Moto: 2003 for MRAMs in iappliance, wireless SoCs

Munich, Germany -- Motorola's semiconductor group is planning a commercial debut for its innovative magnetic RAM technology late in 2003 when it starts sampling customers in cell phones, wireless iappliances and embedded networking applications.

Fred Schlapak, president and chief executive of Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector has disclosed that the company, which is collaborating with Philips and STMicroelectronics on process technologies at ST facilities in Crolles, France, would complete full characterization of memory devices based on the non-volatile memory technology within the next 18 months (see November 12 story). However, Schlapak said that Motorola would start sampling customers with embedded MRAM products at the end of 2003.

Magnetic RAM, being researched by Motorola, IBM and Infineon Technologies amongst others, holds promise as a high-density non-volatile memory and potential replacement for flash memory, although concerns have been raised about the consistent manufacturability of the ultra-thin magnetic layer used within the MRAM memory cell structure.

Schlapak did not give an indication of the size of MRAM array being planned by Motorola for its embedded products or the application to which it would be applied. Cell phones which currently use multiple memory types -- flash, SRAM and DRAM -- on separate die, is one area that Motorola is familiar with and which could, in theory, benefit from an innovative high-density non-volatile memory.

For more information, go to www.motorola.com.

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