Description
Memory and storage technologies such as DRAM, Flash memory, and HDDs have been an integral part of electronics for decades. They allow programs and data to be held long term and rapidly accessed when needed by the processor through a memory and storage hierarchy. Looking ahead to the coming generations of electronic systems, including those which depart from standard architectures as well as devices that are untethered and autonomous, there are concerns that current versions of memory technologies will not be suitable. Many efforts are currently underway to resolve this problem and a variety of new memory and storage approaches are entering the market, some based on existing technologies and some that represent sweeping departures from the status quo. There are also research programs which propose even more radical solutions to future memory and storage, although the introduction of these could be many years away.
For this class project, you have to produce a briefing on Whats next for memory and storage which highlights where we are with current technologies, why they have limitations for future systems, and how we can solve this issue with new technology. This project should be in the form of a briefing deck using, for example, PowerPoint, so that each slide/page addresses a particular element of the subject. This is not a presentation like you would give to a larger audience it would be used in a one-on-one meeting to inform and perhaps persuade an interested party of your analysis and views. Each slide can have multiple illustrations, tables, plots, and blocks of text and can be denser than a normal presentation but dont overload the page with just text you will lose the attention of your target (e.g., your boss) very quickly. Also, dont just copy and paste material without describing it (say what it means in the context of your briefing) and of course make sure that you cite every source you use – you may get zero points otherwise.
The briefing should be limited to 12 pages and must have the following format and content (please follow this as you will lose points otherwise):
- Title sheet, including your name and affiliation and a short summary (one paragraph) of the briefing purpose and content. 1 slide
- Memory device scaling trends, including various metrics such as critical dimension, capacity, operating voltage, etc., over the past few decades. 2 slides
- The main problems associated with highly scaled “traditional” memory devices (DRAM and Flash) and how these technologies are being modified to cope with these issues. 2 slides
- Two memory cell technologies as described below.
- A technology that is a departure from existing DRAM or Flash technologies but is already in the market or close to entry. 3 slides
- A radically different technology that is unlikely to hit the market for several years. 3 slides
- For each technology, include a description of (i) what it is/how it works, (ii) how it performs, and (iii) how you think it will be fabricated (we dont need a full process flow, just some examples of the types of processes that could be used).
- Your conclusions and any other relevant material you care to add. 1 slide
You can put the references on each slide, unless you have a particularly large number, in which case it would be better to put them on the final slide.
The project is due as a PowerPoint (or similar) file on April 16. You will not be required to present your work but what you hand in should be self-explanatory so that anyone trained in Advanced Silicon Processing could readily understand your slides. Note that points will be awarded for quality and clarity as well as technical content. Use clear illustrations/figures as much as possible and make sure you reference any work you borrow from (at least 12 references are required, six of which must have been published/posted in the past two years).
The following is the grading scheme for the briefing ( ____/20 ):
Title page and summary _____/1
Scaling and performance metrics _____/2
Scaled memory description/problems _____/3
Next generation memory device technology
What it is/how it works _____/2
Performance/use _____/2
Fabrication _____/2
Future memory device technology
What it is/how it works _____/2
Performance/use _____/2
Fabrication _____/2
Conclusions/extra material _____/1
Citations/references _____/1