Intel would be producing MRAM memories in mass to replace current SSDs and RAM

Robert Sole 21 February, 2019

0 1.029 1 minute of reading

It appears that Intel has started mass production of new MRAM memories to replace SSDs and DDR RAM.

The price of RAM, despite being on the decline, is still very high and it seems that the price reduction is slowing down. Now the EETimes media has reported that Intel is in the phase of producing MRAM memories in large volumes. MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory) memories are a type of non-volatile memory, which means that it can retain information even when there is no power. This type of memory is more similar to a solid state hard disk drive than standard RAM.

Intel would be mass producing MRAM memories

The idea of MRAM memories is that they end up replacing the DRAM memories used in current RAM memories and the NAND Flash memories used for storage. In addition, these MRAM memories promise to be easier to manufacture and would offer great performance. These memories have already presented response times of 1ns, which are much better than the theoretical limits of current DRAMs. In addition to offering better writing speeds, being higher than those offered by NAND technology.

Regarding the characteristics of MRAM memories, these would have the capacity to retain data for ten years and would withstand up to 125ºC. In addition to this resistance these will initially be based on the 22nm FFL FinFET lithography. They will offer a rate of return in excess of 99.9%, which is really impressive.

There is no reliable data as to why Intel is using the 22nm lithography, but it is possible that due to the saturation problem of the 14nm and the delay of the 10nm, they have caused the company to opt for this lithography. We do not know when they hit the market, if they will be compatible with current DIMM sockets or if they require special motherboards.