TufFRAM®

Tezzaron’s TufFRAM technology addresses the need for better speed, density, and endurance in affordable non-volatile memory. Flash memory currently dominates the non-volatile market. However, Flash memory has very slow write cycles and limited endurance (frequent writing degrades the cells). Today’s non-volatile FRAM technology boasts much faster write cycles and somewhat better endurance, but oxygen leaching eventually degrades the memory cell crystals during both read and write operations.

TufFRAM, Tezzaron’s version of FRAM, uses a proprietary ferroelectric material that solves the endurance problem by changing the chemistry involved. TufFRAM’s unique non-metallic anodes discourage oxygen from leaching out of the crystals. Another extremely valuable property of this material is its unusually low processing temperature (450°C), which allows smaller features and higher densities than other varieties of FRAM.

The first TufFRAM product will be a monolithic (non-stacked) memory chip, socket-compatible with DRAM – durable, non-volatile, with DRAM-like density and better-than-DRAM speeds.

Developing TufFRAM®

Tezzaron has already done significant development work on TufFRAM, in association with Radiant Technologies, Inc., the University of Maryland, and other parties. The underlying science is now well proven.

Future Generations of TufFRAM®

Tezzaron plans to incorporate TufFRAM layers into stacked memory chips (using FaStack®) for greater density and wider usage. It may even be possible to implement 3T-iRAM®, with its current-sensing technology and multi-bit cells, within stacked TufFRAM. This combination of technologies would produce fast, dense, non-volatile chips with extraordinary reliability and endurance.

For more information, contact: Tezzaron Semiconductor 630-505-0404 Memory@tezzaron.com

Copyright © 2002-2009 Tezzaron Semiconductor.  All rights reserved.  Revised: February 27, 2009