals of a technology dubbed "racetrack" memory as well as a milestone in that technology. This milestone could lead to electronic devices capable of storing far more data in the same amount of space than is possible today, with lightning-fast boot times, far lower cost and unprecedented stability and durability.

Within the next ten years, racetrack memory, so named because the data "races" around the wire "track," could lead to solid state electronic devices - with no moving parts, and therefore more durable - capable of holding far more data in the same amount of space than is possible today. For example, this technology could enable a handheld device such as an mp3 player to store around 500,000 songs or around 3,500 movies - 100 times more than is possible today - with far lower cost and power consumption. The devices would not only store vastly more information in the same space, but also require much less power and generate much less heat, and be practically unbreakable; the result: massive amounts of personal storage that could run on a single battery for weeks at a time and last for decades.

Shin-Etsu Chemical develops the world's largest-class permanent magnet-type magnetic circuit

mram — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:57:14 -0500

Shin-Etsu Chemical has succeeded in developing a large-size magnetic circuit which will be the world's largest-class permanent magnet-type magnetic circuit. Its total weight is about 10 tons, and it will be used mainly in manufacturing-process applications, such as for the making of next-generation MRAM semiconductors and MR (Magneto Resistive) sensors.

Hynix licenses Grandis' STT-RAM technology

mram — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:50:28 -0500

Hynix Semiconductor Inc. and Grandis Inc. have signed a license agreement for memory products involving Grandis' patents and intellectual property (IP) in the spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) arena.

Hynix and Grandis have also entered into a collaborative agreement to jointly integrate Grandis' STT-RAM technology into Hynix' future memory products. Technical teams from both companies will work together to implement Grandis' STT-RAM technology, including magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) materials and structures.

BAE Systems to productize Micromem's patented technology

mram — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:56:45 -0500

Micromem Technologies is pleased to announce that BAE Systems, the premier global defense and aerospace company, is in the process of transferring the Micromem's MRAM and sensor technology to its Nashua New Hampshire foundry facility. BAE Systems plans to complete the productization of Micromem's technology over the coming months. The focus is for the planned integration of Micromem's patented technology into the BAE Systems military platforms and product pipeline.

Freescale sold over 1million MRAM chips, has 45 customers, planning to reduce price

mram — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:11:25 -0500

Freescale says they have sold over 1 million MRAM chips since 2006 (when it was introduced). They are planning to reduce the cost, and "increase its uses" to boost sales.

Siemens Selects Freescale MRAM for Industrial Automation Touch-Screen Products

mram — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:11:13 -0500

Freescale is providing non-volatile MRAM technology for an industrial touch-screen application developed by Siemens' Industry Automation division. Freescale's 4Mbit MRAM device has been integrated into Siemens' Simatic Multipanel MP 277 and MP 377 human machine interface (HMI) used in industrial automation systems.

Spin Injection MRAM Analysis

mram — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:08:09 -0600

Article date

March 2008

Notes

An interesting technical article by Motoyuki Oishi from TechOn Japan. The article explains Spin-Injection MRAM, its applications, what has been done so far and what needs to be done before it reaches mass market.

"Spin injection MRAMs have an excellent chance of winning a major market in the future because they combine the functional advantages of existing memories like DRAM and NAND Flash with performance superior to most"

Link to Article (TechOn)