Crossbar on the way to delivery terabyte on a chip nonvolatile 3D RRAM technology

Crossbar announced it had demonstrated pre-production 1 megabyte arrays using its patented 1TnR (1 transistor driving n resistive memory cells) non-volatile resistive RAM (RRAM or ReRAM) for read/write operations. The company feels this is a major milestone toward commercializing terabyte-scale memory arrays on a postage-stamp-sized chip.

* 1 Terabyte of storage on a single chip
* 3D stacking on advanced nodes
* 20X faster write than NAND

The true transformation to next generation high capacity storage systems will require a revolutionary new approach to solid-state storage devices and their interconnected processors. This transformation will enable hundreds of terabytes, in a small form factor, to be accessed at high speed, high throughput and high IOPS (input/output operations per second), while consuming less power at lower cost. Many of these technical challenges have been overcome by Crossbar’s 3D RRAM technology, including:

* Cell physics – Traditional Flash memory materials wear out quickly after being accessed and rewritten too many times, leading to degrading performance, unrecoverable data loss and limited lifetime. RRAM solutions do not suffer similar wear-out issues due to the technology’s fundamental memory cell structure, based on metallic nano-filament in a non-conductive layer;

* Economics – Semiconductor manufacturing facilities for advanced NAND Flash require multi-billion dollar investments. Crossbar’s RRAM can be stacked in 3D directly on top of standard CMOS wafers, making it very cost effective to manufacture;
Super dense memory array architecture – The 1TnR selectivity feature, invented and patented by Crossbar, solves the fundamental problem of scalable high-capacity storage.

* Crossbar’s latest 1TnR RRAM technology is built upon the foundation of its one transistor per memory cell technology that has been validated in silicon using the company’s 1 Megabyte (MB) storage device for embedded code applications. This device features very low latency and very fast read performance, as required for code applications. Its simplicity, superior capabilities and CMOS compatibility enable logic and memory to be easily and cost-effectively integrated onto a single chip, at the latest technology node, on standard manufacturing processes. Together, the company’s 1TnR technology, ideal for high-capacity 3D RRAM data storage applications, and 1T1R technology for embedded code applications, forms the basis for the company’s IP licensing and standalone product line roadmap.

With 16x the density compared to existing memory solutions, Crossbar enables unprecedented data storage and retrieval in a minimal footprint and with minimal cost. And with 10x better endurance than current NOR and NAND solutions, Crossbar extends the life of SSDs and other non-volatile devices.

Additionally, Crossbar technology powers secure applications with permanent storage of codes and encryption keys for smart cards, contactless payment processing, and other high-end transactional exchanges that connected enterprises require.

By 2016, the demand for non-volatile memory is expected to reach $48.4 billion.

Some specific comparisons with 3D NAND include: low-voltage transistors for Crossbar RRAM (If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks