In spearheading the semiconductor industry’s resurgence in 2024, the memory market took the lead, surpassing micro, logic, and then analog ICs. Despite lower demand in other sectors, memory products, particularly MRAM, exhibited consistent and positive sales. Industry projections indicate a significant uptick in MRAM adoption, aligning seamlessly with the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) and underscoring the pivotal role memory plays in evolving AI technology. With its remarkable blend of non-volatility, efficiency, and endurance, MRAM is poised to become the universal memory solution, increasingly favored over traditional counterparts for applications in automotive, industrial, aerospace, and data center storage.
Unlocking the Benefits of Non-Volatile Memory
MRAM provides persistence and is then able to safeguard data against abrupt power loss by virtue of high-bandwidth, low-latency writing. Enterprise storage applications such as solid-state drives (SSD) and all-flash arrays (AFA) require that all user data be protected, particularly data-in-flight that has not yet been committed to NAND flash storage media. Providing MRAM with a DDR4-like DRAM interface facilitates fast writes, with enough endurance to handle the task of write data buffering in flash storage devices. IBM has designed its new FCM4 FlashCore Module, extending its use of MRAM as a key component in power loss protection (PLP) design and reducing the need for supercapacitors to hold up the drive power, as is done in some conventional enterprise SSD designs.
Empowering Edge AI with MRAM Efficiency
MRAM stands out with its unique combination of rapid write speeds and low energy consumption, positioning it competitively against traditional memory solutions. A study by JBLopen Inc. revealed that Everspin’s 64Mb xSPI MRAM EM064LXO consumes 10 times less write energy than NAND flash. Moreover, the average write throughput of EM064LXO is 500 times that of NOR flash, facilitating fast over-the-air updates of critical system software, code, and features. This efficiency is also particularly advantageous in edge computing, where instantaneous operations and rapid write capabilities are paramount. According to Sanjeev Aggarwal, Everspin’s CEO, MRAM is tailor-made for edge AI, offering instant-on capabilities, faster writing capabilities, persistent storage of inference model weights, and the ability to manage data from physical sensor inputs – all within a single memory type.
Endurance Redefined: Sustaining System Integrity Amid Updates
MRAM excels in maintaining system integrity even with constant software updates, outpacing NOR flash by 500 times in write speed while preserving existing code. Unlike SRAM, which relies on replaceable batteries, MRAM offers longevity. Its durability surpasses that of flash memory, with STT-MRAM’s lower current usage resulting in a write endurance cycle up to 1E14. In challenging environments such as aerospace applications, MRAM’s radiation tolerance and reliability across a broad temperature range make it indispensable, especially in upcoming projects such as SpaceNews’ prediction that 20,000 satellites will be deployed by 2030.
MRAM Optimal for Automotive, Industrial, and Beyond
MRAM emerges as the quintessential blend of non-volatility, efficiency, and endurance, rivaling the speed and density offerings of traditional memory. Everspin is at the forefront of this transformative movement, continuously innovating for greater performance and energy efficiency while improving density and cost.