Leti & ST phase-change memory for embedded microcontrollers
CEA-Leti and STMicroelectronics have developed an innovative back-end-of-line (BEOL), phase-change memory (PCM) technology that is positioned to become the dominant new embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) technology in future microcontroller applications.
The BEOL memory solution is based on a new germanium-rich Ge2Sb2Te5 material with nitrogen or carbon dopants. It is able to optimise the SET performance and the high temperature thermal stability of phase-change memories.
These innovative materials have been extensively characterised through physicochemical analysis and electrical tests and have been integrated in memory cell prototypes.
The research at Leti shows a breakthrough, fully enabling PCM technology for microcontroller embedded applications, in which data integrity after the peak temperature of reflow soldering must be ensured.
Emerging BEOL memories offer significant potential for embedded applications because they are independent of baseline CMOS and offer lower cost and improved performance.
That makes them a promising, potential future alternative to embedded non-volatile Flash technologies. Issues that remain to be resolved before the technology can be industrialised include manufacturing maturity, understanding failure mechanisms and mitigation strategies.
A paper,, describing this technology "Trade-off Between SET and Data Retention Performance Thanks to Innovative Materials for Phase-Change Memory," will be presented during Session 21 at IEDM 2013 in Washington, D.C., taking place between December 9th and 11th .
Another paper written by Leti researchers will also eport on innovative memory. It deals with a more explorative emerging resistive-memories technology that is extremely promising for future very low-power applications.
The Session 30 paper is titled, "Investigation of the Physical Mechanisms Governing Data Retention in Down to 10nm Nano-Trench Al2O3/CuTeGe Conductive Bridge RAM (CBRAM)."
