Embedded MRAM Can Take the Heat

Gary Hilson, EETimes
6/29/2017 00:01 AM EDT

TORONTO – On the heels of several foundries publicly announcing plans to put MRAM into production by the end of this year and into 2018, one of them has outlined how it can significantly improve data retention for embedded applications.

At the recent 2017 International Symposium on VLSI Technology, Systems and Applications in Japan, Globalfoundries outlined in a technical paper Everspin Technologies' progress with moving embedded MRAM (eMRAM) forward into the 22nm process node.

In a telephone interview with EE Times, Dave Eggleston Globalfoundries' vice president of embedded memory, said the key breakthrough highlighted in the paper is the ability for eMRAM to 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. This will enable eMRAM to be used for general purpose MCUs and automotive SOCs, he said. “The thermal stability has not been there for the magnetic layers. If you solve that data retention problem then it opens up much wider markets," he added.

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