2016年9月6日 星期二

奈米碳管正式應用於半導體產業:奈米碳管存儲器(NRAM)技術將2018量產 ( CNT nano tech. will used in semiconductor : CNT memory NRAM will go into production in 2018 )

富士通與Nantero達成協議 2018年推出快1000倍的NRAM內存

富士通半導體和三重富士通半導體上週共同宣布,他們已與總部位於美國的Nantero公司達成協議,授權該公司的奈米碳管存儲器(NRAM)技術,三方公司未來將致力於NRAM存儲器的開發與生產。

據了解,藉由NRAM技術所生產的存儲器速度將是當前普通存儲器的1,000倍。預計,藉由三方面的合作,將在2018年推出藉由55奈米製程所生產的NRAM存儲器。

在納米技術研究領域,奈米碳管(CNT)是一種很獨特的材料,直徑只有人類頭髮的五萬分之一,能導熱導電,硬度是鋼鐵的50倍。在儲存領域,奈米碳管通過矽基沉底也能達到0與1變化。

因此,也可以用來當做儲存芯片使用,而且因為其特性為非揮發性,所以就算斷電也不會清除儲存在上面的信息。

而由於奈米碳管有著特別的特性,因此相較於當前的普通存儲器,NRAM芯片的具有非常強大的優勢。除了讀寫速度是普通閃存的1,000倍(Nanteo官網上表示是1,000倍)之外,同時可提供功耗更低,更具可靠性與耐用性的存儲器,而且生產成本更低。

富士通半導體系統存儲器副總裁松宮正人表示,藉由Nantero公司的奈米碳管技術而生產的非揮發性儲存內存是業界的一個超越了傳統技術的顯著進步。而富士通半導體自90年代以來,一直是在設計和生產非揮發性存儲器FRAM(鐵電隨機存取內存)的少數廠商之一。因此,富士通半導體具有整合FRAM設計和生產的能力。如今再與Nantero公司達成協議之後,未來將就由過去設計與生產FRAM的能力,用於開發NRAM存儲器,以滿足市場的需求。

Nantero董事長兼執行長Greg Schmergel指出,Nantero已經在奈米碳管的內存儲存技術上研究了十多年,具備生產NRAM存儲器的先進技術。而本次與富士通半導體與三重富士通半導體兩家公司的合作,由於兩家公司都是全球生產儲存設備中最成功的企業之一。藉由其在研發與生產FRAM的經驗,未來可以在NRAM存儲器的合作上產生更大的效益,建立更緊密的關係。

不過,對於此合作案,有業界人士指出,Nantero公司自從2006年就說要開始生產奈米碳管存儲器了。但是,到現在一直沒什麼特別的進展。未來,即便是跟富士通半導體達成了合做協議,量產的NRAM芯片容量還是不夠大,只適合一些嵌入式設備使用。

所以,未來是不是能夠改變整個存儲器的生態,還有待進一步的觀察。

Fujitsu Semiconductor and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor License Nantero's NRAM And Have Begun Developing Breakthrough Memory Products for Multiple Markets

  Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited today announced that they have reached an agreement with US-based Nantero, Inc. to license that company's technology for NRAM, non-volatile RAM using carbon nanotubes, and to conduct joint development towards releasing a product based on 55-nm process technology. Three companies are aiming to develop a product using NRAM non-volatile RAM that achieves several 1000 times faster rewrites and many thousands of times more rewrite cycles than embedded flash memory, making it potentially capable of replacing DRAM with non-volatile memory. Fujitsu Semiconductor plans to develop an NRAM-embedded custom LSI product by the end of 2018, with the goal of expanding the product line-up into stand-alone NRAM product after that. Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor, which is a pure-play foundry, plans to offer NRAM-based technology to its foundry customers.
Comment from Masato Matsumiya, System Memory VP, Fujitsu Semiconductor

Non-volatile memory using Nantero's carbon-nanotube technology is a marked advance beyond conventional technology. Fujitsu Semiconductor has been designing and producing FRAM, a type of non-volatile RAM, since the late 90s, and is one of the few companies to have integrated FRAM design and production capabilities. We will be able to build on our experience and skill in this field to develop and produce NRAM as well. The combination of Nantero's technology with our design and production capabilities promises to meet the longstanding needs of our customers for non-volatile memory that is higher density, faster, more energy efficiency, and with a higher rewrite cycle. I am confident that Nantero and Fujitsu Semiconductor will become partners with the highest mutual regard, and I look forward to working with Nantero to develop memory with revolutionary performance. As always, Fujitsu Semiconductor is committed to offering a more complete range of memory solutions, and to meeting the needs of its customers.
Comment from Masahiro Chijiiwa, Director and Corporate SVP, Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor

Nantero's NRAM technology is based on carbon nanotubes and allows for non-volatile memory with high density and random access, promising to expand Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor's line of embedded non-volatile memory products, which are a major focus of our business. In working with Nantero to develop their technology into products and license that technology, together with Fujitsu Semiconductor, I am certain we will be able to offer our customers new kinds of non-volatile random-access memory solutions.
Comment from Greg Schmergel, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Nantero, Inc.

Fujitsu Semiconductor and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor are ideal commercialization partners for Nantero as their experience with FRAM makes them among the world's most successful companies in mass production of new memory devices. Nantero is honored to be working with them on breakthrough memory products, and after years of intensive evaluation of our NRAM technology, our three companies have built a very strong relationship. Through over a decade of intensive R&D, Nantero has been able to bring CNT-based memory technology to a state of maturity and manufacturing readiness where world-class companies such as Fujitsu Semiconductor and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor are working with us on productization for multiple markets. NRAM technology, with its combination of nonvolatility, high speed and high density, is uniquely positioned to allow for the continued evolution of memory beyond the projected limits and capabilities of classical technologies.

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