Samsung Says It’s Shipping 28-nm Embedded MRAM

SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung announced commercial production of its first embedded MRAM (eMRAM) product based on its 28-nm FD-SOI process.Samsung (Seoul) did not specify the foundry customer for the product. The company said that its eMRAM module can easily be inserted at the back end of its 28FDS process, requiring less dependence on the front end of the process for easy integration with existing logic technologies including bulk silicon, FinFET, and FD-SOI transistor.Recommended
Intel Says FinFET-Based Embedded MRAM is Production-ReadySamsung also said that it plans to tape out a 1-Gb eMRAM test chip later this year.Embedded MRAM is a promising candidate to replace embedded flash, which is facing insurmountable scaling challenges. MRAM is a non-volatile memory that offers high endurance, fast read/write times, and strong retention.MRAM is also far more power-efficient than flash because it runs at lower voltages and does not consume power when in the off mode. MRAM is considered particularly promising for internet of things applications.At the International Electron Devices Meeting in December, Samsung described its process for embedding spin-transfer torque (STT)-MRAM with magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in its 28-nm FD-SOI platform. STT-MRAM is regarded as the best MRAM technology in terms of scalability, shape dependence, and magnetic scalability.
Samsung describes its embedded MRAM process as a plug and play process that requires only three additional masks. (Image: Samsung)
At the International Solid-State Circuits Conference earlier this year, Samsung rival Intel detailed its 22-nm embedded MRAM technology, the first embedded MRAM to utilize a FinFET process. Intel said that its 22-nm eMRAM is ready for volume production, and some analysts said it is already shipping in products Intel has made for foundry customers.“By integrating eMRAM with existing proven logic technologies, Samsung Foundry continues to expand its eNVM process portfolio to provide distinct competitive advantages and excellent manufacturability to meet customers and market requirements,” said Ryan Lee, vice president of foundry marketing at Samsung, in a press statement.