In papers presented at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), IBM revealed an on-chip memory technology that features what the company claims are the fastest access times ever recorded in eDRAM (embedded dynamic random access memory).

This new technology, designed in stress-enabled 65nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) using deep trench, dramatically improves on-processor memory performance in about one-third the space with one-fifth the standby power of conventional SRAM (static random access memory), IBM indicated. The company added that the breakthrough will more than triple the amount of memory contained on a single high-end chip, and its prototype eDRAM contains over 12 million bits and high-performance logic.

IBM expects the technology to be a key feature of its 45nm microprocessor roadmap and will become available beginning in 2008.

According to Dr. Subramanian Iyer, director of 45 nm technology development at IBM, the breakthrough is effectively doubling microprocessor performance beyond what classical scaling alone can achieve. Iyer pointed out that as semiconductor components have reached the atomic scale, design innovation at the chip-level has replaced materials science as a key factor in continuing Moore’s Law.

The company noted that its eDRAM developments improves microprocessor performance in multi-core designs and speeds the movement of graphics in gaming, networking, and other image intensive, multi-media applications.

IBM is the major supplier of processors in the gaming console market, with the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 all featuring IBM processors.

IBM also has a manufacturing partnership with AMD.

By: DocMemory
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