Spin Memory - Page 2

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) has successfully produced a working prototype STT-MRAM device. The company's advanced prototyping magnetics processing line at its facility in Fremont, California, is now fully operational.

STT's prototypes incorporate proprietary, performance-enhancing ‘spin-filtering’ technology, and were fabricated on industry standard CMOS wafers sourced from a high volume Asian foundry supplier. The prototypes are based on 60-nm perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction devices

In November 2013, Crocus Technology filed an Inter Partes Review petition to the US PTO, claiming that Spin Transfer Technologies's US patent #6,980,469 describes a technology already used in prior art, in particular in the patent portfolio of Crocus. In April 2014, the USPTO issued a preliminary decision in favor of Crocus' petition.

Crocus now says that it has prevailed in the Inter Partes Review of the patent. Crocus petitioned to cancel all or part of the patent as Crocus’s patent portfolio includes a patent on this technology that makes advanced non-volatile memory blocks more efficient. After careful consideration, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office issued its final written decision cancelling or finding unpatentable all but three claims of the ’469 patent.

In November 2013, Crocus Technology filed an Inter Partes Review petition to the US PTO, claiming that Spin Transfer Technologies's US patent #6,980,469 describes a technology already used in prior art, in particular in the patent portfolio of Crocus.

Crocus Technology now says that the USPTO issued a preliminary decision in favor of Crocus' petition - saying that there is a “reasonable likelihood” that Crocus will prevail with respect to its challenge. The patent in question describes a high-speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-moment transfer.

Crocus Technology filed an Inter Partes Review petition to the US PTO, claiming that US patent #6,980,469 describes a technology already used in prior art, in particular in the patent portfolio of Crocus. The patent in question describes a high-speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-moment transfer, and is owned by New York University (although crocus says in their PR that it is owned by Spin Transfer Technologies (STT).

Crocus currently holds 154 patents, describing their Magnetic Logic unit (MLU) design and manufacturing as well as generic technologies like STT (Spin Torque Transfer).

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) announced that Barry Hoberman has been appointed as CEO and Chairman of the board. Barry was Crocus Technology's chief marketing officer, and we interviewed him in January.

Back in February STT announced that they raised $36 million to accelerate the development of its patented orthogonal spin transfer magneto resistive random access memory technology (OST-MRAM) - by scaling operation, hiring new employees and purchasing equipment. Back in October 2008 we have interviewed Vincent Chun, who was then the executive in charge at STT.

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) announced that they raised $36 million in series A funding led by parent company, Allied Minds and Invesco Asset Management. STT will use the money to accelerate the development of its patented orthogonal spin transfer magneto resistive random access memory technology (OST-MRAM) - by scaling operation, hiring new employees and purchasing equipment.

This is great news for STT. The last we heard from the company was in November 2010 when they announced the successful development of the STT-MRAM device that uses STT's proprietary orthogonal spin transfer technology with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for memory state read-out.

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) developed the first STT-MRAM device that uses STT's proprietary orthogonal spin transfer technology with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for memory state read-out. Using the MTJ element makes the device compatible with CMOS logic, and takes the orthogonal spin transfer technology a major step closer to commercialization.

The new device features deterministic switching, resulting in no incubation delays, 100% probability of switching with 500 picosecond pulses utilizing only 250 femtoJoules of energy, 100% magnetoresistance ratio, providing a highly sensitive readout of the magnetic state and bipolar switching behavior (switching upon either polarity of current pulse) potentially allowing simpler or fewer CMOS elements.

Spin Transfer Technologies (STT) and Singulus Technologies will collaborate to apply advanced deposition techniques to support commercial development of STT’s novel MRAM memory devices. The companies will use Singulus TIMARIS deposition tool to create magnetic layer stacks with STT’s design specifications. These layer stacks will then be processed at STT contracted facilities into memory arrays for testing, optimization, and eventually, pre-commercial prototyping.

Singulus has already sold several TIMARIS systems for MRAM companies (including Grandis and Crocus). STT is working towards Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM or OST-MRAM for short. Back in October 2008 we have interviewed Vincent Chun, the executive in charge at Spin Transfer Technologies.

Researchers from NY University, together with Spin Transfer Technologies have demonstrated magnetic vector switching for current pulses as short as 100 picoseconds. This is among the shortest write times reported by developers of MRAM devices.

The underlying technology is based on a unique orthogonal orientation between the magnetic vectors in two magnetic layers -- a pinned magnetic layer where the magnetic orientation is fixed and a free magnetic layer where the magnetic field is aligned in one of two directions, thereby storing one bit of binary information. In contrast, all other MRAM efforts involve magnetic vectors that are both parallel to the physical layers or both perpendicular to the layers. Termed Orthogonal Spin Transfer MRAM (OST-MRAM), the technology results in a deterministic switching behavior, which enables high speed and very low power device operation. Other approaches result in stochastic switching which involves thermal fluctuations to initiate or hasten the switching process, leading to an incubation delay and requiring higher power for operation.

In addition, the OST-MRAM technology allows the use of magnetic tunnel junctions to achieve large read-out signals, while maintaining the advantages of deterministic switching and low power operation. Another key aspect of the technology is that it does not require sophisticated processes, such as magnetic annealing, for the fabrication of devices. This will significantly lower the cost of future commercial devices based on OST-MRAM technology, compared to other MRAM devices currently in development.

Back in October 2008, we have talked to Vincent Chun from Spin-Transfer-Technologies, and he explained their tech and plans.