The Israeli start-up Weebit Nano is trying to lay the groundwork for a new computer standard in the field of memory with its ReRAM (ResistiveRAM) technology based on silicon oxide. It tries to impose cheaper, faster, more reliable and more energy efficient memory than existing Flash technology. Developed from the work of Professor James Tour of the University of Rice University, in Houston, Texas, and with the expertise of CEA-LETI , a research center specializing in nanotechnologies in Grenoble.
This agreement makes it possible to move from laboratories to production because the LETI has a great experience in memory and constitutes, according to Weebit, a very flexible structure, which is important for a start-up.
The manufacturing of ReRAm should start at the end of 2020. “The idea is to arrive at any of the founders on the market and bring them all the technical specifications so that they can produce the memories. We are at the point of marketing our ReRAM components and we are already measuring the market response on these key points. "
This resistive random access memory uses nanometallic filaments which are charged or not to preserve bits of information. The positioning of Weebit Nano is not to attack the NAND flash head-on, but rather to drill into that of the persistent memory components embedded in SoC type chips and systems embedded in IoT or the automobile.
"We believe that the market for embedded systems is less exposed to launch our business," says the CEO. “It's an easier market to start with and we can show very resilient copies, capable of keeping data intact for 10 years at a temperature of 150 °. Which is very important for the automotive market. ”
And to take off, Weebit Nano is counting on the Chinese market where contacts have already been made with the semiconductor manufacturer XTX Technology, formerly known as Paragon Technology. "We have demonstrated the effectiveness of our ReRAM silicon oxide memory technology in the XTX plant," assures the director.
Webit Nano is aware that Intel is interested in ReRam, but Intel is more interested in the data center market. At the end of the year, Webit Nano should be able to mount its first complete memory modules and discuss business with its prospects.
