SAN FRANCISCO -- At the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) here, Toshiba Corp. will describe a high-density, 128-megabit ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM or FRAM).
Based on a 130-nm process, the new chip from Toshiba (Tokyo) is said to have a cell size of 0.252-um2, read and write speeds of 1.6-gigabytes a second, 83-ns cycle times and 43-ns access times.
The new FeRAM modifies Toshiba's so-called ChainFeRAM architecture, which enables chip scaling. One of the major problems with FeRAMs and other next-generation, non-volatile memories are the ability to scale.
Due to those and other limitations, FeFRAMs have been relegated to niche applications--they are mainly aimed to replace SRAMs in embedded systems. Still others claim FeRAMs are the next possible ''universal memory.''
FeRAMs, according to Toshiba, combine the fast operating characteristics of DRAM with the non-volatile capabilities of flash memory. Fujitsu, Ramtron, TI, Toshiba and others are devising FeRAMs.
In developing the new FeRAM, Toshiba broke its own record of 32-Mbit density and 200-megabites-a-second data transfers, pushing performance to eight times faster than the transfer rate of the previous records and the fastest speed of any non-volatile RAM. The new 128-Mbit device is said to be the most advanced combination of performance and density yet achieved for a non-volatile memory, according to Toshiba.
Meanwhile, chip scaling causes signal degradation as the stored polarization of memory cell gets smaller. To solve the issue in FeRAMs, Toshiba has devised the ChainFeRAM technology.
In the earlier generation of 64-Mbit devises, FeRAM ''employed a data-line design in which neighboring data-lines operated in sequence: one is off when the other is on,'' according to Toshiba.
''This allowed off lines to provide a noise barrier between on lines, contributing to chip scaling and fine performance. Previous chain architecture collected four data-lines but Toshiba has successfully increased the number of data-lines to eight, which led to a decrease in the total chip area,'' according to Toshiba.
With the technology, Toshiba maintained the same cell signal level without any chip area penalty. Furthermore, improvement of the sensing technique reduced the parasitic capacitance and realized a reading signal of 200-mV.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
