Combining technologies to speed availability of new FeRAM memory

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24 January 2001 News

Infineon Technologies and Toshiba Corporation have announced a comprehensive agreement to develop nonvolatile memory technology and products based on the ferroelectric principle.

Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) represents a new paradigm in memory technologies. Using ferroelectric materials, FeRAM combines the high-speed and endurance of widely used dynamic and static random access memories with the ability to store information in the absence of power.

Technology and product work under the agreement will focus on memory cell structure development, boosting the number of read and write cycles, raising access speeds, enhancing long term reliability and establishing a method for resolving metal contamination of silicon during chip production, said the companies.

The advantages of FeRAM compared to NOR flash memory devices include SRAM-like fast read and program response times, low power consumption and an immense number of nonvolatile read and write cycles. This makes the technology well-suited for use in applications as diverse as game consoles, cellular phones, mobile products and IC cards. Infineon and Toshiba said they will introduce a 32M FeRAM as their first jointly developed product. It is expected to replace the current multi chip package (MCP) module for cellular phones, which consists of an SRAM chip and a NOR flash memory in a stacked configuration.

Toshiba can offer its advantages in PZT (lead zirconate titanate) process technology, its patented 'chained' cell structure, its 1T1C (1 transistor 1 capacitor) cell structure, and know-how gained in development of the 8M FeRAM. Infineon will contribute know-how in enhancing the number of read and write cycles and in resolving metal contamination of silicon.

Working from the state-of-the-art 8M FeRAM recently developed by Toshiba, the collaboration plans to produce and jointly market its first engineering samples in March 2001. Commercialisation of a 32M device is expected at the end of 2002, and the collaboration will then be extended to 64M, or as far as 128M devices, depending on market conditions.

www.infineon.com

www.toshiba.co.jp

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Combining technologies to speed availability of new FeRAM memory

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