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Friday, August 27, 2010

China Researchers Claim Faster MRAM

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) can match DRAM speeds by adopting a simplified bit-cell stack according to Chinese researchers. Look for MRAM densities and speed to beat out flash and DRAM respectively to become a 'universal' nonvolatile memory architecture within seven years. RColinJohnson @NextGenLog


Traditional MRAMs (shown) use a complicated stack structure, but the Chinese fast-MRAM uses just a two-layer bit cell.

Here is what EETimes says about MRAM: MRAM speed can be boosted and power consumption cut by using a new electrical switching technique that requires much less energy to write bits, according to Chinese researchers. The basic idea is to switch magnetic domains "halfway" rather than to completely reverse their magnetic orientation, which the researchers at Tsinghua University (Beijing) claim still enables MRAMs to store binary bits, but at much faster switching speeds and using a fraction of the energy normally required...
Full Text: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-ckHR