MEMS Player Licenses Phase-Change Memory for Storage Apps

Online staff -- Electronic News, 9/1/2004

Consumer electronics MEMS storage chip provider Nanochip Inc. has inked a licensing agreement with Ovonyx Inc. for thin-film nonvolatile semiconductor memory technology to be used in its ultra-high density data storage systems.

Nanochip’s MEMS-based approach bypasses lithography limits to make ultra high-density storage possible with a substantial reduction in cost per bit

The Ovonyx array-addressed memory technology uses a reversible phase-change memory process previously commercialized in rewritable CD and DVD optical memory disks and could potentially be used in standalone applications, such as flash and DRAM replacements, as well as in embedded applications in areas such as microcontrollers and reconfigurable MOS logic. In probe-based storage systems, the reversible phase change data storage technology could permit the fabrication of robust, low-cost mass storage systems with bit densities of one terabit per square inch.

Originally invented and developed by Energy Conversion Devices Inc., the Ovonyx technology was designed to offer significantly faster write and erase speeds and higher cycling endurance than conventional flash memory, the company said, adding that it also has the advantage of a simple fabrication process that allows the design of semiconductor chips with embedded nonvolatile memory using only a few additional mask steps. Ovonyx said it is commercializing its array-addressed memory systems through joint development programs with a number of licensees including, BAE Systems, Intel and STMicroelectronics.

“We are very pleased to be working with the Ovonyx team to use its reversible phase-change recording materials in our high density memory chips. The Ovonyx recording materials support our ultra-high density recording and provide almost unlimited cycle life,” said Gordon Knight, CEO of Nanochip, in a statement.