February 2008

Freescale is providing MRAM non-volatile memory technology for environmentally harsh applications, such as military, aerospace, industrial and automotive systems. Angstrom Aerospace recently announced the use of Freescale's extended temperature range 4Mbit MRAM in its magnetometer subsystem, which will be launched into space on board a Japanese research satellite.

Angstrom Aerospace is using Freescale's MRAM in its Tohoku-AAC MEMS Unit (TAMU), a magnetometer subsystem for the Japanese research satellite called SpriteSat. In developing the Satellite subsystem, Angstrom Aerospace worked closely with Dr. Johan Akerman, a renowned Swedish professor of material physics and applied spintronics at the Royal Institute of Technology.

"I've worked with MRAM for years, and when it comes to reliability and endurance for data storage, there is no comparison to Freescale's MRAM products," said Dr. Johan Akerman. "Freescale's 4Mbit MRAM device replaces both flash and battery-backed SRAM in Angstrom's module for the SpriteSat. The ability to reconfigure critical programs and route definitions during various stages of a satellite mission is a significant benefit."

TAMU plans to provide SpriteSat with magnetometer data of the Earth's magnetic field. SpriteSat is built by the Tohoku University located in Sendai, Japan, under the supervision of Professor Kazuya Yoshida. Scheduled to be launched in late 2008, SpriteSat's mission is to monitor "sprite" phenomenon (lightning effects) in Earth's upper atmosphere.

Angstrom Aerospace selected Freescale's 4Mbit MRAM device because it combines non-volatile memory with extended temperature operation, unlimited endurance and long-term data retention even when the power fails. The MRAM stores program data and FPGA configuration data on a single memory, allowing Angstrom Aerospace to reduce all storage requirements to one chip, reducing board area. At the same time, the flexibility of MRAM storage allows the system to be reconfigured significantly in space.

"Our extended temperature MRAM provides unique high temperature and high reliability capabilities for rugged system designs, such as the TAMU," said David Bondurant, MRAM product manager at Freescale. "MRAM benefits also extend to the transportation and industrial markets, where Freescale is working with developers who require growing amounts of fast but cost-effective memories that are ideally non-volatile and capable of large numbers of read and write cycles."

In addition to Angstrom Aerospace's MRAM deployment, e2v, a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of specialized components for some of the world's leading OEMs in aerospace and defense, has announced licensing of Freescale's MR2A16A product. The company has released an extended-reliability version with full-performance operations across the entire military temperature range, ideally fulfilling avionics, defense and aerospace application requirements.

Micromem Technologies is pleased to announce the company has significantly enhanced its product offering as a result of the foundry success with its MRAM design. With the success of the GaAs version the company can now look to enhance its memory offerings with recently filed patents for silicon germanium and silicon designs. Micromem plans to announce market release dates for each memory option in the future. The company’s sales and marketing effort is now being divided between MRAM and sensors.

Micromem also announces that its foundry success has enabled the company to explore the lucrative magnetic sensor market. The ultra low power, high sensitivity Hall cross sensor, is a strategic component of the non-volatile random access memory design. Based on business development contacts and sharing foundry results with key verticals, Micromem has now expanded its portfolio into the following key markets:

• Defense
• Healthcare
• Mining and mineral exploration
• Manufacturing and quality control/defect detection
• Consumer applications
  

The Phase One foundry time line is now complete. Memory testing data has been shared with the foundry client base. The Phase One foundry scope has proven out the business value of Micromem’s patent portfolio. The company is developing its memory and sensor array products using the same underlying processes.

We have been informed of two interesting job openings:

• A fully funded startup in the MRAM space is looking for a VP of engineering
• Another startup is looking for a VP of NVM, MRAM experience is a plus

Nick Meyler

phone (818)597-3200 ext. 211

Micromem Technologies is pleased to announce its Magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) is a highly probable candidate for the  universal memory, characterized mainly by high speed (read/write), high density and non-volatility. Micromem has designed a new process architecture for MRAM. We are pleased to announce that our foundry tests have demonstrated a number of valuable advantages for a magnetic-based sensor and memory device: including high sensitivity, thermal stability and simplicity and low cost manufacturing.

"We demonstrated that hysterisis -free operation can be expected for systems incorporating our technology, dynamic range and linear field response is now characterized to depend upon material and geometry and the active element of our Hall cross sensor is the intersection of the Hall bars which can be miniaturized to the lithography limits. No change in sensitivity was detected with the line when reduced from 10 to 0.1 micron."

Micromem now has a new and highly sensitive Hall device fabricated via a simplified process. The comp any has demonstrated that a unique shape of the device design represents the optimum concentration of the sensitivity of the sensor, the measurement range and the overall size of the chip. Initial testing indicates a sensitivity of 2.2 V/T with a minimal bias voltage; the lowest detectable field is 0.2 micro-T, and the linearity of better than 1% in the measurement range. Micromem has patented the unique shape of our sensor with particular emphasis on magnetic yoke form factor and its orientation relative to the Hall sensor.

In addition Micromem announces today that it has released to a third party the design and manufacture of a high-density magnetoresisitve sensor array. This design will focus on the innovative use of magnetism, electronics and nanotechnology. The company believes this sensor has market value in military, medical, forensic and human interface applications. The 256 x 256 sensor array is planned as a demonstration of the flexibility of non-invasive capabilities of magnetic anomaly detection, combined with the ability to measure absolute field strengths in Oersteds/Gauss.

E2v has introduced an MRAM which is an extended-reliability version of the MR2A16A from Freescale Semiconductor.

The EV2A16A operates at SRAM speeds with symmetrical 35ns read and write cycles. Its standard SRAM interface allows a seamless system integration of this memory device by directly connecting to standard memory controllers.

“The EV2A16A is the first device of a new family that is scheduled to be offered with higher screening grades for this 4Mbit device. The company also plans to introduce higher density products within the coming months,” said Eric Marcelot, marketing manager at e2v.

The EV2A16A is available in a standard 44-lead TSOP type II package in both extended (-40 to +110 deg C) and military (-55 to +125 deg C) temperature ranges.

Read more here (ElectronicsWeekly)