FREMONT, Calif. – April 30, 2018 — Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc., the leading magnetic memory (MRAM) company, today announced its proprietary Precessional Spin Current (PSC™) structure results. The PSC structure is a breakthrough technology with universal application that can enhance the performance of anyone’s MRAM array by increasing the retention while simultaneously reducing current.

This invention has the potential to enhance MRAM’s already-impressive density and zero leakage capabilities, making it a compelling replacement candidate for both embedded (on-chip) Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) used in over $100 billion of semiconductor end-products, and for the $20 billion-plus addressable segments of the rapidly growing Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) devices market. Applications for the PSC structure include nearly all mobile processors, datacenter CPUs and storage, automotive, IoT, AI and many others. The company reported the results of the technology at the prestigious Intermag 2018 Conference.

The results confirm that the PSC structure will increase the spin-torque efficiency of any MRAM device by 40-70 percent — enabling any MRAM to achieve dramatically higher data retention while consuming less power. This gain translates to retention times lengthening by a factor of over 10,000 (e.g., 1 hour retention becomes more than 1 year retention) while reducing write current. Furthermore, since the data shows that the PSC structure’s efficiency gains actually increase as the pMTJ get smaller, the PSC structure opens new pathways to achieving embedded SRAMs in the latest 7nm and 5nm generations.

“Emerging applications, especially those using batteries, such as AR/VR, IoT and many machine learning applications need non-volatile alternatives to SRAM and DRAM,” said Tom Coughlin, president of Coughlin Associates, Inc. “STT MRAM will enable these technologies to do more with less power. Advances such as Spin Transfer Technologies’ PSC structure will enable the next generation of MRAM.”

SRAM technologies, which are the current market standard on every logic chip, are beginning to hit size and performance limitations, inhibiting the growth in fields such as IoT and AI — including autonomous vehicles. Likewise, DRAM, used in datacenters and mobile devices, is running into rising power and cost issues.

The PSC structure enables STT-MRAM to address the size and cost drawbacks of SRAM, as well as the volatility and power complications of DRAM. Applications set to see significant benefits of MRAM with the PSC structure include:

• Datacenters: With the next generation of STT-MRAM, datacenters will have higher performance and consume far less electrical power.
• Internet of Things: STT-MRAM provides the low-cost, performance and long battery life to make IoT devices, as well as wearables, AR/VR and mobile devices, as unobtrusive and consumer-friendly as possible.
• Autonomous driving: Additionally, the PSC structure allows for much higher operational temperature for STT-MRAM, positioning it as an ideal solution for autonomous driving and connected car technologies.

“The technology industry has always had a central need for efficient memory, and new applications like AI, VR and IoT are driving new demands for lightning-fast, rapidly consumable data solutions,” said Tom Sparkman, CEO of Spin Transfer Technologies. “While MRAM has long been considered an emerging memory solution, it had significant speed and endurance challenges — which our PSC structure has been proven to address. We believe our advances will propel MRAM to become a mainstream memory technology that will allow continued innovation across most cutting-edge and mainstream applications.”

The PSC structure is designed to be seamlessly incorporated into any MRAM manufacturer’s existing process. Requiring no additional materials or tools than those already used in the production of STT-MRAM — the PSC structure adds virtually no complexity or cost for the foundries. As a result, the leading businesses and foundries can partner with Spin Transfer Technologies to advance their MRAM development and accelerate the production of the next generation of advanced memory solutions.

About Spin Transfer Technologies

Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc. develops STT-MRAM technologies that combine advanced magnetics technologies, circuits and memory architectures to create the industry’s lowest-cost, highest-performance STT-MRAM memories. The company’s disruptive STT-MRAM solutions aim to replace embedded SRAM and DRAM. The company was established by Allied Minds and New York University. For more information, please visit www.spintransfer.com.