Can the Magneticians finally succeed in getting MRAM launched as a viable, low-power ASIC NV memory?

Many startup companies plus established memory vendors including IBM have invested heavily in developing magnetic RAM process technologies that are compatible with semiconductor manufacturing. The only company with commercial products so far appears to be Everspin Technologies, which was spun out of Freescale in 2008. Everspin’s Web site lists commercial parts with capacities to 16 Mbits (that’s megabits, with an “M”). Of course, the big benefit of MRAM is that it’s nonvolatile. But so is NAND Flash memory, which is available in Gbit (gigabit, with a “G”) densities. So what does MRAM have to offer that Flash does not? “Fast, symmetrical read/write times” says Barry Hoberman, who is in charge of business development for MRAM startup Crocus Technology. Also, MRAM storage elements don’t wear out the way floating gates do in NAND Flash storage cells. Both types of memory can be considered low-power alternatives to memory storage because neither requires refresh cycles or power to retain stored information.

I met with Hoberman at this week’s GSA Emerging Opportunities Expo and Conference, held in the Santa Clara Convention Center. We discussed MRAM and a new type of MRAM that Crocus had just announced as a technology development.

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