MRAM Manufacture

Singulus Technologies says that in the past couple of months they have noticed "increased activities in the area of MRAM memory by large semiconductor companies". The company expects MRAM development to progress and they consider themselves to be in an exceptional starting position for the upcoming growth market of MRAM memory. Their TIMARIS vacuum coating machines are already used by customers to develop MRAM wafers.

Crocus announced that they have successfully integrated their Thermally Assisted Switching (TAS)-based MRAM technology into TowerJazz’s 0.13-micron CMOS process. Crocus hopes to get samples manufactured in the "very near future", with mass production starting in 2H 2011. The first chips will probably offer 1-Mbit of storage. TowerJazz and Crocus have been working towards TAS-MRAM production since June 2009.

To achieve this milestone, a number of critical technological problems were solved, particularly in the areas of deep submicron lithography of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stacks and the selection of materials for high device reliability. The newly developed technology adds only four masks to conventional CMOS manufacturing flows and is suitable for both standalone and embedded memory applications. The integration into TowerJazz’s copper-based 130nm CMOS logic process sets the stage for the market introduction of leading edge single chip memory products and embedded MRAM IP blocks to be used in complex Systems-On-Chip (SOC) for microcontroller, automotive and communications applications.

Everspin is introducing a new family of MRAM products, with a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) bus. The new family is called MR24H and includes 256Kb, 512Kb and 1Mb products. These Everspin MRAM devices require no write delay, run at clock speeds as fast as 40 MHz and have unlimited endurance with more than 20 years data retention. 

Avalanche Technology and Integral Solutions International (ISI) have designed a Wafer Level Analyzer, the WLA-3000, to be used in STT-MRAM development. 

The WLA-3000 includes specific hardware test modules including nS-range Pulse Generator that quickly measures switching currentse of MTJ devices in STT-MRAM as a function of Pulse Width. Using this Pulse Generator module, customers will be able to perform Error Rate, Switching Probability, Endurance Testing, and Read/Write Disturb analysis in a fraction of time as compared to other slower pulsers.

Riber has launched a new innovative robotic system, the MPVD300 reactor.  Based on a high vacuum deposition system (UHV) and compatible with existing silicon FAB industry standards, the MPVD 300 provides unrivalled precision of control and composition uniformity defects of less than 1% over 300mm (monoatomic layer precision).

Riber sayst he new machine willhelp make new ultra-fast microprocessors and high-capacity MRAM.

Fully automated, Riber's MPVD300 is the only modular system for high vacuum deposition that can beconnected up directly to the silicon production line. The first system will be shipped in July to a major manufacturer in Asia.

Crocus announced today that it has implemented CIPtech, the newest tool from CAPRES A/S, for enabling measurements associated with advanced Spin Torque Technology (STT). This unique new tool, designed especially for the MRAM and magnetic recording Read Head industries, enables Crocus to determine tunneling resistance on MTJ films prior to final test. With this upgrade, measurement that used to require weeks of sample preparation can now be performed within minutes.

Grandis today announced their 300-millimeter magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) fabrication facility (Fab) in the US dedicated to STT-RAM. Grandis is now able to incorporate STT-RAM into its customers' most advanced semiconductor processes on 300mm wafers.