Communications of the ACM
IBM Develops Denser, Faster Chip Memory
IBM has integrated its eDRAM technology produced in 32-nanometer silicon-on-insulator technology onto a multicore processor die.
Credit: IBM
IBM says it has developed a prototype of the densest and fastest on-chip memory. The prototype consists of embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) that is integrated on the same die as a multicore processor. IBM used 32-nanometer, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology that protects the transistors on the chip with a layer of insulation, which reduces electrical leakage. The company says the SOI technology improves chip performance by 30 percent and reduces power consumption by 40 percent, compared to standard silicon technology.
The eDRAM cell is up to four times as dense as 32-nm embedded transistor-based static random access memory, which means it can help produce smaller, more efficient processors that can process more data. IBM says the embedded memory has latency and cycle times of less than two nanoseconds.
The new memory chip will be used in next-generation 32-nm processors, and IBM says it will improve the performance and energy savings of servers, printers, storage, and networking applications as well as mobile, consumer, and game applications.
IBM will offer the 32-nm SOI technology to a wide range of application-specific integrated circuitry and foundry clients and use it in chips for its own servers.
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