Systems Seminar: Prof. Jimmy Zhu, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Carnegie Mellon University

Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM): A Technology for Computer Systems on a Single Chip

Abstract

The state of a memory cell in an MRAM is not maintained by electric power, but rather by the direction of magnetic moment. This non-volatility is attractive not only to military and space applications, also to the commercial world if can be made reliable, dense, and cost-effective. Modern MRAM utilizes the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect in magnetic multilayer. In this talk, a ultra-high density MRAM design will be presented. The design has the potential not only to replace current SRAM, DRAM and Flash memory, also to replace hard disk drives, enabling entire memory system on the same chip as processors. In this talk, all major existing MRAM designs will be reviewed and associated technology challenges will be discussed.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Jimmy Zhu is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California at San Diego in 1989. In 1992 he received the McKnight Land Grant Professorship from the University of Minnesota. He was a recipient of 1993 NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award. In 1996, his patent on Ultra-High Density Magnetic Sensor was awarded as one the top 100 inventions of the year by R&D magazine. His research area also includes magnetic technologies for high density and high data rate disk drives.