What if you could turn computers on and off as quickly as a light switch without having to wait for software to “boot up”? Sound like science fiction?
Researchers at IBM and German-based Infineon Technologies AG
don’t think so. The two companies Monday highlighted their advances on Magnetic (or Magnetoresistive) Random Access Memory (MRAM). The nonvolatile memory technology uses magnetic, rather than electronic, charges to store bits of data. The companies say they’ve advanced the technology so much it could replace current computer memory as early as 2005.
“MRAM has the potential to become the universal memory technology of the future,” IBM Research vice president Dr. T. C. Chen said at the VLSI Symposia in Kyoto, Japan. “This breakthrough demonstrates that MRAM technology is rapidly maturing and could fundamentally alter the entire memory marketplace within the next few years.”
Development of MRAM basically followed two scientific schools of thought. There is the spin electronics theory, which is the science behind giant magnetoresistive heads used in disk drives and then there is tunneling magnetic resistance, or TMR, which is the basis of IBM and Infineon’s current version of the memory and future MRAM.
The latest IBM/Infineon advance has a 128Kbit core and is fabricated with a 0.18 micron logic-based process technology, the smallest size reported to date for MRAM. The base memory-cell size alone measures 1.4 square microns or about 20 million times smaller than the average pencil eraser top. The goal now is to have a product demonstrator jointly developed and available in early 2004 through Altis Semiconductor, a joint venture between Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and Munich-based Infineon.
“Nonvolatile memory technologies like MRAM will play a major role in technology lifestyle solutions and we want to be the number one semiconductor company in this area,” Infineon CTO of the Memory Product Division Dr. Wilhelm Beinvogl said.
IBM Research pioneered the development of tiny, thin-film magnetic structures as early as 1974, which paved the way for the first super-sensitive GMR read/write heads for hard-disk drives, stimulating dramatic increases in data density.
In the late 1980s, IBM scientists made a string of key discoveries about the “giant magnetoresistive” effect in thin-film structures. These developments enabled IBM to create the Altering many of the GMR materials enabled IBM scientists to make the “magnetic tunnel junctions” that are at the heart of MRAM.
The technology has become so attractive; in 1995 the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began funding three private groups with the goal of making MRAM a general-purpose memory with high density, high speed, and low power usage. IBM, Motorola , and Honeywell
led the research. Hewlett-Packard
, Matsushita
, NEC
, Fujitsu, Toshiba, Hitachi
, and Siemens
also have invested in MRAM study.
IBM and Infineon have been working together for more than 10 years on new chip technologies, including traditional Dynamic RAM (DRAM), logic and embedded-DRAM technologies. In November 2000, they established a joint MRAM development program.
MRAM Good for Mobile Devices
The non-volatility attribute of MRAM carries significant implications, especially for mobile computing devices. Memory technologies like DRAM
Non-volatility can save power as well. Since MRAM will not need constant power to keep the data intact, it could consume much less than current random access memory technologies, extending the battery life of cell phones, handheld devices, laptops and other battery-powered products.
The high-speed attribute of MRAM means that electronic products can more quickly access data, and MRAM’s high-density means greater storage capacity.
IBM and Infineon are reportedly working on a 256-megabit MRAM chip they say could also be on the market in 2004.
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
December 16, 2020
AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
December 11, 2020
Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
December 04, 2020
Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 18, 2020
Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
November 10, 2020
FEATURE | By Samuel Greengard,
November 05, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 02, 2020
How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 29, 2020
Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 23, 2020
The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
October 16, 2020
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
October 07, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
October 05, 2020
CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
September 25, 2020
Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 25, 2020
Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
September 22, 2020
NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
September 18, 2020
Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 14, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 13, 2020
IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 11, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
September 09, 2020
Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.
Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on Datamation and our other data and technology-focused platforms.
Advertise with Us
Property of TechnologyAdvice.
© 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this
site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives
compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products
appear on this site including, for example, the order in which
they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies
or all types of products available in the marketplace.