MRAM production - Page 4

Everspin reports its financial results for Q3 2017. Revenues reached a record $9 million (up from $7.2 million in Q3 2016 and up only slightly from last quarter), while the net loss grew to $5.4 million (up from $1.4 million in Q3 2016).

At the end of the quarter, Everspin had $17.8 million in cash and equivalents (down from $21.2 million at the end of Q2 2017). Everspin expects revenue in Q4 2017 to be in the range of $9.9 million to $10.3 million.

Digitimes reports that Samsung Foundry will soon start mass producing MRAM chips using Samsung's 28nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) process technology.

Digitimes says that Samsung has collaborated with NXP on this project. Samsung has completed the tape-out of its embededd MRAM which will be first applied to NXP's new low-power i.MX-series chipset targeted at automotive, multimedia and display panel applications.

Everspin announced that it started sampling 1Gb STT-MRAM chips. Everspin's new chips provide a high-endurance, persistant memory with a DDR4-compatible interface. Everspin sees these chips being used in storage devices to provide protection against power loss without the use of supercapacitors or batteries.

Everspin's new pMTJ 1Gb chips provide 4 times the capacity of the company's current 256Mb DDR3 chips. The 1 Gb MRAM is produced in 28nm CMOS on 300mm wafers in partnership with GlobalFoundries.

GlobalFoundries has plans to deploy Everspin's perpendicular (pMTJ) STT-MRAM as an embedded 22nm memory - as part of GF's 22FDX platform. GlobalFoundries has released a technical paper that details the eMRAM ability to retain data at high temperatures.

The eMRAM can retain data through solder reflow at 260 degrees Celsius, and for more than 10 years at 125 degrees Celsius, plus read/write with outstanding endurance at 125 degrees Celsius. GlobalFoundries says that this will enable eMRAM to be used for general purpose MCUs and automotive SOCs.

According to reports, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is aiming to start producing embedded MRAM chips in 2018 using a 22 nm process. This will be initial "risk production" to gauge market reception.

TSMC also aims to start embedded RRAM chip production in 2019.

During Samsung Electronic's Foundry Forum, the Korean chip maker reaffirmed its goal to start producing STT-MRAM chips in 2018. In fact Samsung now says that it will mass produce these chips next year, while last year it said that 2018 will only see limited production while real mass production will only begin in 2019.

Samsung announced it will produce the 2018 MRAM chips will be produced using 8-nano low power plus (8LMPP) semiconductor foundry process. Samsung sees MRAM produced by 4LPP by 2020.

Spin Transfer Technologies announced that it started to deliver fully functional ST-MRAM samples to customers in North America and Asia.

The sample devices are based on the company's Orthogonal Spin Transfer Magneto-Resistive Random Access Memory technology (OST-MRAM), and use 80nm perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs)., the latest generation of MRAM technology.

STT-MRAM developer Avalanche Technology announced that volume production of its pMTJ STT-MRAM chips on 300 mm wafers will begin in early 2017. Avalanche started to sample 32Mb and 64Mb STT-MRAM chips in 2015

Avalanche has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC) for this volume production. Avalanche targets several markets, including Storage, Automotive, IoT and embedded applications. Avalanche will offer discrete MRAM chips from 4Mb to 64Mb in size.

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) announced that it fabricated 20nm perpendicular MRAM magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) based on the company's Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM (OST-MRAM).

STT is now preparting to deliver OST-MRAM samples to select customer, following requests from "certain major semiconductor and systems companies". The company is processing more than 40 wafer lots at its R&D fab in Fremont, California.

Back in July 2016 (yes, we missed that one, but better late than never), Samsung Foundry's business development chief Kelvin Low said that the company is set to offer STT-MRAM on its 28nm FDSOI manufacturing process by the end of 2018.

To be more precise, the STT-MRAM in 2018 will be on a not-finalized process (what Samsung calls Risk Production Phase) - and real volume production will only begin in 2019. Samsung will be pushing its eFlash 28nm production before STT-MRAM will be available - but the company expects MRAM to be a favorite in the long term.