IBM (NYSE:IBM) has successfully
developed a prototype of the semiconductor industry's smallest, densest and
fastest on-chip dynamic memory device in next-generation, 32-nanometer, silicon-on-insulator
(SOI) technology that can offer improved speed, power savings and reliability
for products ranging from servers to consumer electronics.
IBM's SOI technology can provide up to a 30 percent chip performance improvement
and 40 percent power reduction, compared to standard bulk silicon technology.
SOI protects the transistors on the chip with a "blanket" of insulation
that reduces electrical leakage, saving power and allowing current to flow through
the circuit more efficiently, improving performance.
IBM has fabricated a test chip with an embedded dynamic random access memory
(eDRAM) technology that features the industry's smallest memory cell, and offers
density, speed and capacity better than conventional on-chip static random access
memory (SRAM) announced in 32nm and 22nm technology, and comparable to what
would be expected of an SRAM produced in 15-nanometer technology - three technology
generations ahead of chips in volume production today.
IBM's eDRAM cell is twice as dense as any announced 22nm embedded SRAM cell
- including the world's smallest 22-nanometer memory cell announced by IBM in
August 2008 - and up to four times as dense as any comparable 32nm embedded
SRAM in the industry. Higher memory density can lead to chips that are smaller,
more efficient and can process more data, improving system performance.
The IBM eDRAM in 32nm SOI technology is the fastest embedded memory announced
to date, achieving latency and cycle times of less than 2 nanoseconds. In addition,
the IBM eDRAM uses four times less standby power (power used by the chip as
it sits idle) and has up to a thousand times lower soft-error rate (errors caused
by electrical charges), offering better power savings and reliability compared
to a similar SRAM.
Embedded memory is a key performance enabler for multi-core processors and
other integrated circuits, and the new prototype has numerous implications for
businesses and other organizations around the globe. For example, use of this
technology in high-performance server, printer, storage and networking applications
can result in improved system performance and energy savings. In mobile, consumer
and game applications, it can result in a smaller system form-factor, lower-cost
and energy savings.
IBM intends to bring the benefits of its 32-nanometer SOI technology to a wide
range of application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and foundry clients
and will use the technology in chips for its servers.
IBM already is engaged with early access foundry clients in 32nm technology
and ARM is developing design libraries for the technology. An initial 32nm ARM
library is available now and IBM has extended this collaboration to include
22nm SOI technology, enabling ARM to gain early access to this technology. This
represents the two companies' commitment to align early on process technology,
design rules, design library and cores for next-generation SOI technology.
"We are making this 32nm offering available to clients who are ready to
benefit from the significant performance and power advantages of this seventh
generation of IBM SOI technology," said Gary Patton, vice president for
IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center. "The industry-leading,
dense embedded memory, and our design library agreement with ARM, underscore
our ability to provide clients with a market edge and a clear progression path
to 32nm and 22nm SOI technology nodes."
IBM engineers plan to describe the features of the 32nm and 22nm eDRAM at the
International Electron Devices Meeting in December.
IBM was the first company to begin commercially shipping SOI technology, which
has been used in applications from game consoles to servers. The 32nm SOI technology
offering represents IBM's continued commitment and expertise in research, development
and manufacturing for next-generation technology.
IBM is a member of the SOI Industry Consortium, an international group aimed
at accelerating broad adoption of SOI technology across semiconductor markets,
and is working through the Consortium on enabling a robust intellectual property
portfolio for a wide range of applications.
Posted September 18th, 2009
