Non-volatile material that overcomes the limitations of existing SRAM memory
Simultaneous improvement in speed and integration of next-generation magnetic memory (MRAM)

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (Minister Choi Yang-hee) announced that researchers at domestic universities have succeeded in developing material technology that simultaneously improves the speed and integration density of next-generation magnetic memory (MRAM).

The research results of a joint research team led by Professor Park Byung-kook (KAIST) and Professor Lee Kyung-jin (Korea University) were published in Nature Nanotechnology, the most prestigious journal in the field of nanotechnology, on July 11.

Unlike conventional silicon-based semiconductor memory, Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) is a new non-volatile memory device made of thin magnetic films. It can retain information without an external power supply and enables high-speed operation and increased integration density. Due to these characteristics, it is a next-generation memory technology poised to change the memory paradigm, and semiconductor companies worldwide are currently competing to develop it.

One of the core technologies at the center of the development competition is the technology to simultaneously achieve high density while increasing memory operating speed. According to magnetic memory (MRAM) technology developed to date, there was a problem where integration density dropped significantly when maintaining the maximum operating speed.

The research team developed a new technology that can achieve high integration and an operating speed more than 10 times faster than existing magnetic memory (MRAM) technology.

In the case of conventional spin-orbit torque-based magnetic memory (MRAM), which is attracting attention as a next-generation memory, spin-orbit coupling of heavy metals and ferromagnetic materials is used for information recording. However, there was a limitation in that an external magnetic field had to be applied for the platinum (Pt) or tungsten (W) materials used in the past. The research team introduced a new antiferromagnetic material, such as an iridium-manganese (IrMn) alloy, and developed a technology capable of high-speed, low-power operation without an external magnetic field by utilizing the exchange coupling of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic materials.

High potential for use as memory for mobile devices, wearables, or the Internet of Things (IoT)

Spin-orbit torque magnetic memory (MRAM) can reduce power consumption by more than 10 times compared to SRAM used in computers or smartphones, and due to its non-volatile characteristics, it has high potential for use as memory for mobile, wearable, or Internet of Things (IoT) applications that require low power.

Professor Park Byung-kook stated, “This research is significant in that it has advanced the feasibility of magnetic random access memory (MRAM), which is gaining attention as a next-generation memory, by one step. We plan to focus on developing new materials with excellent recording performance through further research.”