As early as the 1960s, the resistivity of some types of materials has been studied by research organizations around the globe to determine whether these materials could be used as non-volatile memory technology.<\/p>\n
The ability to store data as resistance \u2013 rather than storing it as an electrical charge like DRAM and flash do \u2013 is an appealing proposition. Some of the memory cells that store data as a charge face challenges in scaling to the most advanced process geometries along with the rest of an SoC. They also tend to be less tolerant to radiation, making them more complex to use in a variety of medical, industrial, aerospace and other applications.<\/p>\n
Over the years, academic institutions and research centers have continued to make progress in the development of resistivity-based memories. Then, in the early 2000s, when it became clear that there would be a limit to the scalability of existing memories, the industry began to invest in these this research. The quest for next-generation memories had begun.<\/p>\n
The Emergence of ReRAM<\/strong><\/p>\n With the idea of replacing flash non-volatile memory (NVM) technology, we began to see industry developments around Resistive RAM (ReRAM<\/a> or RRAM<\/a>) starting in the early 2000s from companies such as IBM, HP, Panasonic and others. We\u2019ve also seen some companies make major announcements about ReRAM which never materialized into functioning products. Many of these efforts eventually stalled, and 3D stacking of standalone flash entered the picture around 2015, making it possible to delay dealing with flash\u2019s scaling problem.<\/p>\n However, the industry knew that they were just buying time, and that ultimately cost, power and other issues would force the adoption of a new NVM. The limitations of flash are increasingly clear. Even with 3D stacking, advanced packaging and chiplet architectures, there are significant cost, power, and security difficulties to overcome. It\u2019s just not economically feasible to embed flash memories into SoCs beyond 28nm for most applications. Flash also suffers from other technical limitations in terms of performance, reliability, power consumption and cost.<\/p>\n Weebit enters the scene<\/strong><\/p>\n Weebit was founded in 2015 with a focus on creating a new memory that would be scalable for future generations of electronics. The company has worked closely since that time with our R&D partner, CEA-Leti<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s most advanced microelectronics research institutes, to create a truly innovative NVM technology based on over a decade of research.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Above: The Weebit Nano logo from 2016, with a focus on the \u2018future\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A May 2015 article in TechTarget<\/a> discusses the potential future for memristor devices<\/a> (like ReRAM), noting, \u201cThe technology certainly has the potential to replace flash, but whether it immediately becomes a successor will ultimately depend on the technology’s economic viability.\u201d<\/p>\n This economic viability is at the forefront of Weebit\u2019s development efforts, since even the most advanced technology can\u2019t succeed if it isn\u2019t affordable and easy for customers to integrate and manufacture. Since the beginning, Weebit has focused on creating technically excellent ReRAM technology that is commercially viable. This has meant focusing first on developing IP solutions for the embedded market using standard materials and processes. In this way, we can intercept the market need for flash where it is first emerging (in the embedded space) and do so with fab-friendly and easy-to-integrate technology.<\/p>\n Weebit has made steady progress toward this goal, with its first demonstrations of small ReRAM arrays in 2017 \u2013 showing functional RRAM cell samples and verifying the ability of the cells to maintain their memory behavior. This was followed in 2018 by a demonstration of a working 1Mbit ReRAM array and the production of the first packaged units containing memory arrays based on Weebit ReRAM.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Above: Different Weebit taglines have focused on ReRAM emerging at some undetermined point in time<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The path to commercialization<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2020, commercialization activities came to the fore for Weebit. The company\u2019s technology was mature, and the technology stabilization process was completed, making it possible for Weebit ReRAM to transfer to a production fab. Then in 2021, we demonstrated production, testing and characterization of fully functional 1Mb ReRAM arrays in a 28nm FD-SOI process, followed by the introduction of silicon demonstration wafers integrating Weebit\u2019s embedded ReRAM module. All of this led to our first commercial deal<\/a> with SkyWater Technology.<\/p>\n With each milestone, we\u2019ve been getting closer and closer to production. This year, we demonstrated our IP module<\/a> for the first time. Most recently, we fully qualified our ReRAM module<\/a> with CEA-Leti and received silicon wafers of our demo chip from SkyWater Technology<\/a> \u2013 the first Weebit ReRAM wafers from a production fab. At the same time, we are continuing to accelerate our development toward more advanced process geometries such as 22nm FD-SOI<\/a>.<\/p>\n Importantly, ReRAM isn\u2019t just a one-off technology from Weebit. The industry is getting behind ReRAM technologies as a way forward for many applications. We see companies working on their own forms of ReRAM such as foundry TSMC<\/a>, which is said to be in production with its own ReRAM technology. This is a strong validation for our own technology \u2013 showing that ReRAM is an effective solution for a clear market need. According to market research firm Yole Group<\/a>, the embedded emerging NVM market is expected to reach $2.9B by 2027, and ReRAM is expected to comprise 33% of that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Yole Emerging Non-Volatile Memory 2022*<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As we look ahead, one thing is clear \u2013 ReRAM is here. It is no longer \u2018emerging\u2019 or \u2018future\u2019. The technology is functional, industry-qualified and ready for production. Importantly, it\u2019s able to deliver the promised advantages in terms of cost, power, endurance and reliability. It is the successor to flash, and it is here today.<\/p>\n We\u2019re in discussions with potential customers and partners who are interested in getting an early mover advantage with Weebit ReRAM. If you have a design project, you too can get started with Weebit ReRAM. On the SkyWater website, you will find the preliminary specifications of Weebit ReRAM in SkyWater\u2019s 130nm CMOS process<\/a>. Contact SkyWater or Weebit<\/a> to start discussing your design needs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Above: the new Weebit Nano logo and tagline, reflecting ReRAM\u2019s market entry<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Note: The embedded emerging NVM market size is evaluated based on assumptions of the average chip area occupied by a given memory technology<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The promise of resistive memories As early as the 1960s, the resistivity of some types of materials has been studied by research organizations around the globe to determine whether these materials could be used as non-volatile memory technology. 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