A Non-Volatile Embedded Memory for High Temperature Automotive and High-Retention Applications

Abstract

A highly reliable and scalable non-volatile embedded memory cell and technology is described. This embedded technology operates at very low power, and has minimal impact on the analog and digital components used in the SoC design. The main objective of this technology development was to achieve high reliability and high data retention for automotive applications over the extended temperature range from -40 O to 150 O C. A wider range, from -55 O to 180 O C, has been achieved in manufacturing. Full Cell, and memory module functionality, and data retention of over 30 years for the automotive temperature range have been achieved. Write cycling of over 200K writes (tested up to180 O C) over the design temperature range has also been achieved. The memory cell and the technology is optimized to operate at very low voltage and consume very low power. The applications requiring high data retention (>50 years), over the industrial or automotive temperature range can be well served with this technology. The data confirms that this technology is a highly manufacturable and a reliable technology for the embedded Non-Volatile memory applications. The data presented is based on a 0.35μm CMOS technology implementation.

Is Consumer Electronics Redesigning Our Cars?: Challenges of Integrated Technologies for Sensing, Computing, and Storage

“…Care must be taken against vibrations, mechanical stresses, and induced electromagnetic issues due to high currents flowing in some actuators, that could modify, once again, the retention features of the stored data. Embedded solutions based on the EEPROM concept have been developed in the mid '00s to cope with the temperature issue [36]. Multikbits memory modules functionality, and data retention of over 30 years for the automotive temperature range, have been achieved by a dedicated cell design in a 0.35 µm process [34].…”

Limits of sensing and storage electronic components for high-reliable and safety-critical automotive applications

“…Typical NVM are designed in the front-end of the semiconductor process and can operate below 125°C guaranteeing the data storage for few years at that temperature only for a very low write cycling count (i.e., the measure of the memory lifetime wear-out due to repeated data writing and erasing). Embedded solutions based on the EEPROM concept have been developed in the mid '00s to cope with the temperature issue [1]. Multikbits memory modules functionality, and data retention of over 30 years for the automotive temperature range, have been achieved by a dedicated cell design in a 0.35 µm process [1,2].…”

“…Embedded solutions based on the EEPROM concept have been developed in the mid '00s to cope with the temperature issue [1]. Multikbits memory modules functionality, and data retention of over 30 years for the automotive temperature range, have been achieved by a dedicated cell design in a 0.35 µm process [1,2]. Moreover, write cycling of over 200k writes, tested up to 180°C, has been demonstrated, proving the suitability in all applications requiring frequent data manipulation and storage.…”

Digital Nanoelectromechanical Non-Volatile Memory Cell

“…Electronics at the edge of the network can see high operating temperatures and radiation levels, often alongside energy constraints due to the lack of a wired power source. However, non-volatile memory based on charge trapping such as EEPROM and flash require expensive hardening techniques to increase the maximum operating temperature to around 200 • C [1], [2]. While ferroelectric random-access memory (FRAM) can go up to 125 • C [3] and correlated electron random access memory (CeRAM) has been reported to work up to 300 • C [4], uniquely, nanoelectromechanical (NEM) relays are simultaneously high temperature capable [5] and radiation hard [6] with zero standby power.…”