NXP Semiconductors announced a collaboration with TSMC to offer automotive embedded MRAM, in TSMC's 16 nm FinFET technology. NXP says that as automakers transition to software-defined vehicles, they need to support multiple generations of software upgrades on a single hardware platform. Bringing together NXP’s high-performance S32 automotive processors with fast and highly reliable next-generation MRAM in 16 nm FinFET technology provides the ideal hardware platform for this transition.
The new MRAM memory will be able to udpate 20MB of code in ~3 seconds compared to flash memories that take about 1 minute, which will minimize the downtime associated with software updates. MRAM also provides a highly reliable technology for automotive mission profiles by offering up to one million update cycles, a level of endurance 10x greater than flash and other emerging memory technologies.
TSMC’s 16FinFET embedded MRAM technology exceeds the rigorous requirements of automotive applications with its one-million cycle endurance, support for solder reflow, and 20-year data retention at 150°C.
