Tapping ZettaRAMTM for Low-Power Memory Systems

ZettaRAMTM is a new memory technology under development by ZettaCoreTM as a potential replacement for conventional DRAM. The key innovation is replacing the conventional capacitor in each DRAM cell with "charge-storage" molecules ? a molecular capacitor. We look beyond ZettaRAM's manufacturing benefits, and approach it from an architectural viewpoint to discover benefits within the domain of architectural metrics. The molecular capacitor is unusual because the amount of charge deposited (critical for reliable sensing) is independent of write voltage, i.e., there is a discrete threshold voltage above/below which the device is fully charged/discharged. Decoupling charge from voltage enables manipulation via arbitrarily small bitline swings, saving energy. However, while charge is voltageindependent, speed is voltage-dependent. Operating too close to the threshold causes molecules to overtake peripheral circuitry as the overall performance limiter. Nonetheless, ZettaRAM of...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: HPCA
• Authors: Ravi K. Venkatesan, Ahmed S. Al-Zawawi, Eric Rotenberg
• Keywords: Computer Architecture, Conventional Dram, Discrete Threshold Voltage, HPCA 2005, Molecular Capacitor