Emerging Non Volatile Memories

This book is an introduction to the fundamentals of emerging non-volatile memories and provides an overview of future trends in the field. Readers will find coverage of seven important memory technologies, including Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM), Ferromagnetic RAM (FMRAM), Multiferroic RAM (MFRAM), Phase-Change Memories (PCM), Oxide-based Resistive RAM (RRAM), Probe Storage, and Polymer Memories. Chapters are structured to reflect diffusions and clashes between different topics. Emerging Non-Volatile Memories is an ideal book for graduate students, faculty, and professionals working in the area of non-volatile memory. This book also: Covers key memory technologies, including Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM), Ferromagnetic RAM (FMRAM), and Multiferroic RAM (MFRAM), among others. Provides an overview of non-volatile memory fundamentals. Broadens readers’ understanding of future trends in non-volatile memories.

This book offers a balanced and comprehensive guide to the core principles, fundamental properties, experimental approaches, and state-of-the-art applications of two major groups of emerging non-volatile memory technologies, i.e. spintronics-based devices as well as resistive switching devices, also known as Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM). The first section presents different types of spintronic-based devices, i.e. magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), domain wall, and skyrmion memory devices. This section describes how their developments have led to various promising applications, such as microwave oscillators, detectors, magnetic logic, and neuromorphic engineered systems. In the second half of the book, the underlying device physics supported by different experimental observations and modelling of RRAM devices are presented with memory array level implementation. An insight into RRAM desired properties as synaptic element in neuromorphic computing platforms from material and algorithms viewpoint is also discussed with specific example in automatic sound classification framework.

This book explores the design implications of emerging, non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies on future computer memory hierarchy architecture designs. Since NVM technologies combine the speed of SRAM, the density of DRAM, and the non-volatility of Flash memory, they are very attractive as the basis for future universal memories. This book provides a holistic perspective on the topic, covering modeling, design, architecture and applications. The practical information included in this book will enable designers to exploit emerging memory technologies to improve significantly the performance/power/reliability of future, mainstream integrated circuits.

New solutions are needed for future scaling down of nonvolatile memory. Advances in Non-volatile Memory and Storage Technology provides an overview of developing technologies and explores their strengths and weaknesses. After an overview of the current market, part one introduces improvements in flash technologies, including developments in 3D NAND flash technologies and flash memory for ultra-high density storage devices. Part two looks at the advantages of designing phase change memory and resistive random access memory technologies. It looks in particular at the fabrication, properties, and performance of nanowire phase change memory technologies. Later chapters also consider modeling of both metal oxide and resistive random access memory switching mechanisms, as well as conductive bridge random access memory technologies. Finally, part three looks to the future of alternative technologies. The areas covered include molecular, polymer, and hybrid organic memory devices, and a variety of random access memory devices such as nano-electromechanical, ferroelectric, and spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive devices. Advances in Non-volatile Memory and Storage Technology is a key resource for postgraduate students and academic researchers in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. It is a valuable tool for research and development managers concerned with electronics, semiconductors, nanotechnology, solid-state memories, magnetic materials, organic materials, and portable electronic devices. Provides an overview of developing nonvolatile memory and storage technologies and explores their strengths and weaknesses Examines improvements to flash technology, charge trapping, and resistive random access memory Discusses emerging devices such as those based on polymer and molecular electronics, and nanoelectromechanical random access memory (RAM)

VLSI-Design for Non-Volatile Memories is intended for electrical engineers and graduate students who want to enter into the integrated circuit design world. Non-volatile memories are treated as an example to explain general design concepts. Practical illustrative examples of non-volatile memories, including flash types, are showcased to give insightful examples of the discussed design approaches. A collection of photos is included to make the reader familiar with silicon aspects. Throughout all parts of this book, the authors have taken a practical and applications-driven point of view, providing a comprehensive and easily understood approach to all the concepts discussed. Giovanni Campardo and Rino Micheloni have a solid track record of leading design activities at the STMicroelectronics Flash Division. David Novosel is President and founder of Intelligent Micro Design, Inc., Pittsburg, PA.

A timely text on the recent developments in data storage, from a materials perspective Ever-increasing amounts of data storage on hard disk have been made possible largely due to the immense technological advances in the field of data storage materials. Developments in Data Storage: Materials Perspective covers the recent progress and developments in recording technologies, including the emerging non-volatile memory, which could potentially become storage technologies of the future. Featuring contributions from experts around the globe, this book provides engineers and graduate students in materials science and electrical engineering a solid foundation for grasping the subject. The book begins with the basics of magnetism and recording technology, setting the stage for the following chapters on existing methods and related research topics. These chapters focus on perpendicular recording media to underscore the current trend of hard disk media; read sensors, with descriptions of their fundamental principles and challenges; and write head, which addresses the advanced concepts for writing data in magnetic recording. Two chapters are devoted to the highly challenging area in hard disk drives of tribology, which deals with reliability, corrosion, and wear-resistance of the head and media. Next, the book provides an overview of the emerging technologies, such as heat-assisted magnetic recording and bit-patterned media recording. Non-volatile memory has emerged as a promising alternative storage option for certain device applications; two chapters are dedicated to non-volatile memory technologies such as the phase-change and the magnetic random access memories. With a strong focus on the fundamentals along with an overview of research topics, Developments in Data Storage is an ideal reference for graduate students or beginners in the field of magnetic recording. It also serves as an invaluable reference for future storage technologies including non-volatile memories.

The manufacture of flash memory, which is the dominant nonvolatile memory technology, is facing severe technical barriers. So much so, that some emerging technologies have been proposed as alternatives to flash memory in the nano-regime. Nonvolatile Memory Design: Magnetic, Resistive, and Phase Changing introduces three promising candidates: phase-change memory, magnetic random access memory, and resistive random access memory. The text illustrates the fundamental storage mechanism of these technologies and examines their differences from flash memory techniques. Based on the latest advances, the authors discuss key design methodologies as well as the various functions and capabilities of the three nonvolatile memory technologies.

The hafnium based ferroelectric memories offer a low power consumption, ultra-fast operation, non-volatile retention as well as the small relative cell size as the main requirements for future memories. These remarkable properties of ferroelectric memories make them promising candidates for non-volatile memories that would bridge the speed gap between fast logic and slow off-chip, long term storage. Even though the retention of hafnia based ferroelectric memories can be extrapolated to a ten-year specification target, they suffer from a rather limited endurance. Therefore, this work targets relating the field cycling behavior of hafnia based ferroelectric memories to the physical mechanisms taking place within the film stack. Establishing a correlation between the performance of the device and underlying physical mechanisms is the first step toward understanding the device and engineering guidelines for novel, superior devices. In the frame of this work, an in-depth ferroelectric and dielectric characterization, analysis and TEM study was combined with comprehensive modeling approach. Drift and diffusion based vacancy redistribution was found as the main cause for the phase transformation and consequent increase of the remnant polarization, while domain pinning and defect generation is identified to be responsible for the device fatigue. Finally, based on Landau theory, a simple way to utilize the high endurance strength of anti-ferroelectric (AFE) materials and achieve non-volatility in state-of-the-art DRAM stacks was proposed and the fabrication of the world's first non-volatile AFE-RAM is reported. These findings represent an important milestone and pave the way toward a commercialization of (anti)ferroelectric non-volatile memories based on simple binary-oxides.