Anti-Fuse Memory With Gusto

Magnetic RAM, Cross-Bar, Trapped Charge, Ferroelectric are all non-volatile memory technologies which I’ve heard of but, until yesterday, I hadn’t heard of an antifuse-based NV memory.

Kilopass of Santa Clara has been beavering away for nine years using anti-fuse to make OTP memories which it sells as hard macros for embedding in ASIC/SOCs, eliminating the need for external serial flash and EEPROMs in mobile devices.

Kilopass has announced a 4Mbit macro which can be made in standard 40nm bulk CMOS at multiple foundries.

According to Kilopass, a 4Mbit memory will be sufficient to store the firmware and boot code in a mobile phone, normally stored externally, and so has the potential to replace 30% of the $5 billion market for serial flash and EEPROM.

Users pay an NRE charge, plus a licence fee, plus a per-wafer royalty.

The 4Mbit IP is called Gusto. Gusto test chips have been taped out at IBM, TSMC and UMC. Initial silicon data is available. Qualified silicon should be available this year.

Kilopass memory is made in standard bulk CMOS said to be compatible with RF, SiGe, CIS and BCD. The company says its memory has been put into ASICs at a dozen different foundries.

Kilopass, founded in 2001 with product out since 2005, is backed by Nokia.