Tohoku University's Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems (CIES), led by Professor Tetsuo Endoh (Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University) has announced success on a collaboration between CIES and semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation.
The joint research team has developed a high-speed, high-precision module that can measure the switching currents in the memory arrays of spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM), a highly-anticipated next-generation memory technology, in units of microamperes and nanoseconds, using an Advantest memory test system.
This makes it possible to observe minute changes in the currents that flow through STT-MRAM memory cells, and represents a great stride toward STT-MRAM failure analysis and the practical application of STT-MRAM technology. This testing technology is available for not only STT-MRAM but also other resistance change type memory such as ReRAM and PCRAM.
Tohoku University CIES will continue research and development activities with the aim of commercializing a new STT-MRAM memory test system equipped with an external magnetic field application mechanism.
The research is sponsored by the CIES Consortium, and the Program on Open Innovation Platform with Enterprises, Research Institute and Academia (OPERA*). Results were presented at the IEEE Non-volatile Memory Technology Symposium held in Sendai from 22 to 24 October, 2018.
*OPERA is a program aimed at the formation of a platform for industrial-academic collaborations. Members include Tohoku University, Kyoto University, Yamagata University, and a group of advanced companies. Tohoku University acts as the coordinator of the program.
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