Phase-Change Technology and the Future of Main Memory

As DRAM and other charge memories reach scaling limits, resistive memories, such as phase change memory (PCM), may permit continued scaling of main memories. However, while PCM may scale further than DRAM, PCM presently wears out more quickly, has higher read latency, has much higher write latency, and has much higher write power than DRAM. This article mitigates these drawbacks of PCM, analyzing the effects of buffer sizing, row caching, write reduction, and wear-leveling. The results show that, with the right architectural support, PCM can compete with DRAM in terms of performance, energy, and lifetime, making it a viable candidate to replace DRAM for scalable main memories.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: MICRO
• Authors: Benjamin C. Lee, Ping Zhou, Jun Yang 0002, Youtao Zhang, Bo Zhao, Engin Ipek, Onur Mutlu, Doug Burger
• Keywords: DRAM, Hardware, Main Memories, MICRO 2010, Scalable Main Memories