Nigel Toon 12 August 2024
A few months ago, I was invited to join the Board atIntrinsic Semiconductorand it has been fascinating to see the incredible progress that the company has made.
Intrinsic, a spin out from UCL, London, are the emerging leaders in Resistive-Random-Access-Memory technology, also known as ReRAM. This breakthrough semiconductor, non-volatile memory technology (meaning it doesn’t forget when the power is turned off) has the potential to transform electronic devices. Today, small, embedded devices, like your Fitbit, are held back because the NOR-Flash memory inside will only fit into older semiconductor technology nodes such as 28 nanometer or larger. Flash memory is also slow, which means that the program and data must first be moved into faster SRAM memory before processing can start, so that the program and data can keep up with fast microprocessors.
ReRAM has the potential to change all this:
- Firstly, ReRAM can shrink to fit in the latest semiconductor nodes, making much more memory available at lower cost with much less power, and finally allows small embedded devices to add the latest technology.
- Secondly, ReRAM can run at the same speed as SRAM and is able to keep up with the fastest microprocessors – allowing new features,like AI, to be added into the smallest electronic consumer devices.
Imagine a fitness device that can store all your fitness routines and that has a built in AI powered fitness trainer that will support you in your training program while out on a run. Or imagine a tiny drone that can track you and make a film as you ride your mountain bike down a wooded trail – already edited and ready for posting on social media. And, imagine small personal medical devices, with AI built in, that can monitor critical medical conditions, keeping people safe and giving them the chance to lead a normal life. Smartphones and laptops will also be able to have much more memory packed right inside the processor chip that works at SRAM speed – allowing large AI models to be supported, and automotive companies will be able to add new autonomous features to your car much more cost effectively.
But up until now ReRAM has faced some serious technical challenges. Making these new memory technologies manufacturable in standard CMOS semiconductor technologies is hard, but Intrinsic have found a way to build ReRAM without the need for new materials, compounds or chemicals. Their technology can be easily manufactured in existing semiconductor fabs with no changes required and shrinks down to the smallest node sizes. But one big Achilles heel of ReRAM has always been high temperature retention, which translates to reliability. Who wants a memory that will start to forget when the temperature starts to rise? Intrinsic however, have invented a solution that solves this fundamental problem. Their ReRAM memory cell shows incredible performance and reliability even at the highest temperatures.
On the back of these technical breakthroughs,Intrinsic Semiconductorhave started to make some big commercial breakthroughs too, and their amazing ReRAM technology could start to become available soon in lots of devices. I am looking forward to my ring-side seat, on the board of directors at Intrinsic, seeing the next chapter unfold in this incredible story.
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