10.5 Spin Transfer Torque (STT)—MRAM
243
Advantages of pMTJ-based STT-MRAM are that it is even more scalable in
devices compared to iMTJ-based STT-MRAM. Hence, pMTJ-based STT-MRAM
offers better compactness in devices, size miniaturization and also more costcompetitive than iMTJ-based STT-MRAM. Recently, pMTJ-based STT-MRAM has
emerged out to be more promising technology for replacing DRAM and other
memory technologies.
10.5.4 Application of STT-MRAM
STT-MRAM has enormous potential to revolutionize information technology by its
superb density, higher speed, cost-effectiveness and low power consumption, and
thereby has become a leading storage technology. STT-MRAM leads to the development of high-performance memory device that can challenge DRAM and SRAM.
Moreover, this device can be scaled well below down to 10 nm and may challenge low
cost flash memory. There are several companies, such as IBM, Samsung, Everspin,
Avalanche Technologies, Spin Transfer Technologies and Crocus, those are developing STT-MRAM chips. It is noteworthy that Everspin has already announced
commercialization of 256 Mb STT-MRAM in April 2016. This novel chip demonstrates very high interface speeds comparable to DRAM and its volume production
is also expected ‘soon’. Furthermore, in August 2016, Everspin has initiated development of pMTJ-based STT-MRAM chips. Initially, those chips were also 256 Mb
in size, however, there are some special features associated with pMTJ versions that
include improved performance, higher endurance, lower power consumption and
better scalability compared to that of iMTJ-based STT-MRAM products. Nowadays,
Everspin has started production of 256 Mb pMTJ STT-MRAM chips that lead to the
development of a scaled-down 1 Gb version. A comparison on the performances of
MRAM versus other random access memories have been presented in Table 10.2.
10.5.5 The Latest STT-MRAM
Numem is a renowned high-performance STT-MRAM developer and has been
selected to supply low-density STT-MRAM, i.e., NumemNuRAM MRAM-based
Memory to a NASA AI core project. According to the demands of Numem, its
memory enables a two to three times smaller memory area and 20–50 times lower
standby power compared to SRAM.
243
Advantages of pMTJ-based STT-MRAM are that it is even more scalable in
devices compared to iMTJ-based STT-MRAM. Hence, pMTJ-based STT-MRAM
offers better compactness in devices, size miniaturization and also more costcompetitive than iMTJ-based STT-MRAM. Recently, pMTJ-based STT-MRAM has
emerged out to be more promising technology for replacing DRAM and other
memory technologies.
10.5.4 Application of STT-MRAM
STT-MRAM has enormous potential to revolutionize information technology by its
superb density, higher speed, cost-effectiveness and low power consumption, and
thereby has become a leading storage technology. STT-MRAM leads to the development of high-performance memory device that can challenge DRAM and SRAM.
Moreover, this device can be scaled well below down to 10 nm and may challenge low
cost flash memory. There are several companies, such as IBM, Samsung, Everspin,
Avalanche Technologies, Spin Transfer Technologies and Crocus, those are developing STT-MRAM chips. It is noteworthy that Everspin has already announced
commercialization of 256 Mb STT-MRAM in April 2016. This novel chip demonstrates very high interface speeds comparable to DRAM and its volume production
is also expected ‘soon’. Furthermore, in August 2016, Everspin has initiated development of pMTJ-based STT-MRAM chips. Initially, those chips were also 256 Mb
in size, however, there are some special features associated with pMTJ versions that
include improved performance, higher endurance, lower power consumption and
better scalability compared to that of iMTJ-based STT-MRAM products. Nowadays,
Everspin has started production of 256 Mb pMTJ STT-MRAM chips that lead to the
development of a scaled-down 1 Gb version. A comparison on the performances of
MRAM versus other random access memories have been presented in Table 10.2.
10.5.5 The Latest STT-MRAM
Numem is a renowned high-performance STT-MRAM developer and has been
selected to supply low-density STT-MRAM, i.e., NumemNuRAM MRAM-based
Memory to a NASA AI core project. According to the demands of Numem, its
memory enables a two to three times smaller memory area and 20–50 times lower
standby power compared to SRAM.