Kioxia to show Octram, 64Gbit MRAM, NAND memory boost

Kioxia is showing several emerging memory technologies it is developing at the IEDM 2024 conference in December.

The emerging memory technologies include a new type of DRAM using oxide semiconductors with a focus on reducing power consumption, MRAM suitable for larger capacities for single cell memory (SCM) applications, and a novel horizontal stacking structure of 3D flash memory with higher bit density and performance.

The Oxide-Semiconductor Channel Transistor DRAM (OCTRAM) was jointly developed by Nanya Technology and Kioxia with a vertical transistor that enhances circuit integration by improving the manufacturing process. The companies achieved extremely low current leakage by bringing out the properties of the transistor using an oxide-semiconductor. This can potentially lower power consumption in a wide range of applications, including AI and post-5G communication systems, and IoT products.

• Samsung speeds selector-only memory materials 
• Intel, TSMC to detail 2nm technologies 
• CFETs make progress at 5nm, 7A
• Power advances at IEDM

The high capacity crosspoint MRAM developed with SK hynix has the smallest cell half-pitch of 20.5nm by combining cell technology that pairs selectors suitable for large capacities with magnetic tunnel junctions, and applied fine processing technology for crosspoint-type arrays. Memory reliability tends to degrade as cells are miniaturized so the two companies developed a new readout method that uses the transient response of selectors, as well as reducing the parasitic capacitance of readout circuits. This technology has practical applications for AI and big data processing.

Kioxia has also developed a new 3D structure to improve reliability and prevent degradation of NAND-type cells. Degradation of performance typically occurs when the number of stacked layers increases in conventional structures. The new structure arranges NAND-type cells horizontally by stacking them compared to the conventional structure of vertically arranging NAND-type cells. This structure allows for the realization of 3D flash memory with high bit density and reliability at low cost.

Oxide-semiconductor Channel Transistor DRAM (OCTRAM) with 4F2 Architecture (Paper Number: 6-1)

Reliable memory operation with low read disturb rate in the world smallest 1Selector-1MTJ cell for 64 Gb cross-point MRAM (Paper Number: 20-1)

Scalability of Advanced Horizontal Channel Flash For Future Generations of 3D Flash Memory (Paper Number: 30-1)