A new era for embedded memory

ReRAM is emerging as the leading candidate to replace flash for many applications.

By Eran Briman, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Weebit Nano

While flash memory is still the most popular non- volatile memory (NVM), several applications are beginning to adopt other types of embedded NVM technology, both because embedded flash can’t feasibly scale beyond 28nm and because of cost, power, and performance advantages.

Memories including Resistive RAM (ReRAM), Phase Change Memory (PCM), Magneto Resistive RAM (MRAM), and Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), offer alternatives. Each technology has its own advantages and challenges in terms of cost, complexity, power and performance. However, ReRAM, offering the best balance, is emerging as the leading candidate to replace flash for many applications.

ReRAM technologies are already deployed in the market and new design starts are ramping up. Timelines for adoption vary by application and depend on the availability of ReRAM at different process nodes and foundries, as well as density and certification requirements. Let’s look at some applications where ReRAM is starting to gain traction.

Power management ICs

One of the first places ReRAM is gaining a foothold is in power management ICs (PMICs) and other high-voltage designs. Every electronic device has at least one PMIC managing system power distribution, and there is increasing demand for programmable PMICs to support trends like enhanced wireless charging and intelligent motor controllers. For these devices, PMICs must be smart and capable of running numerous algorithms, requiring a microcontroller (MCU) coupled with an NVM that is low-power, high-density, and cost effective.

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