Researchers from Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) have designed a new MRAM structure, based on graphene, that offers higher efficiency (and lower heat generation) compared to existing MRAM solutions.

The design of the MRAM device is based on a graphene layer sandwiched between a magnetic insulator (yttrium iron garnet) and a ferroelectric material (PVDF-TrFE). Upon application of a voltage pulse, the current flow through the graphene is altered, enabling the storage of binary data based on this current direction.

Hprobe, a developer of testing equipment for magnetic devices, announced a strategic collaboration with NY CREATES, a lab-to-fab bridge for advanced electronics, to advance testing capabilities for next-generation semiconductor memory technologies. This joint development project will focus on the co-development of advanced testing equipment at the 300mm wafer scale.

NY CREATES and Hprobe will work together to support new testing solutions for MRAM, RRAM and selector devices. The joint project will focus on initial testing of MRAM and RRAM wafers from NY CREATES using Hprobe’s equipment, including the full-scale implementation of Hprobe’s IBEX wafer-level magnetic tester. Development of breakthrough testing procedures and algorithms for MRAM, RRAM, and selector devices, will also seek to advance the state-of-the-art in semiconductor memory testing.

pMTJ STT-MRAM developer Avalanche Technology announced a new partnership with Trusted Semiconductor Solutions (TSS) to provide valued DDR3/4 non-volatile memory products hardened to strategic levels for the aerospace & defense community. 

Building on prior collaborations between Avalanche and TSS, this new product family will address the critical need for radiation resilient, high reliability execution memory with instant-on capability for Strategic radiation environments. Leveraging Avalanche's broadly adopted modular Gen 3 MRAM product architecture TSS will add specialized survivability features uniquely required for this application and provide the storefront for this tailored solution.

Everspin Technologies reported its financial results for Q3 2024, with revenues reaching $12.1 million (down from $16.5 million in Q3 2023), and a net profit of $2.3 million. 

For the fourth quarter 2024, Everspin expects total revenue in a range of $12 million to $13 million. At the end of Q3 2024, the company had $39.6 million in cash and equivalents, up $2.8 million from the previous quarter. 

Kioxia Corporation (Toshiba's memory unit that was spun-off in 2021), in collaboration with SK Hynix, announced that it has developed the world's smallest 1Selector-1MTJ cell.

Kioxia says that the two companies have demonstrated a reliable 1 selector-1 MTJ (1S1M) cell read/write operation with low read disturb rate of <1E^-6 in 64 Gb cross-point array architecture. They have implemented cross-point 1S1M chips integrated in Half Pitch (HP) of 20.5 nm and MTJ CD of 20 nm using As-doped SiO2 selector and perpendicularly magnetized MTJ (p-MTJ).

Researchers from  Purdue University were awarded with a new project to advanced AI using research performed at Purdue for over a decade. The CHEETA:CMOS+MRAM project will utilize a CMOS+X approach specifically leveraging the unique capabilities of MRAM memory to design efficient in-memory computing hardware fabrics.

The CHEETA project aims to deliver impactful improvements in energy efficiency and sensor-to-decision latency compared to the current commercial standard. The project received funding from the Applied Research Institute. 

Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech), in collaboration with Western Digital, has developed a new high-performance material suitable for low-power SOT-MRAM.

The researchers are using BiSb material under the CoFeB/MgO, with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. By optimizing the interfacial layer thickness as well as deposition condition of BiSb, the researchers managed to achieve a large effective spin Hall angle and relatively high electrical conductivity. The researchers continued to demonstrate spin–orbit torque-induced magnetization switching driven by a small threshold current density.

Everspin Technologies announced that Lucid Motors has chosen the company's PERSYST MRAM technology to be used in its latest all-electric Gravity SUV. 

Lucid's Gravity uses Everspin's MR25H256A, a 256Kb serial MRAM. Everspin says it was selected because it meets the AEC Q100 Grade 1 specification of -40C to 125C temperature operation. The MRAM is used in the Gravity to handle data logging and parameter storage to assist in the efficient operation of the all-electric powertrain.

Everspin Technologies is at the forefront of the MRAM industry, with a product range that spans Toggle MRAM and STT-MRAM, embedded MRAM IP, more. The company's president and CEO, Sanjeev Aggarwal, was kind enough to answer a few questions we had about the company, it's recent announcements and its future roadmap.

Thank you for your time Sanjeev, we appreciate it. A few days ago, Everspin announced it had received a strategic $14.55 million 2.5-year DoD project to provide continued and stable manufacturing services. Can you share more info? How will that money be allocated, and how will you ensure stable support?

Everspin has partnered with the DoD on various projects to deploy our MRAM technology and fab MRAM products for Defense Industrial Base customers in Chandler, Arizona. The award money will be used to strength the US MRAM manufacturing supply chain.  Everspin will look at its supply chain and mitigate any risks identified. This can include second-sourcing gases and chemicals as well as upgrading processes.  

US-based Carnegie Mellon University spinoff Efficient has signed a strategic partnership with GlobalFoundries to launch its low-power Fabric chip on GlobalFoundries' 22FDX low power silicon on insulator process. Efficient will adopt embedded MRAM in its chip, and expects to launch it (first samples) by the summer of 2025.

Efficient is an early stage company that raised over $16 million to develop the power-efficient Fabric processor, targeting edge applications such as machine learning-enabled extreme-edge machine vision, continuous audio intelligence and versatile sensory and signals intelligence.

GlobalFoundries has been offering eMRAM 22nm process solutions since 2017, based on Everspin's pMTJ technology and IP.