MRAM Developer Day, GlobalFoundries Keynote Live Blog

12:40PM EDT - Second Keynote today is from GlobalFoundries, Everspin's MRAM partner.

12:40PM EDT - Michael Mendicinoj, VP on stage

12:41PM EDT - 7% memory growth rate

12:41PM EDT - Growth comes from many areas - mobile computing, IoT, AI, AR/MR/VR

12:42PM EDT - The key is to know what will drive growth and what will need it

12:42PM EDT - GF has a dual lane roadmap to tackle high performance and low power

12:42PM EDT - anticipating what the segments need from a total perspective

12:42PM EDT - Today is mostly IoT and AI related

12:43PM EDT - Potential $63B TAM in 2025

12:43PM EDT - Connectivity is a big role in each space

12:43PM EDT - IoT is a very broad set of applications

12:43PM EDT - End-to-end solutions are important

12:43PM EDT - Needing to have the right capability in the technololgy

12:44PM EDT - Have a good overall cost of ownership

12:44PM EDT - IoT is not a segment - it's a collection of applications spread across segments

12:45PM EDT - Mobile Segment, Compute Segment, Automotive Segment, Aerospace segment

12:45PM EDT - Low power in 40-130nm, Mid range in 22-28nm, High perf at 12-14nm

12:46PM EDT - Speed and memory types vary

12:46PM EDT - RF is important across all segments

12:46PM EDT - 17 levels of metal at 7nm

12:47PM EDT - The SoC Differentiator - to build value

12:47PM EDT - Some characteristics matter more depending on the IoT device

12:48PM EDT - Perf, Connectivity, Memory, Sensory, Storage, Battery, Security, Packaging, IP, Integration

12:50PM EDT - MRAM offers power and area savings

12:50PM EDT - Instant On for IoT is important

12:51PM EDT - If you put good MRAM on a mediocre platform, that's not going to win

12:51PM EDT - Need best in class compute and RF to get max benefit

12:52PM EDT - AI is a key part of the semiconductor 7% CAGR

12:52PM EDT - Break it up into two main areas : Datacenter (high-end training and inferencing)

12:53PM EDT - These use the high end processes, big chips, mostly ASICs

12:53PM EDT - The other side is mid-to-low end inferencing: IoT, Smartphones, Drones, ADAS

12:53PM EDT - classic foundry and ASIC, smaller die size

12:53PM EDT - balanced low power process

12:54PM EDT - IN high-end, big metal stacks requiremed, high density memory

12:55PM EDT - In edge devices, use FDX SoC platform, SoC design services

12:56PM EDT - Datacenter is usually based on thermal limits, low end is usually power limit driven

12:57PM EDT - How to win: IoT and ML

12:58PM EDT - AI/ML all about the datacenter - high performance, high speed IP etc

12:58PM EDT - IoT is all about the small chips and ultra low leakage

12:58PM EDT - Only high-density MRAM can really connect the two

12:59PM EDT - 22FDX is low power fully depleted SOI process

01:00PM EDT - Can run A53 at almost 2 GHz

01:00PM EDT - Lower dynamic and leakage

01:00PM EDT - 22FDX is king of power

01:00PM EDT - Uses back-biasing to help boost perf, or reduce back-bias to lower VTs and still run fast

01:01PM EDT - Overall 80% lower power

01:01PM EDT - Best in class mmWave perf

01:01PM EDT - eMRAM for NVM

01:01PM EDT - Increasing value prop by coupling eMRAM

01:02PM EDT - Ecosystem is already quite large, and growing

01:03PM EDT - Two versions of MRAM: -F for flash replacement, -S for SRAM replacement

01:04PM EDT - Differences in speed, endurance, data retention, operating temperature

01:05PM EDT - eMRAM-F is a cold storage technology, hence 15 year data retention

01:05PM EDT - eMRAM on 22FDX beats eFlash on 40nm

01:06PM EDT - Production of 22FDX eMRAM set for 1H 2019

01:07PM EDT - Status of 22FDX eMRAM

01:07PM EDT - Quarterly MPWs starting in Q1 2018

01:07PM EDT - Risk production by end of 2018

01:07PM EDT - JDV with Everspin in 2014

01:08PM EDT - Succeeded in each area

01:08PM EDT - 300 companies using production PDK

01:08PM EDT - 32Mb eFlash and 2Mb SRAM interfaces available for use

01:10PM EDT - Already announced $2b of design wins on 22FDX, most of which with eMRAM involved

01:10PM EDT - Next gen is 12FDX

01:10PM EDT - 7nm FinFET power efficiency with body bias, but still FDSOI planar process

01:11PM EDT - 40% fewer masks than 7nm DUV

01:12PM EDT - Four arms of technical challenges

01:12PM EDT - Never underestimate incumbents: eFlash scaling for example

01:13PM EDT - DRAM below 22nm is still in development - data integrity and corruption is a concern

01:13PM EDT - eDRAM has run out of steam

01:13PM EDT - SRAM Memory bandwidth is lagging behind CPU perf

01:13PM EDT - MRAM could help catch up

01:14PM EDT - IoT demand for lowest possible power memory solutions

01:14PM EDT - Non-technical challenges - cost of manufacturing ecoysystem, market acceptance

01:15PM EDT - making all the TAM accessible

01:15PM EDT - A lot of people want to go with the proven solution - hard to drive adoption without a compelling product

01:16PM EDT - MRAM is ready for GF customers