SBIR Phase II: A Novel Memory Having Both Volatile and Non-Volatile Modes For High Performance, Low Power Applications

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project seeks to continue the development of a novel one-transistor memory device, which has both volatile and non-volatile functionality, through collaboration with a commercial foundry partner. Such memory combines the non-volatile memory's ability to retain information in the absence of power (such as Flash memory) and the fast access speed and reliability of a volatile memory (such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM)). In addition to the memory cell development and optimization, a memory block will also be developed to initiate commercialization effort of the memory technology. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to enable power-efficient computing applications and mobile devices. For example, it can be used to reduce power consumptions in data centers. Data centers' annual energy consumption is estimated to be 150 billion kWh, about twice the capacity of the current US solar panel. A power-efficient memory such as the one proposed in this proposal can reduce the overall data centers' power consumption by up to 75%. Another application is to provide an integrated memory solution. Many electronic devices currently employ multiple types of memory, due to their own distinct characteristics. The proposed device will be able to combine the different types of memory into a single memory device, simplifying the manufacturing process for embedded memories.